Farrah Stringer has been a mainstay on stage during her years in the Booneville School District. More often than not her character has been the lead.
Also more often than not, the senior has been portraying a male, be it a younger Simba in the Lion King, Charlie going to the Chocolate Factory, or Peter Pan in Neverland.
“At the end of the performances last year I told him I wanted to be a girl for my last one,” said Stringer.
Him, is director Doug Sanders, who acquiesced, choosing the Wizard of Oz as the production for the drama department this year.
Stringer then landed the lead again, and will be in the red slippers of Dorothy for public performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday of next week, March 14-16.
Stringer and her cast mates began practicing for the Wizard of Oz before Christmas break, which is earlier than usual but, she said, she needed the time due to the line count.
“Since Dorothy and the three guys are in it most of the time I definitely have more lines and they’re longer,” said Stringer. “I don’t get a break. I kind of got a break last year, but this year I don’t get any breaks.”
Stringer is also handling the makeup and choreography for the production.
Besides Stringer, leading characters include Taylor Shaver as the Scarecrow, Hunter Warren as Tin Man, Malachi Wotten as the Lion and Cora Nichols and the Wicked Witch.
As is typical, the production is a musical, which is just fine with Stringer.
“I’ve always liked singing and stuff, and obviously I can sing. I have the talent for it so why not use it,” said Stringer.
That was not always the case.
“Mr. Sanders kind of pushed me to be that person to show out and stuff because in seventh grade I wasn’t really like that,” said Stringer. “I wasn’t outgoing. I was kind of shy and didn’t really talk.
“He just kind of popped that bubble and made me get out and if I’m doing anything I want to be the best.”
That is across the board. Stringer has played volleyball and been a regular on the floor for most of her career and it is the same in softball, where her left field duties can sometimes interfere with play practice.
Stringer will be Dorothy for most of next weekend because in addition to the public performances, there will be presentations for the elementary, then the junior high and high school students.
Stringer loves the production for the younger students.
“I like the kids the most,” she said. “They don’t judge really, the kids are more into it and you can do your character more.”
Sharing the name of a famous Charlie’s Angel star, Stringer has a “made for Broadway” post on one of her social media accounts.
Stringer says “a lot of older people” get the reference but not so many people of her generation.
Stringer recently landed an interview with an acting school in New York though she backed out.
“I decided not to do it because it’s so far away,” said Stringer. “I didn’t go through with it. I’m just going to go to (Arkansas) Tech in Russellville and become a K-6 teacher.”
The end goal is to come home and entertain/teach Booneville students.