“It’s a piece of American history,” Mel Syverson explained during her director’s curtain speech on the opening night of Lewiston High School Drama’s rendition of The Wizard of Oz.
This is true; the reach of The Wizard of Oz has extended far, and even someone who has never seen the movie or read the book probably knows the story. A girl from Kansas, Dorothy, is swept away in a tornado only to end up in the land of Oz, where she is then sent on a journey to return home. To do this, she must avoid the Wicked Witch of the West, who is after Dorothy’s ruby slippers, and she must make it to the Wizard of Oz, who will grant her wish to go home. Along the way, Dorothy meets other characters, who all have wishes they hope will be granted; the scarecrow who wants a brain, the Tin Man who wants a heart, and the lion who wants courage.
This story, originally from 1900, has resonated with people across time. The characters all desire something more and realize that what they wanted was with them the whole time.
This March, the LHS Drama rendition of this story was a homage to the original but was also enhanced by the students’ creativity and charm.
Reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz movie from 1939, the Lewiston play opens on a farm in Kansas where the audience first meets Dorothy. She lives in a monochrome sepia set created using specific lighting, costume, and set design.
Lauren Gibbs played Dorothy, and she sang the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” while still in this washed-out color. Even though this is a well-known song, Gibbs did it justice, establishing the character of Dorothy and her desires for the rest of the show.
Later, when Dorothy entered Oz, there was a sudden transition to color. This had the same effect as the original movie, showing the whimsy of Oz, especially Munchkin Land, where the ensemble all wore eccentric and bright costumes. Dorthy also donned her classic blue dress, showing how her life has changed, going from Kansas to Oz.
To depict the adventure Dorthy went through accurately, a projector was used — a new piece to the set, never seen in previous LHS plays, Syverson said. Using the large screen on the back wall, all of the settings we able to have distinct and lively backgrounds. These backgrounds weren’t just static images; they had subtle movements like floating clouds and were also used to show large amounts of action, like the tornado that took Dorothy away. All this made the play more immersive and kept the world of Oz alive.
The play would still have been entertaining, though, if there were no sets at all. This was because of the actors who played the characters Dorothy met as she followed the Yellow Brick Road.
Jillian Herr played the Scarecrow and Farmhand Hunk, who was fun to watch because of how she physically played the Scarecrow. Keeping her joints loose and nimble, like a baby deer learning to walk for the first time, Herr accurately depicted how Scarecrow would act while making it fun for the audience.
Jacob Barclay played Tinman and Farmhand Hickory. He was a lot of fun to watch on stage and was excellent at showing emotion while acting. When he explained the grisly origins of the Tinman, there was an evident sadness, not just for the loss of his limbs, but also for the loss of his heart. This sadness gives the character a reason for wanting his heart back — to love his soulmate again. Barclay did this all expertly, then segwayed the story back into the cartoonish lightheartedness of Oz.
Johnny McElway played the Cowardly Lion and Farmhand Zeke. Even though all the costumes in the play were fantastic and creative, The Lion’s costume was perfect at showing the cowardice of the lion. The way hair was constantly on his face, hiding his eyes and general shape, gave the perfect impression of the character’s personality. McElway is also excellent at acting, and when he sang “King of the Forest,” it showed his vocal skills and range of acting.
After all these characters met, they went off to Oz together to have their wishes granted. When they finally got a meeting with Oz, the set was impressive. The people who worked on the sets made a three-dimensional face that came off of the set, which helped contribute to the ominous nature of the Wizard. This show also has a lot of other effects, such as smoke machines that went off while the Wizard was talking. Other effects included bubbles that rained down when Galinda, the Good Witch, entered or exited the stage and an actual flame that the Wicked Witch of the West threw at Scarecrow.
Anikka Wilponen perfectly played the Wicked Witch of the West with an incredible portrayal of an evil, scheming hag. She had the perfect cackle for a witch and the way she challenged the people around her with her body language made her intimidating.
The actors were fun to watch overall and the ensemble stole the show multiple times (including when the Wicked Witch sent the Jitterbugs to kidnap Dorothy and Toto). The Jitterbug dance was entertaining and lively, leaving the audience infatuated and rooting for the Jitterbugs.
Overall, the LHS drama department brought its charm to a classic story with its acting, singing, dancing, sets, and effects that made it worth watching. For this, The Wizard of Oz at LHS this spring earned a 5/5.
