✧ Why This Story?
Most of us first meet Dorothy when we are young, but the questions she carries belong to every age.
How do we become brave when we are frightened? How do we trust our own minds? How do we know when we have found home?
Dorothy’s companions believe they are missing the very things they reveal in every choice they make. Their journey is not about receiving courage, thoughtfulness, or love from someone powerful. It is about learning to recognize what has already been growing inside them.
That feels deeply at home at PaperMap, where people often arrive uncertain of what they can do and discover it by building something alongside others.
About This Production
Our Oz will not attempt to recreate the familiar MGM film. It will draw directly from Baum while embracing the warmth, oddness, danger, and wonder of a story being made in front of us.
Kansas will live in 1985, grounded in Midwestern weather, family, and the small details of Dorothy’s ordinary world. Oz will feel more heightened and surprising, built through movement, sound, fabric, found objects, puppetry, and transformation.
The storytelling will remain close, lively, and accessible. The magic will come from what the company and audience agree to imagine together.
Auditions
Auditions are currently anticipated for late November or early December 2026.
Rehearsals are expected to begin in early January and will generally take place on weekday evenings, with additional time during the final rehearsal and performance weeks.
Full audition details, character information, and the rehearsal calendar will be added before auditions open.
Who Should Audition?
This production may be a good fit for you if you:
Love ensemble storytelling and imaginative theater
Enjoy movement, character work, music, or physical comedy
Are excited by the idea of creating a theatrical world together
Have years of experience or have never auditioned before
Want to be part of a generous, multigenerational company
We are interested in curiosity, reliability, warmth, and a willingness to play.
Casting Snapshot
We anticipate opportunities for adults, teens, and younger performers, including Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Lion, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, the Wizard, witches, residents of Oz, strange creatures, and a flexible storytelling ensemble.
Some roles may be doubled or expanded as the adaptation develops.
