With two shows already under their belts, the cast and crew of the musical The Wizard of OZ are celebrating their great success and basking in the glory of their fans.

All the audience is looking at is the actors and their abilities. However, they do not take a second glance at what the actors are wearing. The outfits in a performance help set the stage and create the mood for the scene. Without them, the actors would look dull and would have nothing but their voice to create some sparkle. But no one really knows where the costumes come from. They must come from a magical place perhaps somewhere over the rainbow. Actually, the costumes are close than most think. They are from the hard workers on Costume Crew.

Costume Crew is in charge of designing and making all the costumes for the performance. Members of Costume Crew must have the appropriate sewing knowledge if they wish to excel. For the past two months, Costume Crew has been bustling to get all the costumes perfected and fitted to all the characters. However, the work does not stop there. Even after all the hard work is done, there are often many repairs needed to the costumes. Most commonly, buttons that need sewed on again, holes in pants or tops, along with other various mends as needed.

Mrs. Berkiebile, more commonly known to the cast and crew as Berkie, is the adult in charge of Costume Crew. She is in charge of all of the planning and directions for the costumes. She also makes sure that everyone is on task and does not let anyone slack off. Mrs. Berkiebile is an essential part of the musical, which without her huge contribution, there would be no costumes that would ever compare to hers.

The musical is a complex structure that has so many different groups combining to make one big family. Without one, the whole musical would be a mess. There is a perfect balance in which all these groups do their jobs correctly and well. Everyone deserves all the recognition, not just the actors. Yes, the actors do the “hard work” in front of the audience, but what about all the behind the scenes work.

Next time, think about more than just the actors on the stage; think about all the other students hidden in the shadows as opposed to in the spotlight.