Meet The Production Behind The Curtain of The Wizard of OZ

PURCHASE TICKETS

Wendy Savarino, stage director, has been music directing productions in local theatres for the past eight years. Her most notable credits include Pump Boys and Dinettes, Hairspray, Grease, SpongeBob: The Musical, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Wendy holds degrees in Music Vocal Performance from Southeastern Louisiana University and The Ohio State University. She currently shares her passion for music as an educator at Tucker Elementary School in Ponchatoula. Wendy is thrilled to be working with the cast of The Wizard of Oz, especially some former students. She extends heartfelt thanks to her husband, Tony, her daughter, Bette, and her parents for their unwavering love and support throughout the rehearsal process. She also offers her deepest gratitude to the directing team of The Wizard of Oz and the Board of the Kay Butler Performing Arts Project for their support and dedication in bringing this production to life.

Summer Grest, music director, is a Ponchatoula High School and Southeastern Louisiana University alumnus and a former student of Scharmal Schrock. Summer is happy to be a beneficial part of this beautiful community.

Katherine Schepker (Kat), choreographer, is so happy to be back choreographing another Swamplight summer musical! She is 26 years-old & a proud native of Hammond. Kat has been dancing since she was 2 years old, training solely in classical ballet. After graduating from high school, she began teaching ballet and choreographing. She is also a 9-year member of BC Fields Dance Company. She graduated from SLU in 2022, earning a Bachelor's degree in Art History. Kat has participated in many musical theatre productions in the area, working both on and offstage. Her most recent credit was Ensemble & Dance Captain in Sweeney Todd with Sullivan Theatre in Baton Rouge. She'd like to thank the kindest people at Swamplight for granting her this opportunity to work on a show that is so close to her heart!

Haleigh Pigott, stage manager, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and has experience in the film industry as a special effects (SFX) makeup artist. Her passion for theatre began in seventh grade with her first performance in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and it has grown ever since. She has taken various roles in theatre, but she particularly enjoys being part of the management team. She has collaborated with Columbia Theatre, Swamplight Theatre, Black Box Theatre, and several others across the United States. She is currently the Theatre Teacher at Denham Springs High School, where she loves sharing her passion for theatre with every generation. She hopes you enjoy The Wizard of Oz!

Kendel Smith, artistic director, is a native of New Orleans and an alumnus of SLU. Shortly after graduating, he moved to NYC, where he worked in performing arts and healthcare and became a human rights activist and an activist for people living with HIV and AIDS. He moved back to Louisiana in 2015, where he and fellow SLU alumni started The Kay Performing Arts Project, a non-profit performing arts program in Ponchatoula and the Swamplight Theatre.