HENRYETTA, Okla. -- Determination, hard work, and creativity helped bring the theater back to the town of Henryetta.
The school's theater program was cut for funding, but the students found a way to shine brighter than ever by putting on "The Wizard of Oz." Dorothy, the tin man and cowardly lion along with the rest of the cast received a grant to fund the play.
A Henryetta High School alumnus Liz Bealko is an actress in New York City and helped them apply for the NBC R.I.S.E. America Grant. They are one of 50 schools to get $10,000 prize.
Bealko came back to her hometown for four weeks to help get the play show ready.
"We have a student who plays the wizard who painted our whole entire set and designed it and it was beautiful. It was him," Bealko said.
Makayla Baxter plays Dorothy and was one of the students who worked for the grant.
"A lot of us are here until two in the morning painting sets, making bushes and wells and things like that," Baxter said.
Wednesday they performed in front of younger classmates.
"It's so heartwarming to see them in the audience giggling and clapping and screaming. It's great to see the enthusiasm back in our school," Baxter said.
The show opens April 27th.
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