A Children's Guide to The Wizard of Oz: A Theatrical Journey, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Theatre

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THIS GUIDE BELONGS TO:

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CHILDREN’S GUIDE TO THE

THEATRE

The Story Dorothy Gale lives with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in Kansas. She just had a run-in with a cranky, old neighbor named Miss Gulch. Dorothy’s dog, Toto, ran through Miss Gulch’s garden and bit her on the leg. Miss Gulch wants to take Toto away from Dorothy, so Dorothy decides to run away from home. Dorothy meets Professor Marvel, a traveling fortune teller, who convinces her to return home to her Aunt and Uncle. Once Dorothy arrives back home, her house is lifted in the air by a cyclone. The cyclone drops Dorothy’s house in a faraway land called Oz. She is greeted by Glinda the Good Witch who tells her that the house has fallen on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. Little people called Munchkins celebrate Dorothy for setting them free from the Wicked Witch’s evil spell. Suddenly, the Wicked Witch of the West appears to claim her sister’s magical ruby red slippers. Glinda the Good Witch gives the magical shoes to Dorothy and tells her they will protect her. Glinda then tells Dorothy that if she wants to return home to Kansas, she must follow the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard of Oz. His powers will help Dorothy return home. Dorothy follows the yellow brick road and meets a Scarecrow without any brains, a Tin Woodsman without a heart, and a Lion without any courage. All three characters join Dorothy on her quest to see the Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the West makes a magical field of poppies to put Dorothy to sleep, but Glinda wakes Dorothy up with a snowstorm. Once Dorothy and her friends meet the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, he tells them he will grant their wishes if they bring him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. On their way to the Witch’s castle, Dorothy and her friends are attacked by the Jitterbug, which makes them dance wildly, and then by flying monkeys, who bring Dorothy to the Witch. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Lion try to rescue Dorothy, but the Witch catches them. Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Witch and melts her. The friends bring the Witch’s broomstick back to the Wizard and discover he is not really a Wizard at all. He offers to bring Dorothy back to Kansas in a hot-air balloon, but when the balloon fails, Glinda teaches Dorothy how to use her ruby red slippers to return home to Kansas.

CYCLONE a storm with huge, swirling

winds

WOODSMAN a worker who cuts down

trees to be turned into firewood

COURAGE the ability to do something

scary or frightening

QUEST a long search for something

The History

• In 1900, Lyman Frank Baum, or L. Frank Baum, published the children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , illustrated by W.W. Denslow.
• In 1903, the book was^ adapted^ into a popular musical show for the Vaudeville stage featuring many of the characters from the book along with a talking cow named Imogene.
• In 1939, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer turned^ The Wizard of Oz^ into a major musical movie in order to compete with Walt Disney’s very successful movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The Wizard of Oz was one of two 1939 MGM movies that was made in full color. Before that, most movies were only seen in black and white. To take full advantage of the technology, MGM turned the magical silver shoes from the book into ruby red slippers and made the Wicked Witch of the West bright green.
• In 1942, the Municipal Theatre of St. Louis created a stage production of The Wizard of Oz using songs from the movie. They performed this show for many years. In this version, Dorothy and the Wizard attempt to return to Kansas in a spaceship.
• In 1987, the Royal Shakespeare Company in England created a stage production more faithful to the movie. Imelda Staunton (an actress who plays the mean teacher, Professor Umbridge, in Harry Potter) played Dorothy. The Family Performing Arts Center’s production is based on this interpretation of the story.

ADAPTED to make something right for a new use or

purpose

VAUDEVILLE a popular form of entertainment that

mixed music, dance, comedy, and special acts

Use the clues to help the Scarecrow finish the puzzle!

FOCUS ON DESIGN: The Sets & Props The Props Designer builds or finds all of the properties used during the show. For The Wizard of Oz , props designer, Sara Kenney, had to create many special pieces like the miniature house made of newspapers pictured below. See if you can spot some of her other creations in the production:

• a picnic basket
  • a crystal ball
    • a flying cow
      • a pair of fake legs
        • a rubber duck
          • a box of cornflakes - an axe - black rubber gloves Props (short for ‘properties’) are anything the actors hold in their hands or use during the show. The Scenic Designer works with the director to decide what the world of the play will look like. Michael Duarte, the scenic designer for The Wizard of Oz, drew sketches of a world that could only exist in Dorothy’s dreams. The houses in Munchkinland are designed to look like objects Dorothy may be familiar with from her Kansas farm. The Witch’s hourglass is based on an old-fashioned flour mill.

Renderings by Michael Duarte

Photograph by Sara Kenney

FUNKY WORK Not only does the props designer have to build pieces, sometimes their work gets a little strange. Sara had to take Miss Gulch’s old-fashioned bicycle to a specialty bike repair shop to have new tires put on.

The DOs and DON’Ts of the Theatre adapted from How to be an Awesome Audience Member, prepared by Katherine Griswold for the Goodspeed Opera House, 2010

Guide written and created by Andrew Child for Bridgewater State University’s Family Performing Arts

Center, 2019

• Do laugh when the performance is

funny.

• Do applaud when the performance is

over. Applause is how you say “Thank

you” to the performer. The actors will bow

as you applaud. That is how they say

“Thank you for coming.”

• Do stand and applaud if you thought the

show was outstanding.

• Remember that the Overture

(introductory music) in musical theatre is

part of the performance, so remain silent

when the show begins.

• Don’t forget to turn off your cell phone. A

ringing or buzzing phone can be very

distracting. It can also be embarrassing for you

if it is your phone that is disrupting the show!

• Don’t text during the performance.
• Make sure to visit the restroom before the

production begins.

• Don’t speak or whisper during the

performance. It can disturb those around you!

• Do not take pictures during the performance.

It can be very distracting to the actors and it

can result in an accident.

• Do not put your feet up on the seats, or kick

the seat in front of you.