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WILKES-BARRE — As construction nears completion on the KISS Theater Company’s new theater in the East End Centre, the chairs from its old home in the Wyoming Valley Mall stand as a centerpiece in the new space, a reminder of how resilient the company is and how much support it has received from the community.
The company’s production of “The Wizard of Oz: Young Performers’ Edition” will premier at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22, and it will be the first show to run at KISS’s new, permanent home at 400 East End Centre, Wilkes-Barre. The show will be the culmination of moving around to several spaces to rehearse during construction. From Jan. 22 through 24 and Jan. 29 through 31, there will be performances on Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
After getting notice of their displacement in March of 2014, members of the company wasted little time finding a temporary home. KISS board member and head of construction, Carol Stasukinas said they are grateful to racing legend and real estate developer Joe Amato for letting them take up residence in the East End Centre where they kept a temporary status until receiving their occupancy and starting construction.
Stasukinas, a Plymouth resident, has had two daughters involved with the company, and she spoke about the importance of the organization as a builder of social skills for all facets of children.
“KISS stands for “kids innovating stage and sound,” so it’s more about making a person than worrying about making a Broadway star,” Stasukinas said. “It gives the kids courage to, in school, if they have a speech class, get up on a stage and do a speech without being nervous.”
Parents of children with special needs have reached out in the past to tell the company how much the program has helped their children, Stasukinas said.
“We have children with autism,” Stasukinas said. “We have have children with Down’s syndrome, and they get up on stage like they’re any other child.”
Now, with the help of community partners, family and volunteers, the young thespians of KISS are on the verge of something lasting, and they are ready to put on a classic show.
Erin Barno of Mountain Top will portray Dorothy. The 12-year-old said it was exciting to find out that she will be the lead in the theater’s opening performance.
“We were using a church initially, and we were there for free, which was really nice of them,” Barno said. “It was really amazing on (Jan. 14) when they said this was going to be the first show in the new theater.”
Sara Mascelli is slated to play the Wicked Witch of the West. The 12-year-old Mountain Top resident called the part challenging and fun.
“You really have to give it your all,” Mascelli said. “You have to treat every rehearsal as if it’s an audition or the show. “The Wizard of Oz” is such an iconic show, so being able to portray a character like Dorothy or the Wicked Witch of the West or the Scarecrow, you get to bring so many peoples’ childhoods alive, and it means a lot.”
Musical director, Joanna Bryn Smith of Pittston said she was surprised at how well a young group responded to the old story, which shows how hard the kids worked and how timeless the musical is.
“Everyone loves “The Wizard of Oz,” and I sort of expected this generation wouldn’t have the appreciation for “The Wizard of Oz” that other generations might … and they really did,” Smith said. “They knew everything. They all had dreams of being the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.”
Smith added that the group rehearsed in harmony, which is surprising for an ensemble that ranges in age from 8 to 16.
“They’re so very respectful to each other, even though they’re so very different,” Smith said. “It’s been really nice working with them and seeing this progress and finally being in our home.”
Artistic director, Jessica Suda said the kids have been outstanding in the process of transition, and the goal of the older members of the company has been to thank the children for their conviction and build a sense of community. She noted that the permanent headquarters will provide them an opportunity to build upon solid programs.
“They’ve been really enthusiastic … and we always try to guide them through it and use it as a teaching point for them, that sometimes in life things don’t go the way you want them to,” Suda said. “Sometimes you have to go through certain ups and downs and huge transitions. It makes this final product, their new theater, all the more worth it.”
Angel Berlane-Mulcahy of Wilkes-Barre is a first time director with the company. She said her performers have both proven how adaptive they are and how much they’ve grown during the difficult rehearsal process.
“With this being the show that’s going to open this theater, there’s the last line in the show, ‘There’s no place like home,’” Berlane-Mulcahy said. “Amidst all the chaos that Dorothy experiences, she comes back and there’s always a place for her. That’s this place for” the kids.