THE WIZARD OF OZ PROGRAM

Welcome to the second show of our Season of Hope and Homecoming! We are so honored that you’ve chosen to join us on our journey as we explore stories that are inspired by the lessons we learn when we venture out into the world and the feeling of hope when we return back home again. From Alice’s riverbank in London to Dorothy’s farmhouse in Kansas these tales of lost childhood innocence and unquenchable curiosity have found their way into popular culture and the hearts of people all over the world and we are thrilled to be presenting our uniquely Hillsboro Players' take on these classic stories.

Our production of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is adapted from and features the score of the MGM classic film, but with a new vision for the future. This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has entertained audiences for generations but tonight you’ll be experiencing this classic story with a modern perspective. Because of the success of 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz is incredibly definitive. Images of ruby slippers, green witches, and blue gingham dresses fill our mind when we think of this story. However, when I was conceptualizing our production, I wanted to find a deeper understanding of what made Baum's original story an important fixture in children's literature and pop culture.

In the forward of his novel, Baum states, "“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.” With his posthumous permission, I have placed our production squarely in the 21st century. Leaning into the original intent of the novel, yet underscored by the music of the MGM movie, our production pays homage to the past while providing a perspective for the future. Heavily influenced by the theoretical work of Henry Littlefield, a history teacher that claimed “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was an allegorical tale about the Gilded Era of the early 1900s, our production highlights the parallels seen in today’s “gilded” world. In this vain, you were given green lensed glasses (a trope from the novel) to wear when our characters arrive at the Emerald City, which has been conceptualized to represent the place where technology and celebrity collide— two billionaire creating industries in our society. In comparison, Munchkinland represents an ethos of equality, where inclusion is the norm and gender stereotypes are a thing of the past. In our production we give concentrated power to Dorothy and her relationships with Aunt Em/Glinda and Miss Gulch/West Witch. Baum and his wife, Maud, were staunch advocates for women’s rights and intended for Dorothy to be portrayed as a strong, independent girl who is trying to come into her own throughout the story. This mark was missed during the MGM movie, a byproduct of the male-centric society in 1939. However, Dorothy is resilient, knows what she wants, and will do anything she has to to get it-- qualities that we aspire to instill in young women today. In our production, Dorothy is a heroine and celebrated for her bravery and determination! These elements inspired my direction and drove the creative components, and I hope that no matter how many times you’ve enjoyed this story, that our production immerses you in a new, refreshed experience! If you are interested in learning more about the creative process for this production, consider joining us for a talk back following Sunday's matinee production.

I am so proud of the students’ work on this production. The cast and crew have endured a lot during the pandemic and many of them are just getting back into doing theatre or are doing it for the first time. They have worked very hard to bring this classic musical to life in a new and vibrant way, taking on the challenge of our new vision with fervor and passion. I am honored to take you over the rainbow with us, where dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

If you enjoy this performance, please encourage your family and friends to join us for our additional performances happening this weekend.

-Will Butler

CAST

Dorothy..........................................................................Darilyn Finch

Aunt Em/Glinda............................................................Eowyn Wagner

Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard.................................Rodney Glover II

Zeke/Cowardly Lion......................................................Toby Silverman

Hickory/Tinman..................................................................Peter Dark

Hunk/Scarecrow..........................................................James Eichman

Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch............................................Virginia Fleming

Professor Marvel/Oz...........................................................Allen Ware

Crow, Nikko, Ensemble...............................................Alexei Khimenko

Barrister, Tree, Ensemble..........................................Dallas Whitehead

Ensemble.........................................................................Dock Havey

Tree, Ensemble................................................................Eleni Horner

Coroner, Ensemble................................................................Jeru Hall

Lead Jitterbug, Ensemble...................................................Kate Jones

Mayor, Ensemble..............................................................Lainey Hunt

Winkie General, Ensemble................................................Leo Sanchez

Ensemble.........................................................................Lily Phillips

