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A troupe of Morgan Creek kids stays connected with self-directed plays By An n e Tate | Photography by Cornel l Wat son
A
rain shower cleared, the sun came out, and the actors of Playhouse Productions emerged from behind a black curtain strung up in Jeanne Langley’s driveway to begin their performance of “The Wizard of Oz” in early November. Dorothy, played by Kate Vernon, 11, strolled across a chalk-drawn yellow brick road and opened the show with “Over the Rainbow.” Toto, played by Elsa Wright, 8, followed closely behind on her hands and knees, to the socially distanced audience’s delight. In the age of online learning and virtual events, kids in Morgan Creek came together to produce self-directed plays, hosting a show every two weeks since last fall. Their name: Playhouse Productions, a group they previously called The Quarantine Players. The kids’ performances, complete with costumes, sets, a sound system, choreography, makeup and dancing, brought lighthearted
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chapelhillmagazine.com
January/February 2021