Written By PATRICK SHANAHAN
Directed by JENNICA GRIENKE
From Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People and Vancouver's Carousel Theatre for Young People comes an exciting co-production full of courage, brains, heart, and imagination!
“As wild as a cyclone, this magical wind will blow your family away.” – TheatreMania UK
Get ready for a magical adventure this spring, as Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People and Vancouver’s Carousel Theatre for Young People team up to bring you a co-production of the classic tale, Oz.
In this exciting production, you’ll get to meet the legendary author L. Frank Baum, as he sits down to write his famous book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But he’s not alone – he’s joined by a feisty young girl named Dot, who quickly becomes engrossed in the story. It is 1899 and Baum is putting the finishing touches his infamous tale, but putting dreams on paper is elusive business and Baum is struggling with some definite plot problems, no title and no ending! Like the cyclone in his story, Baum, his housekeeper Bridgey, and Dot get swept up in the mad vortex of his tale. Together, they bring the Land of Oz to life right there in Baum’s study, transforming an ordinary Victorian study into a magical land of imagination! You’ll watch in wonder as the beloved characters of the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion come to life on stage!
But this production is more than just a re-imagining of a classic story. It’s a celebration of creativity, imagination, and the power of storytelling. As Baum and Dot work together to bring Oz to life, we’re reminded that the most important ingredient in any creative endeavour is heart – and that the real wizard behind the curtain is often our own imaginations.
With a talented cast, stunning design, and a heartwarming story that will delight audiences of all ages, Oz is a can’t-miss production that will inspire and entertain you from start to finish. So mark your calendars, gather the family, and get ready to journey to the Land of Oz with Kaleidoscope and Vancouver’s Carousel Theatre for Young People. It’s a production full of courage, brains, heart, and imagination that you won’t want to miss!
This production is now closed.
Melanie is a theatre maker living on the unceded stolen territories of the the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She has worked for more than 25 years in performing arts and holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from SFU. As a Performer, Dramaturg, Director, Playwright, and Intimacy Director, Melanie has worked with companies such as Tara Cheyenne Performance, re:Naissance Opera, Universal Limited, Music On Main, Upintheair, Neworld, Joe Ink, Boca del Lupo, Pi Theatre, and more, collaborating on many new works, including interdisciplinary projects with theatre, dance, and music artists. Up next, she’ll be serving as Intimacy Director with Bard on the Beach for As You Like It and Julius Caesar. Melanie is proud to serve as Creative Managing Director at Playwrights Theatre Centre.
Jennica has been as an actor, producer, and director with TYA companies across the country and spent four years as an Artistic Associate at Persephone Theatre before taking over CTYP. She studied at both the University of Winnipeg, where she graduated with Honours in performance, and the Studio 58 Acting conservatory in Vancouver, where she currently teaches acting. Since her graduation in 2012, Jennica has toured extensively with Green Thumb Theatre, Quest Theatre (Calgary), and as a solo performer in her pieces This Time I Get What I Want and An Inheritance, which was published in 2013 and featured in the Sarasvati Transformative 2014 Winnipeg FemFest. A recent career highlight includes directing Jabber, For Arts Sake, and It’s A Wonderful LIfe: The Radio Play for Persephone, and Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls for Carousel, for which she won the Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Direction. This season she will direct Oz, a co-production with Victoria’s Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People. Jennica is ecstatic to bring her passion for creating magical experiences for young people through the power of theatre to CTYP.
Donnie Tejani is an award winning costume designer as well as the owner of his costume shop “In The Wings Costume Co.” After dressing on 14 shows with the Arts Club he has now shifted his focus to design. Donnie is also a wig stylist working primarily with drag performers where his work has been featured all over the world. Recent Credits: Call Me Mother S2 (OUTtv), Anne of Green Gables (Gateway Theatre) @donnietejani
Monica Emme (she/her) is a props creator, set designer, fabricator, and puppet maker currently based in the Vancouver. Some favourite credits include: production design for “The Old Man and the Old Moon” (Arts Umbrella); Props for “In My Day” (Zee Zee Theatre), “Messiah” (Pacific Theatre), “Iron Peggy” (Boca del Lupo),“Stiles and Drewe’s The Three Little Pigs” (Carousel Theatre for Young People). Images and full credit list can be found at www.monicaemme.com
Kaleidoscope is pleased to offer free downloadable resource guides for all of our shows! You may prepare your group, class, or even your family for their live theatre experience with these valuable resources!
The Resource Guide of OZ was co-created by Shea O’Connor, Education Director for Kaleidoscope Theatre, and Kami Reed Schuyler, Outreach & Communications Co-ordinator for Carousel Theatre for Young People.
