Preparations have been ongoing for weeks for the Weyburn Comprehensive High School's upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz, and when the lights go down on Wednesday, May 28, the many players and those working behind the scenes will be ready.

Michael Tourand's character, the cowardly Lion, is searching for courage. Tourand describes the character as an emotional roller-coaster.

"One minute he's all brave and then the next minute he's scared and then he's back up to being brave," he said, noting the lion can't handle his place on the food chain.

"He's afraid of the responsibility that comes with being king of the forest. He gets scared very easily and he cries a lot too."

With a long history of being on stage and hopes of pursuing a future in acting, Tourand said stage fright is not an issue for him.

Tourand, a Grade 12 student, has appeared in other musicals, including Oklahoma and the Beverly Hillbillies.

Megan Leach, also in Grade 12, is playing the happy-go-lucky Scarecrow in search of a brain.

The most challenging aspect of this part is the physical acting, Leach said, because "he's supposed to be made of straw, so you just kind of get to collapse around the stage."

Though she has to keep her face lit up while performing, Leach said "when I'm up there, I'm so comfortable because it is the way I am, I'm a very animated person."

Once she sets foot on stage, Leach said that's when she gets a feel for her character, noting her co-stars help out a lot.

"I'm very lucky to be with a lot of talented leads, so you feed off (those people)."

Having appeared in many productions, including The Sound of Music and Annie Get your Gun, Leach said she likes performing in front of people.

"(Drama) is something probably I enjoy more than anything else."

Michelle Megenbir, a Grade 12 student, also has a physically challenging part as the Tinman. Her costume is very unique, but also somewhat inhibiting.

"My pants are actually made out of silver bubble wrap and they're really reflective.

"I have to walk without bending my knees and act like I'm rusted all the time. That's probably the most challenging part but it's the most fun part."

A romantic and "rather feminine character," Megenbir said "he's looking for a heart, but" well, we won't spoil it.

Megenbir has also been very involved in performing in school dramas and musicals.

The part of Dorothy, played by Grade 11 student Rachelle Kvamme, is challenging because of the amount of time she's on stage.

"I'm in every scene, I don't ever get a break from the stage," she said, noting "it's a lot of work but when you have a big part you have to kind of adapt."

The "innocent" character of Dorothy "is not so much a character you can relate to, as you just become," Kvamme said.

Having been acting and appearing in music festivals since she was very young, Kvamme said performing comes very natural to her, kind of like "the stage is my second home," she said.

Kvamme learned her part by getting others to read through the script with her and noted her fellow actors are "really forgiving" of mistakes.

The first performance of the play is Wednesday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. and runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at the same time, finishing off with a matinee performance Sunday, June 1 at 2 p.m.