Crow, Ensemble..............................................................Maeve Bixler

Ensemble...................................................................Maggie Howard

Tree, Ensemble.......................................................Nessie Resseguier

Crow, Ensemble.................................................................Sadie Hord

Ensemble..................................................................Veronica Talbert

Ensemble........................................................................Zoe McCord

Toto.........................................................................................Hazel

DARILYN FINCH

JAMES EICHMAN

DOCK HAVEY

LEO SANCHEZ

ÈOWYN WAGNER

VIRGINIA FLEMING

ELENI HORNER

LILY PHILLIPS

SADIE HORD

RODNEY GLOVER

ALLEN WARE

JERU HALL

MAEVE BIXLER

VERONICA TALBERT

TOBY SILVERMAN

ALEXEI KHIMENKO

KATE JONES

MAGGIE HOWARD

ZOE MCCORD

PETER DARK

DALLAS WHITEHEAD

LAINEY HUNT

NESSIE RESSEGUIER

PRODUCTION STAFF

Director..............................................................................Will Butler

Assistant Director...........................................................Kristin Butler

Music Director.............................................................Janelle Ganske

Choreographer...............................................................Denise Eason

Production Assistant..........................................................Emily Bush

Stage Managers............................Anna Bigelow, Emma Anne Stephens

Assistant Stage Manager............................................Delaney Fleming

Run Crew..............................................Issac Miller, Elizabeth Williams

Scenic Designer.................................................................Will Butler

Scenic Charge Artist Supervisor...........................................Sara Hyatt

Scenic Charge Artists...................................................Carmen Bryan,

Jia Howell, Caroline High, Rose Majette,Sam Terlikosky, Clara Thorsen, Eden Torode, Ellan Torode

Set Crew......................................................................Sophia Baker,

Danyale Beaird, Zechariah Brown, Mackenzie Clare, Chelsea Clark, Emma Johnson, Xander Kline, Kendall Murray, Aly Pittman, Trinity Will

Projection Programming........................................................DWP Live

Projection Content Creators.................................John Giles, Wes Ware

Projection Operator..................................................Sussie Luchembe

Costume Designers............................Jessica Eichman, Jennifer Kleine

Costume Assistants..........................................................Sarah Dark,

Rachael Phillips, Anna Saterstrom

Costume Crew Chief...........................................................Avery Roth

Costume Crew...........................................................Quinn Merryman,

Josefa Rojas Gil, Paula Ruiz

Wig Designer.............................................................Cassie Hamilton

Wig Crew Chief..............................................,,,,,,,,,,,,.Farrah Northern

Wig Crew..................................................................Sophia Phoebus,

Isa Padovani Rios, Cossette Sullenberger

Makeup Crew Chiefs..........................................AJ Wood, Ava Thorsen

Makeup Crew..............................Riley (Salem) Everett, Christina Okobi

Prop Design.............................................................Kristin Butler

Props Mistress.................................................................Elsie Spivey

Props Crew..........................................Amanda Shelton, Clara Thorsen

Lighting Designer..........................................................Richard Davis

Light Crew Chief/Board Operator...................................Kendall Murray

Light Crew..................................................... ....Simone Longenecker,

Abigail Mammo, Bernard Simmons

Sound Consultant.............................................................Andy Morris

Sound Crew Chief...........................................................Rain Bridges

Sound Crew..........................................Atlas Harwell, Miontrey Phillips

Puppet Design...........................................................Cassie Hamilton

Sign Language Interpreters...........................Tia Billing, Keelie Carlson

House Manager.................................Jennifer Barragan, Kyndall Brisco

Ushers.......................................................................Danyale Beaird,

Tilly Gershbein, Clara Thorsen, Trinity Will

Production Photographer...................................................Kyla O'Neal

Production Videographer...............................................Jonathan Giles

Promotional Materials Designer................................................MA2LA

