By John Griffin 

Neither plague nor perishing winter cold can prevent the Knowlton Players from preparing this season’s production. They’ve just pushed the dates back a bit.  The play is an adapted version of L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz, awarded celluloid immortality in the cherished 1939 musical fantasy of the same name, starring young Judy Garland. 

The Players’ ambitious Oz is keeping the words and music, and offering a mostly school-age cast and chorus at Theatre Lac Brome the first weekend of May. Not early April, as originally planned.  The reasons for the change are as myriad as the difficulties of mounting live theatre in the Age of COVID, when early rehearsals were conducted via Zoom. 

Oz Director Jessica Brown is hoping the government’s withering volume of changing social restrictions will have settled down by then, and the warmer weather will encourage more people to get out and about after two years of hiding under their collective bed. 

The dates again – May 5 to 8. Capacity is expected to be held to 50%, if current rules apply, so get your tickets early. More on Oz in the next Tempo.