Stained Glass Theatre officials encouraged locals to break out their ruby slippers and attend the upcoming production of "The Missionary of Oz."
A Christian twist on the classic "The Wizard of Oz," "The Missionary of Oz" follows Dorothy, a Kansas teenager who has begun questioning her faith. God sends her to Oz to be a missionary, where she is encouraged to seek assistance from the Great Missionary in the Emerald City. Along the way, she meets failed missionaries - a scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion - who help her share Christ with the wicked witch and ultimately revive Dorothy's faith in God.
When director Tammy Mallory saw the opportunity to combine her faith and her favorite movie, "The Wizard of Oz," she jumped at the opportunity. She added she hopes others will want to attend the production due to its close ties to the classic movie.
"This is a way to share God's word with people who might not go to church, because people will come see a production that their niece or nephew or their grandchild is in but they may not go through the door of a church," she said. "The Bible tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, so this is a nice, subtle way to present the word of God."
The cast members, who range from 5-75 years old, are excited to perform the production. Mike Landrum, who plays Pastor Ben and the Great Missionary in the production, said he enjoys how "flashy" his character can be but also that the character is a mentor to others.
"To actually be a part of a character that helps guide others to become missionaries, I think, is pretty cool," he said.
Addison Suthoff, who plays Dorothy, and Stephen Henady, who plays the Cowardly Lion, said they believe this production has a powerful message, one that would encourage people to attend the show.
"It's just the encouragement that Jesus is there for all of us and He can help us in our daily lives," Henady said. "He wants to show us love so we can then show other people love."
Stained Glass Theatre, located at 830 E. High St., will host "The Missionary of Oz" at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday and Aug. 5-6, as well as at 2 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 7.
Tickets cost $7 on opening night and $10 for all other performances. The theater offers a family price of $36 for immediate family members living in the same household. Those interested can reserve tickets at sgtmidmo.org/reservations/.