Amazing Wizard of Oz scenery!
Back to witty, funny Wizard of Oz low priced musical
"The Wizard of Oz" musical script by Jeannette Jaquish
includes TECH NOTES that explain how to get the
Tornado Effect
Build Munchkinland
Create the Giant Wizard of Oz Head
and switch from scene to scene quickly.
SCENE CHANGES
This show needs lots of backstage help to change sets as Dorothy goes from Kansas
through the Tornado to Munchkinland,
to the woodland sites of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion,
to the Poppy Field with Witch and Monkey conversations,
the Gates of the Emerald City,
a visit to an Emerald City theater,
the Wizard's Throne Room,
INTERMISSION,
Witches Castle alternating with the Haunted Forest as Dorothy and her Gang approach, are waylaid and finally meet in the Castle to deal with the Witch,
back to the Wizard's Throne Room
and the Triumphant Parade & Balloon Launch,
and back again to Kansas.
The author has directed this show at least six times and has worked it all out. It ain't easy, but it isn't impossible and the explanations are in the Tech Notes.
REQUIREMENTS
You'll need a stage at least 30 by 15 feet, and hopefully a stage curtain. If you don't have a stage curtain you'll need to make some portable curtains, such as pvc pipe stands to hold tall black curtains.
Paths in the audience for actors to go in and out of.
A video camera & microphone.
A video projector and either a rear or front projection screen, and distance enough between them to make a large projection of the Wizard's face.
You could make a giant Wizard Puppet Head instead.
An audio board or karaoke machine to add echo to the Wizard's voice.
Materials to make lightweight, easily moveable set pieces: trees, Munchkin houses. Canvas & light wood, or refrigerator box cardboard work.
Carpet or carpet pad to cut and paint to make the Yellow Brick Road.
You may request to see the tech notes before purchasing the performance rights.
THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
The yellow brick road is cut from carpet padding or carpet. You can probably get remnants for free from the carpet store either by asking or just dumpster diving. The padding cuts easily with a good pair of scissors. Carpeting will need a razor cutter or sharp knife.
Cut it into road lengths that you can roll up and carry and store.
On a sunny, not windy day, I laid it out on a big lawn, foam side up, netting side down, and used a tray and roller to paint it all yellow. It will use a lot of paint. Start this project in the morning with at least 10 hours of warm sunshine ahead of you.
While it dried, I cut about 8 to 12 brick shapes out of cardboard. The bigger they are, the less work it is.
Then on the dried yellow road I laid the bricks out at one end with an inch or so between them, and used a can of black spray paint to paint around them. When you lift the cardboard squares you have nice yellow bricks left behind.
Plan your pattern of brickwork before you start. Just lay them out and look at them.
Leave the last cardboard bricks on as you pick up the earlier ones and lay them down into the next section -- the last ones will protect those bricks from overspray as you spray the next batch. So if you have 3 rows of 4 bricks, you'll leave the most recent row as you put down the next two rows of bricks.
I put it on grass because you will have paint overspray. So a parking lot or garage floor will get paint on it. Grass will eventually get cut.
Actually I paid my 9 & 12 year old sons to do all this and they did it pretty well with not much supervision and correction by me. You want to warn them not to breathe the paint spray. Paint spray is another reason to do it outside.
And they might want to hold down the cardboard bricks while spraying them to keep them from moving or the paint blowing under. I recommend wearing an old longsleeved paint shirt and a plastic or old glove to hold it down or a spatula or stick.
OZ Props List
KANSAS -(all these things to obscure the floor area at the center doorway)
Love seat or wide chair
coffee table with unbreakable tippy object
Another old chair
Ironing board with a sheet hanging down
Laundry and Stuff to lay across all this to reach the floor in spots
AUNTIE EM:
Laundry Basket
Rolled up throw rug
PROFESSOR:
Foam rubber chunks in pocket
Cyclotronamatic 1000 Electric Vacuum Sweeper
Salesman’s suitcase
Hand pump
Fashion catalogue
MISS GULLY:
Ordinary broom
DOROTHY
Little shoulder purse full of doggie treats
Witchy scarecrow
Man’s big work shirt or coat, leather gloves
Dorothy’s bundle for running away
TOTO
A clothesline of Miss Gully’s slips & undergarments
Leash
TORNADO
Little house to twirl
Big Fans?
Rear Projection Screen/Sheet
Clear bulb lamp for witch’s shadow
GLINDA
Pretty broom
Bubble solution & blow wand (someone else can blow them)
MUNCHKINLAND
Yellow Brick Road
2 Buildings
Dorothy’s Crushed House
Dead Witch feet with ruby slippers
4 Trees
--attachable green leaves
--attachable tree houses
Low front scenery
Ruby slippers behind low scenery at front side for Dorothy
History Pot: 2 History scripts, 2 wands, Pig Nose, Monkey hat &
2 Little Witch Hats
Coroner’s magnifying glass
Historical Monument sign
Crime Tape?
SCARECROW
Cornfield scenery piece with pole
Extra straw to stuff his clothes
TIN MAN
Axe
Oil Can
Hollow can Sound FX
DARK FOREST
2 monsters
WITCH
Broom
Seeded bagel
Ruby Swiffer
POPPY SCENE
Emerald City in Background
Poppies
Place for bubble blower to hide, or Glinda blows bubbles
SLEEPY MONKEYS
Weapon & belt
Sleepy monkey can have a pajama top or hair curlers
EMERALD CITY
Gate w/ bell
Wall or Curtain
Wizard’s balloon: Helium balloon on fishline planted in audience
GATEKEEPER/WIZARD
Tickets
FX Crashing cymbals
Side curtains
Projection screen if used
Projector if used
Video camera, Tripod, RCA cables, microphone to audio board with echo to speakers
Satchel containing:
--Scarecrow’s nerd glasses, bow tie
--City Park Drawing
--Wrestling Belt
-- other odd object: Eggbeater?
LOUSY PLAY
Costumes for Lousy: Glinda, Dorothy, Toto, Munchkin, Witch
WITCH’S CASTLE
Fire in Fireplace
Bowl of cookies on it
Melting Platform with Curtain at its rear edge, but no wall behind it for witch to melt off of
Chair that witch can stand on
Chains, cuffs or rope on wall to tie Dorothy
MONKEYS
Squirt gun for one
Monkey hats
Monkey shirts
Leggings or tights
Arm coverings
Glove feet
Mop Bucket
Mop
WINKY GUARDS
helmets
capes
weapons belt
sword or gun
TORNADO TUMBLERS - MUTANT DOGS
snouts
hoodies with attachable:
--tornado strips
--ears
--fur
black pants
black socks w/ claws or barefoot with claws painted on toenails
LITTLE WITCHES
Cauldron
Little ruby shoes
Tristilda’s wand
Tristilda’s hat
2 witch dresses