WILL BUTLER

KRISTIN BUTLER

JANELLE GANSKE

DENISE EASON

ANNA BIGELOW

EMMA ANNE STEPHENS

DELANEY FLEMING

SENIOR REFLECTIONS

Eleni Horner (Tree, Ensemble)

As a senior, being able to call myself a Hillsboro Player is a very exciting statement for me to make. Theatre was always something I loved to watch and admire but it never seemed like something I could do personally. In reality, acting and performing were just a small part of a wall I wasn’t ready to break down within myself, but I will never regret doing it. This production has given me such an amazing opportunity to be introduced into a whole new community of art and like-minded people. I had the chance to learn a lot about myself and so many things that I didn’t know about the world of performing. I thank all the people that got me to where I am today in this musical and I am so grateful for this opportunity, and everyone involved. I definitely should have started this earlier!

Elsie Spivey (Props Mistress)

When I joined the Hillsboro Players this year, I was worried that I would feel out of touch with the community or with theatre as a whole, since I was joining late and hadn’t been involved in a show in a while. Instead, I found a group of people who immediately welcomed me, and was able to reignite a passion for theatre that I’d missed having. Being in this community this year has challenged me to be creative and to grow, and I’m very grateful to have had a small part in bringing some of my favorite stories to life, and in doing so to have made so many good memories with this incredibly talented group of people.

Emma Anne Stephens (Stage Manager)

When I decided to join the tech crew for Bright Star, I was very nervous. I had not participated in theatre since middle school, and I didn’t know if I would even be good at tech. However, I was welcomed with open arms to rediscover the magic of theatre. Through the support of Mr. and Mrs. Butler, I became a stage manager this year and for the first time I really felt like I had found my place in theatre. I look forward to rehearsal every day and I am so proud of all of the talented people around me and all of the hard work that they have put in. I’d like to say thank you to the Butlers for creating such a safe environment for their students to explore theatre and challenge themselves. You’ve pushed me to be a better person in and out of the theatre.

Lainey Hunt (Mayor, Ensemblee)

Since my first time in the Hillsboro stage my freshman year, I have known that theatre and the players are something really special. From my first show Hillsboro Follies to my last show Wizard of Oz, I have gotten to be a part of the community that makes theatre exceptional. I have grown so much under the direction of the Butlers, Ms. Ganske, and Ms. Denise. I am thankful for the ways they have all supported me and challenged me to become the best version of myself. These have been some of the most formative experiences in my life, and I will always have the memories of the players. Love you all!

Virginia Fleming (Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch)

My time at Hillsboro has been difficult but highly rewarding. Being a part of the Hillsboro Players has been the most fun, exciting, and engaging part of my high school experience. Theater is a place where I have been allowed to escape and decompress from the stress of life. And even more than that, I have been able to express myself without judgement from my peers. My journey with the Players started a little late, as my first production was “Catch Me If You Can” during my sophomore year, but I think that I have made the most of the time I have had. I have watched this group grow and change into truly what feels like a family. I will forever be grateful for these people and the experiences we have shared.

STUDENT SHOUTOUTS

SPECIAL THANKS

Dr. Shuler Pelham and the Hillsboro Faculty and Staff

Hillsboro Players Booster Club

Keely Rogers and Anna Brazille, Evan Cain, Emma Johnson, Connor Lane, Addy Miller, Margret Nelson, Ben Ruiz, Syrah Sanders,Geni Segovia, Amanda Shelton, Kayla Southall, Kieran Smith, Ester Timbs, Eden Torode, Ella Torode, Porter Wilhite, Tessa Williams

Lauren Braddock Havey and Ed Rahm

John Giles

Kyla O'Neal

Mark Fahey, Mark Bixler, Carl Johnson, Dave Hunt, and Ray Wagner

Emily Bigelow, Darcie Finch, Sabrina Sullenberger, and Keisha Williams

Heather Slighter

Danny Mendoza