Behind the curtain and beyond the yellow brick road, enchantment is being conjured behind the scenes of Barter Theatre’s highly anticipated production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. As the cast and crew immerse themselves in the vibrant land of Oz, audiences prepare for a nostalgic journey down the yellow brick road and over the rainbow – where creativity and dedication merge to create an unforgettable theatrical experience.
In order to bring such an infamous story to life, those involved in the production process are very careful to pay attention to every detail. From the countless rehearsal hours the cast puts in to bring beloved characters to life to the meticulous craftsmanship costume designers use on each glistening ruby placed on slippers to those that are literally building Oz board by board and prop by prop – every detail is carefully orchestrated to bring this timeless classic to the stage.
Productions are created much like the winding yellow road – brick by brick – with each brick adding to the overall destination of the project. Along the road to opening night, there are several stops to be made in order to gather all those needed to make the journey complete. While the cast is learning their choreography and music, the costume and props department is busy making the visual components that those cast members will wear to enhance their characters. At the same time in another building, set and scenic designers, carpenters, lighting designers, and sound technicians are preparing the stage for all the “bricks” to shine.
The truth is, each production piece can be compared to characters in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Each member plays a crucial role, just as the iconic characters in the story:
The director orchestrates the magic behind the scenes much like the wizard, just as Dorothy, the stage manager leads the journey through the production process and keeps everything on track, the actors are similar to the munchkins in they bring an energy to the stage, the costume department uses creativity and intelligence to bring characters to life through their clothing and solve complex problems like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man can be compared to the set designers who infuse the stage with emotion, atmosphere, and heart, the lighting designers bravely experiment with different lighting techniques and shadows to invoke mood and storytelling through light and dark, and the props department uses their magical touch to help the story progress through important items used by the characters.
Arm in arm the actors, crew, costumers, designers, and technicians step off on an adventure to bring to the stage an inspiring tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the realization that there’s no place like home.
So, click your heels together and believe in great and powerful happenings. Because anything can happen beyond the yellow brick road.
THE WIZARD OF OZ runs through August 18th on Gilliam Stage.
