Interview: Jenny Lavery of THE WIZARD OF OZ at San Pedro Playhouse

I had the absolute delight of interviewing Jenny Lavery, the director of San Pedro Playhouse’s upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. She had such a warm spirit and such a great love for the story and meaning behind the show, which will be showing July 12 - August 4. Here’s what she had to say.

What excites you about directing this popular show?

Growing up, this was my all-time favorite movie. I wore out a VHS tape that my parents had recorded from the special showing on tv. I watched it almost every day of my childhood. Then, when the 50th anniversary was released, I got that tape, and it came with a booklet full of factoids of the behind the scenes stuff. Like, several monkeys got injured, tin man got injured, the witch got third degree burns. I would sit and read that as if it were a novel. Over and over and over. I think I really connected with Dorothy because I grew up in a really small town in Pennsylvania, and my grandparents had a farm where I would go in the summer sometimes. So, I related to Dorothy with just being in a homogenous community and living that rural life. I just wanted other, more colorful experiences with more diversity of thought. I am also terrified of tornadoes thanks to this movie. For my 13th birthday I asked my mother for a storm shelter, which she said no and ruined my life. Ha! 

When San Pedro approached me to direct this, I brought all of that love for the story and the movie, and then I asked myself, “what does it  mean to tell this story now in 2024?” And what I came up with has to do with the word “home” and how we all define that differently. This concept of “there’s no place like home” feels like this longing for belonging and finding your people. Finding your community and feeling at home within yourself. The thing that strikes me about the story right now is that all of these things that each of the characters think they lack are actually the things that are their superpowers. Like Dorothy’s voice. She feels misunderstood and not heard or seen, so on her journey through the adversity that she faces over the rainbow she learns to own her voice and be at home with who she is, and I think that’s true of all the characters. They need this extra validation, but really they’ve had it inside of themselves the entire time. We all need those reminders. Instead of looking and seeking for something outside of ourselves, maybe we already possess it and it’s already our superpower.

What do you want the audience to know before they come?

This show is suitable for all ages. A misconception of Wizard of Oz is that it is for children only, and I don’t think that’s true. We’re working really hard to make sure that it’s engaging for children and adults alike. There’s a bit of nostalgia for some of the older folks who’ve encountered the movie in various facets of their lives, and also if it’s a young child’s first time at the theatre they will see plenty of spectacle so that it’s engaging for them. The show has a large adult professional ensemble, with some children helping us create munchkinland. There’s even a live dog! Toto plays quite a large part in the show. Her real name is Dolly, and she’s a good sport and a total star! 

We are going to deliver on some of the typical elements of this story and give people the nostalgia that they love. Also…we’re not the movie. As with every production, I want it to look like the people who are in it and the team that is making it. So, you might see a few new twists!

What inspires your vision for the show?

We are getting creative with some of the elements. So, you’ll see the blue gingham dress and some of the iconography of the main characters. But we’re also taking a spin on things like what the flying monkeys look like and the guards. And who are the munchkins in our version? The munchkins are like her peers. So, when she gets concussed in the tornado, the pieces of her reality get kind of fragmented and refracted in different ways. It becomes a prismatic experience. We’re leaning into the concussion, so the things that are in her world are now refracted in various different ways. I think we’re taking that a lot farther than the movie did. We are also leaning into the magic of the two witches. Our wicked witch has more opportunities to cast spells in our version than is represented in the movie.

Also, so much of our vision comes during the song, “Over the Rainbow,”  which is typically seen where Dorothy is outside on the farm, sitting with Toto, dreaming of what could be. In our version, she goes into her bedroom and she pulls out a box of trinkets and things she’s collected. Her favorite things. She’s looking through them, and she finds a little piece of crystal chandelier, and during the song, she shines a 1930’s flashlight through the prism, so she creates the first color that we see. This gives her more agency. She’s living in this black and white and sepia world, but it’s her having the ingenuity to shine the light and create in this way that causes her to dream about another land where everything is color.

What’s it like working with the technicians on the black and white vs. color?

It’s been an adventure! Originally we were just going to go strictly black and white at the beginning, but we expanded it to include some tans and wood tones. Once we go into the tornado sequence we have some tricks that we’re going to do, and then everything is color from there on out. We’re working with a few limitations, but as an artist, I like that because it gives you the box that you have to be creative within. It creates opportunity. So, for example, (spoiler alert) there’s no flying--no one’s flying through the air--which is something that is traditionally seen. So, thinking on how to deliver on things like Glenda’s grand entrance, and the flying monkeys has been really exciting. It’s been a great collaboration between choreography, costumes, props and special effects. 

What do you hope audiences leave with after this summer musical experience at San Pedro Playhouse?

This is a great story about finding your own voice, embracing who you are, investing in friendship, and knowing the true meaning of friendship. It’s also about finding the courage to be who you are, learning empathy and resilience, and above all to believe in yourself. It’s about all of these things, and it’s wrapped up in this wonderful, fantastical adventure!

Get your tickets fast! This is going to be a popular show to check out this summer!

 

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