How Wizard of Oz was Built

The Wizard of Oz is the last production the theater is putting on this year. Though many see the artistry of the actors on stage, many people don’t consider the work that goes on behind the scenes. I decided to talk to Ashley Arias, who worked extensively on the set and props. The first thing I asked was what she worked on. Ashley responded that she worked on skewers for flying monkeys, monkeys’ wings, A basket for Toto, Dorothy’s shoes, and the hot air balloon. Ashley said, “There’s more, but I don’t remember now.” I then asked her what her favorite thing to make was; she stated that the hot air balloon was her favorite because it was relatively easy. I then asked what the easiest thing to make was; she said  Dorothy’s shoes, as all she had to do was cover the shoes in glue and then sprinkle red glitter on them. Her least favorite thing to make was the wizard’s mask. Speaking of the wizard’s mask, the Oz head ended up collapsing the day of opening night. When asked about how it happened and how she felt, Ashley said that because the giant mask was in a high-traffic area, many people accidentally kicked it. The mask collapsed in on itself. Ashley said she felt fine about it, and seeing them paint a new mask that looked funny made her laugh, but after some time passed and she got home, she said she was slightly upset because it finally set in that the mask she worked days on broke. Hearing all the hard work that goes into the set and props gives people more appreciation for an underappreciated part of theater. Even then, there are still so many other moving parts that aren’t seen, like the seamstresses behind the scenes, lights, audio, set and costume design, etc.