Staff Writer

ONEONTA —The air rang with the laughter of children.

Was it a day at the playground? Christmas Eve? A birthday party?

No, it was two dozen munchkins, giggling on cue, during a recent rehearsal for Orpheus Theatre's upcoming production of "The Wizard of Oz."

The production, which will be performed Dec. 14-16 at the Goodrich Theatre at the Fine Arts Building at State University College at Oneonta, features Dorothy, the Tin Man, Toto and 24 area children playing munchkins.

"I like my part as a munchkin because I kind of act like a munchkin," said cast member Aaron Talbot, 9, of Laurens. "Well, not all the time.

"I also like my part because I have a very big interest in small people. I guess from the age of 4 or 5 I used to love to watch things on small people and I used to research projects on them."

About 50 children auditioned for the parts in early October, said Barbara Bayes, Orpheus' promotion coordinator and, for this production, child wrangler.

The children had to sing, dance and read lines from the show, according to Bayes. "The kids that weren't selected," she said, "some were too young and some were too tall, but every single kid there did an excellent job."

The 24 chosen — who started rehearsing Oct. 21 — are meeting three times per week for a total of five to six hours under director Mary-Jo Merk to rehearse the art of being a munchkin, a flying monkey or a poppy.

"They are like sponges," Merk said, "You do it once with them, you do it twice with them, and the next time they've got it. They're amazing that way."

How do the children, many of whom said they also take music and dance lessons, juggle the rehearsals with school and other activities?

"I'm used to it," said Nancy Fisher, 9, of Cooperstown, who reported taking trumpet, among other lessons.

Some of the children have previous theater experience and some "are making their theatrical review," Bayes said. She said the company does one production per year that requires children "to allow them the opportunity to come in and perform."

Some Orpheus alumni have gone on to careers in the theater, but a potential career is not the most important part of the experience, Bayes said.

"If they decide they want to do this as a career, great," she said. "But the main thing is to learn and have fun."

Many of the children said they want to act or sing when they grow up, but some had backup plans in mind, including being a zookeeper.

Talbot, who has studied dance for more than six years, auditioned to pad his resume.

"I thought that it would be nice to have on my records, so when I apply to dance college it will be easier to get in," he said.

And it's a field the children are doing for love, not the money. Most of the actors in the production are getting paid, but the children — because of budget constraints — are getting T-shirts, Bayes said.

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