Tickets are $16 for adults ages 18–55, $11 for adults 55 and older, $11 for non-Catawba students, and free for Catawba students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are available at catawba.edu/theatretix.
The beloved musical tells the story of Dorothy Gale, who is swept from her Kansas home into the magical land of Oz, where she makes unforgettable friends, faces unexpected challenges, and ultimately discovers that there is no place like home. For Catawba College Theatre, that theme carries special meaning as students and faculty return to one of the College’s most treasured performance spaces.
Opened in 1964, Keppel Auditorium has long served as a cultural landmark for both Catawba College and the Salisbury community.
“Keppel Auditorium was conceived not simply as a campus building, but as a cultural center, one that would strengthen ties between the college and the region,” said David Pulliam, Catawba College theatre arts professor and director of The Wizard of Oz. “For the theatre department, it provided access to a fully equipped stage, professional-level lighting and acoustics, and the ability to produce work on a much larger scale.”
For decades, Catawba Theatre staged large-scale productions in Keppel Auditorium, giving students valuable performance experience while welcoming audiences from across the region. That tradition paused in 2018, beginning an eight-year hiatus from the venue.
In the years that followed, the department faced a range of challenges, many tied to the broader effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many students came to Catawba without the opportunity to perform in Keppel, even as the space remained an important part of the department’s identity.
Catawba College senior Aslyn Goodwin, a member of The Wizard of Oz ensemble, recalled first visiting Keppel Auditorium during her college search.
“Walking into that space for the first time felt magical, and I could immediately picture myself performing there,” Goodwin said. “Once I arrived at Catawba, however, Keppel almost felt like a distant dream.”
Pulliam said The Wizard of Oz was a fitting choice for the department’s return.
“The Wizard of Oz is a story about leaving home and returning changed,” he said. “That makes it an especially meaningful production to bring back into Keppel, because in many ways, this space is part of our artistic home. It is also a story that audiences carry with them. When we bring Oz into Keppel, we are not just presenting a show. We are inviting audiences to rediscover something familiar in a space designed to make that experience communal and immediate.”
Catawba College senior Aurora del Vecchio, who plays Dorothy Gale, said she hopes the production helps open a new chapter for the department.
“I’m hoping that in the coming years there will be more frequent opportunities for students to participate in Keppel productions and that The Wizard of Oz will pave the way,” del Vecchio said.
She also praised the dedication of her fellow students.
“There’s so much commitment and dedication, even in the first couple of weeks working on the show,” del Vecchio said. “Our theatre students put so much effort and love into all of our productions, so I am hopeful that The Wizard of Oz will show that hard work to a bigger audience.”
As Catawba College Theatre returns to Keppel Auditorium, The Wizard of Oz marks both a homecoming for the department and an opportunity for audiences to experience live theatre in one of the College’s most iconic spaces.
For tickets and more information, visit catawba.edu/theatretix.
