GRANDVIEW, WV ( LOOTPRESS) – Tuesday marked opening night of Theatre West Virginia’s production of the timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz. As we approach the conclusion of a fantastic 62nd Season for Theatre West Virginia, it’s time to pull back the curtain and get to know some of the folks who help make the magic happen.
Galen Graham is slipping on Ray Bolger’s straw-filled shoes to take on the classic role of the Scarecrow in his very first season with Theatre West Virginia.
“I met Sharon Chadwick and Nick Yurick, our two directors for the summer, at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Memphis, and we hit it off immediately,” Graham says of how his journey with Theatre West Virginia began. “It’s been a blessing to work with them both.”
Making the trek from his home in Boston, Graham wasted little time in establishing himself in the Mountain State with turns as Johnse Hatfield in Hatfields and McCoys and Quintin Wilson in Rocket Boys the Musical.
“I personally have had the most fun with The Wizard of Oz!” he exclaims when asked about his favorite show from the 62nd season. “It’s so much fun to get to work with such a classic show – a show that, no matter how often you see it, it feels just as entertaining and enjoyable.”
“Getting the chance to take on a character as well-known and recognized in culture today as the Scarecrow is as exciting as it is daunting,” he says of the classic role.
In addition to his work with Theatre West Virginia, Graham has been cast at the Player’s Ring Theatre in Portsmouth, NN, the Rochester Opera House in Rochester, NH (as Frederic in “The Pirates of Penzance”), and the Hackmatack Playhouse in South Berwick, ME (as Warner in “Legally Blonde.”)
Graham studied in the Theatre program at the University of New Hampshire, and is a resident of the Boston area. Outside the realm of theatre, he is a volleyball enthusiast (even going as far as signing up for a local camp during his time in Beckley,) an accomplished trombonist, and student of the Russian language, having taken five semesters on the transcontinental dialect.
Theatre West Virginia’s run of shows for The Wizard of Oz continues Wednesday, with additional shows scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, contingent on weather conditions. Click here for more LOOTPRESS Theatre West Virginia Profiles.
Readers are encouraged to visit Graham’s website to learn more.