Well, folks, this is it! After a wildly successful run and a week-long extension, the world premiere production of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz at Adventure Theatre-MTC is coming to a close this weekend. It's been such a remarkable and rewarding experience, and I found myself falling in love with the magic, joy, and wonder of the theatre again. I'm so deeply appreciative to Michael Bobbitt, Roberta Gasbarre, Otis Ramsey-Zoe, the cast, design, and production team, and everyone at Adventure Theatre-MTC. We had so much fun telling this powerful, timeless, and adventurous story of love, friendship, and family. I'm also forever thankful to my dear friends, family, and colleagues who came out in support of the show. Over the next few days, I'm going to share cast interviews and hope you'll join me the countdown to the final curtain! In the meantime, please enjoy this post, which includes the promotional video, press, a playwright's feature interview, and production photos. Of course, you can still buy tickets to the remaining shows and I hope you do! Good Ink from Local Press!Playwright's Interview - DC Theatre SceneChristopher Henley: Is there something timelessly relevant about this story, or is it just a fun fable with which we all are familiar and fond? Jacqueline Lawton: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remains so timely and relevant because it is a big adventure story about being loved, loving your family, and appreciating what you have, even if it’s not as much as what someone else has. Of course, it’s also about learning how to be a good friend. What I added to the story is that Dorothy learns that she has a role in her family and she can contribute even in a small way to the running of the farm. She learns how to be a good young person; and that doesn’t just mean doing what you’re told, it means doing what you believe in as well. Dorothy also learns how to believe in herself and to support others. These are big, valuable lessons here and it’s so much fun! Click here to read the rest of the interview! Wonderful Wizard of Oz Event InfoTHE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ April 3 – May 31, 2015 Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum Adapted by Jacqueline E. Lawton Directed by Roberta Gasbarre Starring Henian Boone, Ryan Dalusung, Maggie Erwin, Pasquale Guiducci, Thony Mena, Sarah Olmsted-Thomas, Alex Vernon, and Paige Hernandez as Dorothy Gale Recommended for All Ages Running Time: 1 hour with no intermission Click here to purchase tickets. Life in Kansas has been a bit boring for Dorothy and her little dog Toto. Until one day, a cyclone swoops in and takes them “over the rainbow” to the wonderful and magical land of Oz. With the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off on the adventure of a lifetime down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. These new friends brave witches, flying monkeys, and a Haunted Forest all to meet the Wizard of Oz, who promises to make their dreams come true. Tickets to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are $19-19.50 each, with group and field trip rates available, and can be purchased through the box office by calling 301-634-2270 or online at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Children under the age of one are free. The press performance is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 4th. All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD, 20812 in the historic Glen Echo Park. Wonderful Wizard of Oz production photos by Mike Horan.
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I'm heading to DC for opening weekend of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at Adventure Theatre-MTC. From the beginning, it's been such a rich and rewarding experience. As excited as I am to open, I kind of don't want it to end. I honestly don't think I've ever had so much fun. For those in the area, here's more info on the show: "The concept of rewriting a classic like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz seemed so daunting until I really looked at the character of Dorothy, who is just like I was at that age," says playwright Jacqueline Lawton, award recipient of TCG's Young Leaders of Color and named one of the top 30 national leading black playwrights by Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute. "Raised on a farm with chores where nothing seemed to happen and dreaming of stories that eventually would become my career." "Every time I come back to ATMTC, I feel like we try to create magic, and Oz is at its core, magical," says director Roberta Gasbarre who directed both Helen Hayes Nominated productions of The Red Balloon and Goodnight Moon for Adventure Theatre MTC. "I cannot wait to take this journey with the audience, and they should be prepared for an amazing ride." THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ April 3 – May 25, 2015 Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum Adapted by Jacqueline E. Lawton Directed by Roberta Gasbarre Starring Henian Boone, Ryan Dalusung, Maggie Erwin, Pasquale Guiducci, Thony Mena, Sarah Olmsted-Thomas, Alex Vernon, and Paige Hernandez as Dorothy Gale Recommended for All Ages Running Time: 1 hour with no intermission Click here to purchase tickets. Life in Kansas has been a bit boring for Dorothy and her little dog Toto. Until one day, a cyclone swoops in and takes them “over the rainbow” to the wonderful and magical land of Oz. With the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off on the adventure of a lifetime down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. These new friends brave witches, flying monkeys, and a Haunted Forest all to meet the Wizard of Oz, who promises to make their dreams come true. Tickets to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are $19-19.50 each, with group and field trip rates available, and can be purchased through the box office by calling 301-634-2270 or online at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Children