Dalton production of ‘Wizard of Oz’ re-creates movie magic

The ginormous, terrifying head of the Wizard of Oz had to fit onto the Artistic Civic Theatre of Dalton’s stage, which is wide but not very deep. Volunteers built the menacing head in several parts — two separate eyes, a giant forehead and nose, jaws and lips — and each part moves by itself when manipulated by puppeteers hiding behind it. The human man pretending to be the Wizard will bellow through a microphone as a smoke machine billows a supernatural fog around the head. Oh, and the head is wired so it glows in the dark.

In the beloved classic movie, that floating smoky head horrified Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion. And artistic director Tim Etheridge is delighted that kids watching ACT’s version will also be thrilled and chilled.

“It’s a scary head but in a goofy way, with its eyes twirling and its jaw snapping,” he says, laughing. “This is literally the stage version of the movie. The same songs, scenes and characters are all here. Part of the fun for guests who’ve seen the movie is seeing how we figured out how to do a scene. The play’s director, Jessica Brinkley, had a very creative approach.”

There is no fly space, so there are no wires for monkeys and witches to zoom through. But Brinkley had an idea. A key light slices through the theater darkness to spotlight the witch when she pops up cackling in unexpected rafters and behind the audience. The monkeys won’t fly but still look eerie with their black wings and uniforms that resemble hockey jerseys.

To re-create a movie scene where a field of enchanted poppies causes Dorothy and her three friends to fall asleep, Brinkley dressed her chorus as bright colored flowers complete with petal- crowned heads. The anthropomorphic poppies grab the heroes and drag them down into slumber. That actually sounds more dramatic than the movie’s scene.

Keith Rollins is the music director of the play, which winds up a weeklong run with three more performances today through Saturday, June 16-18.

“There was so much talent at audition, the play is double cast with two different Dorothys and two different Scarecrows and so on for different nights,” Etheridge says. “Keith and Jessica have 50 children who play Munchkins and a cute little dog in the cast, which can be quite a challenge. Fortunately, the dog is very laid-back. If Dorothy wants to put him in her basket, he’s OK with that.”

Film can offer an audience a gorgeous contrast between blackand-white Kansas and candy-colored Munchkin Land. ACT creates a similar impact with a stark Kansas set: Dorothy’s home is made of weather-beaten, busted wooden pallets, and the Munchkin cottages are brightly painted Styrofoam. There is no way to re-create that giant pink bubble that was Glinda the Good Witch’s cool ride into Munchkin Land. But Etheridge promises her first appearance is splendidly glamorous.

How does his team melt the Wicked Witch? That is a secret Etheridge won’t divulge. He says you must come to the play to find out.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Playing pivotal roles in “The Wizard of Oz” at the Artistic Civic Theatre of Dalton are, from left, Megan Robertson as the Wicked Witch, Abby Gleaton as Glinda the Good Witch and Sarah Jaconetti as Dorothy, all from the Team Slippers cast. Their...