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The Wizard of Oz

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The Wizard of Oz The Wizard of Oz STUDY GUIDE For Educators and Families Welcome to Carousel Theatre’s production of THEMES The Wizard of Oz and its companion Study Guide for Family Educators and Families! Home Courage Follow the yellow brick road with Personal Growth Dorothy and the gang in Carousel Theatre’s production of The Independence Wizard of Oz! This brave Friendship adventure follows Dorothy and her Problem Solving three strange friends; a Teamwork Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion as Overcoming Obstacles they journey on to see the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. During Dorothy’s search for the TABLE OF CONTENTS Wizard she discovers the true (Page) meaning of friendship, personal 1. Themes growth, and most important: there is no place like home! 2. Synopsis 3. About the Writer We hope you enjoy this Resource Character Breakdown Guide and as always, if you have 4. Interview with Director any suggestions, we would love to 5. Classroom Activities hear from you. 6. Activities Continued If you have any questions, please 7. Theatre Etiquette give us a call at 604.669.3410 Theatre Terms or email us at 8. Production Crew/Cast Robyn Wallis and Darren Burkett in THE WIZARD OF OZ. [email protected]. Interesting Links Photo by Tim Matheson Carousel Theatre, 2011. 9. About Carousel Theatre Our Sponsors Written by L. Frank Baum Contact Us Family Performances Dec 2 - 31, 2011 The Wizard School Matinees Nov 30 - Dec. 16, 2011 AUDIENCE WARNING: Strobe lights and Of haze will be used in this production. If you Oz have concerns about student reactions to these elements, please speak with a Carousel staff member prior to your visit. Page 1 The Synopsis After Dorothy almost has her dog, Toto, taken away by the cruel neighbour Miss Gultch, Dorothy and Toto run away from home just as a Tornado is hitting the fields of Kansas. As Dorothy fights her way through the storm, she gets hit on the head by a swinging door and suddenly gets swept up in the middle of the Tornado. When the tornado has ended Dorothy learns she has landed in Munchkinland; and on top of the Wicked Witch of the East! When the Wicked Witch of the West hears this she quickly jumps on her broomstick and confronts the person responsible for her sister’s death. Once there the Wicked Witch of the West discovers that Dorothy is wearing the Wicked Witch of the East’s all powerful ruby slippers. If the Wicked Witch of the West had these slippers she would be more powerful then she could ever dream of and vows that she will get the slippers from Dorothy no matter what it takes! After the Wicked Witch of the West leaves, Dorothy realizes the danger and has no choice but to leave Munchkinland in search of Emerald City to ask the great and powerful Oz to send her home. Throughout her journey Dorothy and Toto meet three special friends: a Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart, and a Lion without any courage. Dorothy suggests to each of her new friends that they come along and ask the Wizard of Oz to grant them with what they desire. On the way the five face a bunch of crabby apple trees, the Wicked Witch of the West’s fireballs, some wickedly enchanted poppies, and many more misfortunes. When Dorothy and the gang make it all the way to Emerald City they are finally granted contact with the great and powerful Oz. He promises them they may have what they desire... But only after they bring back the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick! After almost giving up, the friends head to the evil Witch’s castle through the Haunted Forest. While walking through the spooky forest Dorothy and Toto are stolen away by the Winkie’s and swooped off to the Witches castle. While trapped in the Witches castle, and awaiting her undeniable end, Dorothy pounders her life back home in Kansas, her family, Toto, and her new friends. Meanwhile, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are brainstorming ideas on how to sneak into the castle and rescue their beloved Dorothy. Just when Dorothy has lost all hope, the door crashes opening revealing the three friends in Winkie uniforms! Suddenly, the Witch appears. Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Witch melting her away and leaving only her cloak, hat, and broom. The friends return to the Wizard of Oz to hand him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broom he requested. During their return Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion learn a truth about the Wizard, and themselves. Dorothy learns the most important lesson of all, she had the power to return home in her the entire time, all she had to do was believe in herself. THE WIZARD OF OZ Costume Rendering by Costume Designer Barbara Clayden Page 2 TOP: Wicked Witch, MIDDLE: Scarecrow, BOTTOM: Glinda About the Author L. Frank Baum is an American Author of children literature. He is best known for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written in 1900, but can also be credited for his 55 novels, 9 sequences, 82 short stories, 200 poems, and countless scripts. Baum was born May 15, 1856 in Chittenango, New York where he lived with his mother and father and nine siblings. He was home schooled his entire life and was never one to go out and roll in the grass. At a young age he took an interest in literature. He began to take old classics and turn the old and grim story into a pleasant fairytale that children could relate too. Baum started his education in New York City studying Theatre at the age of 25. After his education he worked in the New York Theatre community for a few years working as a Opera Theatre Manager and continuing writing his own plays that he often performed in such as The Maid of Arran (1882). In 1883 Baum decided to leave the Theatre community and move him and his wife, Maud Gage, to South Dakota where they would later raise four children. It was there in South Dakota that Baum opened a family run department store that failed, was publisher of a newspaper, Saturday Pioneer, that failed, and then moved to Chicago in search of more financial success, which also failed. It was then that Baum started writing down the nursery stories that he read to his children. In 1887 Mother Goose in Prose was published which became the best-seller book of the year and is estimated sold 175,000 copies. It was in 1900 that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published which was adapted into a musical in 1903. It was now that Baum gave up on any other business venture and focussed only on his writing. The Wizard of Oz is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” which has been since published countless times. Not only does this show have the ability to have the audience laughing and crying but it also gives the audience the opportunity to challenge difficult themes of love, endurance, personal character and self acceptance. Character Breakdown (many actors play more than one part in our production) Dorothy Gale A young Kansas girl who runs away from home Aunt Em Dorothy’s Aunt Uncle Henry Dorothy’s Uncle Miss Gultch Dorothy`s cranky neighbour Toto Dorothy’s beloved dog Huck/Scarecrow Farmhand and later the Scarecrow with no brain Hickory/Tin Man Farmhand and later the Tinman with no heart Zeke/ Lion Farmhand and later the Cowardly Lion Glinda Glinda the Witch of the North West Witch The Wicked Witch of the West Professor Marvel A country magician/charlatan Munchkins Residents of Munchkinland Winkies The Wicked Witch of the West’s slaves Nikko & Flying Monkeys The Wicked Witch of the West’s winged army Citizens of Oz Citizens of the Emerald City Darren Burkett (Scarecrow) behind-the-scenes Wizard of Oz The Great and Powerful Ruler of Oz in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Photo by Tim Matheson. AND MANY MORE! Talking trees, dancing poppies, twirling tornados... Page 3 A n Interview with Director CAROLE HIGGINS Carole has the best job in the whole world! Her many directing credits for Carousel Theatre include Bird Brain, Seussical, A Year with Frog and Toad, Love You Forever…, Silverwing, The Big League, and Peter Pan. She has received four Jessie Nominations and two Jessie Awards for Directing. Carole has worked as an actor/director/playwright in theatres across BC including Western Canada Theatre, the Caravan Farm Theatre and TheatreOne. She and her husband live with their two dogs, Molly and Sammy, and their cat, Kitten. How long have you been involved in theatre? My stage debut was as a horse in our elementary school production of Noah’s Ark. I was in grade two. I got terrible stage fright when it was my turn to walk across the stage and into the ark, and I ran across the stage as fast as I could. I studied theatre at Simon Fraser University and got my first professional job as an actor in 1994, in Carousel Theatre’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Why do you direct? What do you enjoy most about directing? I love directing! It is always very exciting to collaborate with the designers and the actors, mix everyone’s ideas together, and to see how a production grows and takes shape. What made you decide to direct The Wizard of Oz? The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful classic story that I have been wanting to stage at Carousel Theatre for some time.
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