Sacramento State theater professor Melinda Wilson has her latest work performed in front of the entire campus.

Wilson is directing “The Wiz,” a centerpiece for the Festival of the Arts on campus. She is working with a cast of 29 actors and actresses to produce an interpretation and updated version of William F. Brown’s 1978 Tony Award-winning, rock-and-soul version of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Wilson joined Sac State in the fall of 2005 and is teaching several courses including theater history, African American theater and culture and script analysis. She is also faculty adviser to Sons and Ancestors Players Club, which is geared towards African-American college students in theater. 

Lorelei Bayne, jazz, modern and choreography professor, said Wilson became very involved with taking theater off campus and into the community with this student organization.

“When she came to the campus she picked up the torch and ran with it. She knew the organization had been nonexistent,” Bayne said. 

Whether Wilson is teaching students in the club or here on campus, she said she enjoys collaborating with students on ideas for the production and watching it unfold during rehearsals.

“My proudest moment as a director for ‘The Wiz’ was the first night of auditions and seeing the talent and the entire audition process. I knew at auditions it would be a phenomenal show, I saw it unfolding before me,” Wilson said. “The kids who auditioned had an energy that you could feel.”

She holds a doctorate and a degree in theater and drama from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree in African American studies from Vanderbilt University.

Her research was based on the construction of youth identity in African American dramas from the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power era.

Bayne described Wilson as very detail-orientated.

“Her energy and passion for whatever project she’s working on is contagious to students, faculty and staff involved,” Bayne said. “She brings a depth of knowledge about African American theater, which helps our programs stand out from other programs.”

Previous productions Wilson has directed or acted in include Dearborn Heights, Day of Absence, The Colored Museum and a variety of productions with Rhythm and Roots Performance Company in Nashville, Tenn. 

Prior to “The Wiz,” the last production she directed was in 2007 and was called “North Star,” which was a coming-of-age performance set during the Civil Rights Movement. 

“North Star” stood out because it reminds society where we have come in race relations, but how far we still have to go, Bayne said. 

“It moves the artistry of Sac State forward. It plays a role in moving forward race relations,” Bayne said. “It’s educational and artistic at the same time – mixing those things is a real talent to possess.”

Senior theater major Krystle Jong, who plays the role of Glenda the Good Witch of the South in “The Wiz,” said Wilson pushes the cast in the right way.

“She has a vision, but lets you grow into yourself as an artist and performer,” Jong said. 

Sophomore English and theater major Ashli Fisher, who plays the role of Dorothy in “The Wiz,” said Wilson brings a lot of creativity to the performance.

“She has such a vision that I’ve never experienced before. She has a different way of looking at production and pulls things out that directors normally wouldn’t,” Fisher said.

Fisher considered herself as mostly a dancer, but said Wilson gave her confidence.

“She has challenged me and made me look beyond what I see,” Fisher said. “She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself vocally.”

Over the years, Wilson said she has grown artistically and is able to see things more clearly and articulate a vision.

“I also have a better sense of what it takes to bring a show, no matter what the magnitude, together,” she said. “I’ve learned how to work with different people, designers, musicians and I hope I’m getting better at that side of it.”

Jong said Wilson inspires her to be the best because students do not want to underperform.

“She thinks so highly of everyone, you don’t want to disappoint her. She has trust in us and believes in each and everyone one of us,” Jong said. “She also gives us the room to be ourselves and collaborate with the cast.”