The Wizard of Oz
Berkshire Theatre Group
Directed by E. Gray Simons III
Wizard of Oz is a show I’ve done now three times, every time with younger student casts. This version was a favorite of mine because of the design ideas put forth by Gray Simmons, our director and the collaboration that came out of working in a tent in a parking lot of a theatre rather than a proper stage. A story about adventure with new friends and finding your way back home at this very particular moment in time was decidedly the right time to produce this classic work by Frank Baum
Creatives
The Technical & Design Bits
The Wizard of Oz presented a combo platter of technical hurdles as well as design opportunities. With most projects, technical limitations are often a source of great creative drive and inspiration. The band was a paired down trio including keys, drums, and violin. Combine that with the acoustics of a tent being what they are and you’re left with a much more stripped down version of this show. Thankfully our artistic leaders leaned into what we were working with and gave us this carnival style traveling road show of a design brief. Rather than try to fake our way into trying to be a grand orchestra production, we pulled the dynamics way back and let the story and music and performance carry it for us.
In creating the sounds of this play, I tried to create very clear character motivations for each effect. The clearest of which was The Wicked Witch being supported entirely by sounds from a bicycle. Gears, chains, bike horn, tire spokes were the whole pallet of sounds for her magic and power. The great wizard was wholly driven by sonic steam power and the tin man by a collection of kitchen foley props with some generous amounts of processing. I tried to make the show sound like it was indeed being produced under a tent by a band of road worthy carnival workers.