under the age of one are free. The press performance is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 4th. All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD, 20812 in the historic Glen Echo Park. The rest of this post is a love fest to the creative and production team. Please enjoy! Wizard of Oz Rehearsal PhotosWonderful Wizard of Oz Costumes by Tyler GuntherWizard of Oz Set Designs by Lydia FrancisProduction Photos by Bruce DouglasAdventure Theatre (founded in 1951) and Musical Theater Center (founded in 1986) merged into one organization in 2012. The combined entity is called Adventure Theatre MTC. Located in Glen Echo Park (Glen Echo, MD) and The Wintergreen Plaza (Rockville, MD), Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC) cultivates new generations of artists and life-long audiences by creating memorable theatrical productions and experiences and by providing young people the highest quality training in musical theater and theater. The ATMTC Academy offerings complement the National & State Fine Arts Standards of Learning, providing a challenging outlet for students to develop the skills necessary to be successful performers - including self-discipline, teamwork, problem solving, and self-confidence. ATMTC Academy Alumni have numerous Broadway, national tour, TV and film credits. ATMTC fosters collaborations and partnerships with local and national arts, humanities and civic organizations. These collaborations, which have been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally, help to ensure that all of our programming is diverse, affordable and accessible. Adventure Theatre MTC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization In January, I had the pleasure of taking part another discussion about science and theater. This one was hosted by the Science and Entertainment Exchange, a program of the National Academy of Science (NAS). Their mission is to bring scientists together with directors, producers, and writers. As with the Drama of DNA workshop at the NIH, JD Talasek, Director of Cultural Programs at the NAS, gathered D.C. area artists, administrators, and scholars to gauge their interest in producing and writing plays about science. After a round table of introductions, choreographer, performer, and educator, Liz Lerman spoke about her recent project, The Matter of Origins. Here are key points that resonated with me:
Liz also shared a number of compelling questions that arose in her work:
Next, Ann Merchant, Deputy Executive Director for Communications for NAS, shared more about the mission and vision of the Science & Entertainment Exchange. I was particularly struck by the following:
Ann then shared thoughts from scientist, professor and writer Sidney Perkowitz, on the idea of getting it right: “You have to bend accuracy. Entertainment starts with an assumption that a lot of scientists don't start with: The story and the science have to somehow blend. You can't just insist the science be 100% accurate. It's better to have some science in there that's more or less accurate, than to have it badly done or not there at all. So [as advisors] we'll bend some in return for having some input.” We ended the meeting contemplating ways that theatre artists, especially playwrights, and scientists could collaborate:
I was thrilled to continue this conversation. It gave me an opportunity to discuss next steps for my new play, AMONG THESE WILD THINGS, which I’m researching and writing. I have the great fortune of working with Dr. Jim Evans, who you’ll remember from the Drama of DNA workshop, on getting the science right in this play. I hope to have two drafts completed by May. Also, I was able to share ideas about the cross-disciplinary science/theatre initiative that I’m working to cultivate at UNC-Chapel Hill. I’m the fundraising and resource gather stage for this initiative, but can hardly wait to share more as it comes together. My Day at the National Academy of SciencesTuesday's performance of Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign was a huge success. We were nearly sold out and even caught the attention of Anti-choice protesters. Despite repeated invitations, not one single protester wanted to see the show or engage in conversation. They only wanted to yell and scream. When their threats of hell and damnation didn't draw the response from me that they wanted, they took to shouting "We can't breathe! We can't breathe!" At which, I turned, smiled, and shook my head. Oh, this got them riled up! One of them asked me, "Would you smile over the body of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Medgar Evers?" Their tactics were so obvious, but also ineffective. Did they expect me to cry? Argue? As disappointed as they were in me, I wanted so much more from them too. I found myself laughing at how unproductive it all was. Well, this pushed them right over the edge. One of them screamed, "Would you laugh over a lynched body?" At which point, I just shook my head and went back inside to mix, mingle, and celebrate our work. I've never been protested. It felt good to stand up not only for these women and reproductive rights, but also for creating space for dialogue and creative expression. And honestly, I should thank the protesters. I learned later that several patrons going to see another play gave donations to Advocates for Youth in support of our work. I'm excited about the next steps for this play and will keep you posted as we make the plays available for production at a conference, college, university or theatre near you. Show Your Love for the 1 in 3 CampaignOut of Silence PlaywrightsOpening Reception Photos |
My BlogI'm a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist. It is here where you'll find my queries and musings on life, theater and the world. My posts advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the American Theatre and updates on my own work. Please enjoy!
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