MANSFIELD — The mind of L. Frank Baum was a wonderful, busy, crowded world — a three-pound organ best know for producing “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and all of its sequels.
But the New York native, born in 1856, also saw the coming of such things as the television, laptop computers and wireless telephones — all witnessed in his novels, short stories, poems and scripts.
One of those “other” stories comes to life Friday night at the Mansfield Playhouse with his vividly imaginative “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus,” staged by a cast of nearly three dozen local adults and children of all ages.
Baum penned the fantasy novel into the origins of Santa Claus in 1902, two years after he created Dorothy, Scarecrow, the Wicked Witch, flying monkeys and the Great Oz.
The truth is Santa Claus always had a warm spot in the heart of Baum, who enjoyed dressing as Santa for the family at Christmas. His father would place the family Christmas tree behind a curtain in the front parlor so that Baum could talk to everyone while he decorated the tree without people managing to see him.
So it’s only natural that Baum’s fertile mind would one day tell the world how Santa Claus came to be — in a fantastical world that only someone like Baum could create.
Mansfield Playhouse creative director Doug Wertz said it’s the first time the historical community theater has staged the play. He found a synopsis of the script while looking for a new Christmas show for the East Third Street theater.
“I thought this could be interesting with his imagination,” Wertz said before a dress rehearsal this week. “I started to read it and the more I got into it, the more I enjoyed it.
“It’s whimsical and it’s enchanting and it’s just a really fun story,” Wertz said. “I think it’s just a wonderful family story.”
For Mansfield Playhouse tickets and reservations, call the box office at 419-522-2883. Box office hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to all performances.
Tickets for “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” are $13 for adults, $12 for seniors (62 and over) and $8 for students (12 and younger).
You can purchase tickets online by clicking here.
Baum artfully spins the story of a human baby Claus, found in the Forest of Burzee by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World (a supreme immortal) and placed in the care of the Wood Nymph, Necile.
Upon becoming a young adult, Claus is introduced by Ak to human society, where he sees war, brutality, poverty, child neglect, and child abuse. Because he cannot reside in Burzee as an adult, he settles in the nearby Laughing Valley of Hohaho, where the immortals regularly assist him.
In the Laughing Valley, Claus becomes known for kindness toward children. In the show, the audience will delight in seeing the origin of toys, the sack that Claus carries and even the roots of the fabled “Ho, Ho, Ho!,” taught to him by the reindeer in the forest.
But it wouldn’t be a Baum world without antagonists — seen here in the form of the Awgwas, evil beings who can turn invisible and steal the toys that Claus is giving to the children because the toys are preventing the children from misbehaving.
This leads to Claus making his journeys by night and descending through chimneys when he is unable to enter locked doors.
In the stage production, Baum narrates the story, or tries to, anyway. It’s a story told him by Necile, who delights in correcting Baum’s remembrances and telling the story herself.
Baum is brought to by life by veteran local actor Tony Viscioni, the lead pastor at Freedom Ridge Church in Ontario and a staple of Playhouse Christmas shows, including “Miracle on 34th Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“It’s kind of a tradition,” he said with a laugh. “Christmas is a fun time. It’s a time you spend with family and you do traditions.
“This has become a tradition that I spend it with my Playhouse family … those with whom I have done shows before and the new ‘family members’ you make in each show.
Narration, which he did on “The Christmas Bus” at the Playhouse, offers a different sort of acting appeal for Viscioni.
“I open up the scene and I invite the audience to come into the story because I’m talking directly to them and I’m making the audience part of the story right from the beginning, which is kind of a fun thing,” he said.
“And then I kind of close … I have the last say, the last line, which kind of ties the bow up at the end for (the audience) being a part of the story,” he said.
Rebekah Stefaniuk, who plays Necile, is also a regular at the Playhouse, though normally backstage and behind the scenes helping out during shows in which her children appear.
Her only other on-stage performance came eight years ago, also in a Christmas production. Stefaniuk is joined in this cast by two of her children, ages 10 and 11.
“I think my kids (Caroline and Wesley) are fantastic actors … and I’m a newbie, right? And old. So they help me, they help me memorize my lines. They’ll be like, ‘Mom, no, you sound dumb when you do this, this is how Necile would say this, this is what’s she feeling.’
“My kids are totally giving me direction,” she said with a laugh.
Stefaniuk said she also loves the work of Necile in caring for the young Claus.
“She is pretty fascinating because she goes outside her norms and she’s willing to take a risk. She finds this human baby, it’s evoked with compassion and at the same time, self-purpose. ‘I’m gonna raise this kid.’
“The neat thing for me is to watch her. I mean, she raises Santa. Santa’s like the nicest. He brings joy to everybody and she gets to be his mom. She gets to play this role and he adores her,” Stefaniuk said.
The young Santa Claus is played by Cameron Wertz, now 20, who literally grew up on the Mansfield Playhouse stage with his father, mother, sisters and brother.
Wertz said he jumped at the chance for the role of Claus.
“In my past roles, I’ve always been like a sort of angry, macho man. This show was just kind of different. It was lighter in spirit for me. A lot of people don’t see that side of me on stage. So it was a really nice jump to be able to play Santa Claus and bring this magic to life,” he said.
“It’s a lot of fun and as you go through the show, you see Santa grow up, which is very cool to see. You watch him become more and more like the Santa everyone knows. It’s a very cool concept to see starting off as a younger Santa.”
As an actor in a multitude of youth shows, Wertz said he cherishes his new adult responsibilities on stage with the current crop of child actors.
“Working with these kids is a lot of fun,” he said. “I know a lot of them have told me that they look up to me and want to eventually take my place, which is great.
“I would love for that to happen, especially in the youth shows and the musicals. I would love for them to be able to take that step up.”
Frank Baum – Tony Viscioni
Necile – Rebekah Stefaniuk
Ak – Graham Leonard
Queen – Amy Parker
King Will – Sam Hergatt
A Ryl – Derrrick Foster
A Knook – Zikenna Ahanotu
A Nymph – Stella McNary
Claus – Cameron Wertz
Weekum – Henry Parker
Mayrie – Ella Aquino
Jack Frost – Ian Hergatt
Awgwa #1 – Caroline Stefaniuk
Awgwa #2 – Gage Anderson
Maid – Kristy Hergatt
Reindeer #1 – Alisha Miller
Reindeer #2 – Jennifer Lang
Barlo – Lucy Lang
Lem. – Tyson Edmunds
Child #2 – Josie McNary
Child #2 – Clara Thompson
Child #3 – Olivia Sandwall
King Awgwa – Brett Lucas
Queen Awgwa – Liana Ashbrook
Awgwa #3 – Benson Rayburn
Awgwa #4 – Hardtly Roig
Water Sprite Queen – Sydney Winner
King Gnome – Beckham White
Queen Imp – Amy McNary
Prince Flash – Anthony Parker
Bo – Wesley Stefaniuk
Faerie #1 – Quinn Getz
Faerie #2 – Skyler Marhenke
Imp – Declan McNary
Show Dates: Dec. 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7 pm; Dec. 18 at 2:30 pm
Click here for ticket information.
