Wasatch Theatre Company Will Present the Utah Premiere of BEFORE OZ
The new play by Lauren Grove explores the imagination and family behind The Wizard of Oz, December 5–13, 2025 at Regent Street Black Box Theatre.
By: A.A. Cristi Nov. 10, 2025
Wasatch Theatre Company will present the Utah premiere of Before Oz, an original play by Lauren Grove, running December 5–13, 2025, at the Regent Street Black Box Theatre, 144 Regent Street (attached to the Eccles Theater). Directed by Adam Cannon, the production explores the imagination, artistry, and personal relationships that inspired L. Frank Baum’s creation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Before Dorothy, Toto, and the Scarecrow ever set foot in Oz, there was L. Frank Baum, a dreamer, actor, and storyteller whose creative spirit shaped one of America’s most beloved tales. Grove’s play traces Baum’s life and the influential women around him, including his wife Maud Gage Baum and her mother Matilda Gage, a prominent suffragette.
Told through a blend of history, humor, and theatrical imagination, Before Oz follows Baum’s journey from 19th-century New York to the Dakota plains and on to early Hollywood, revealing the courage and love that bring a gray world into technicolor. “Before Oz is about the imagination that fuels art and the family that keeps it alive,” said director Adam Cannon. “It’s a story of finding your voice, and the people who help you believe in it.”
Performances will run December 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on December 7 at 2:00 p.m. at Regent Street Black Box Theatre, 144 Regent Street, Salt Lake City, UT. Tickets will be available in advance or at the door. Discounts will be offered for students, seniors, and on Wasatch Wednesday (December 10) using the code word Baum.
Wasatch Theatre Company is a nonprofit producing a range of plays and musicals each year. Its mission is to create timely, relevant theatre by supporting diverse artists and amplifying unique voices to stimulate conversation, increase empathy, and inspire positive social change. The company is a resident of the Regent Street Black Box at the Eccles.
Salt Lake City Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (West Valley Arts)
16.2% of votes
2.
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER (Utah Shakespeare Festival)
8% of votes
3.
SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Hopebox Theatre)
7.2% of votes
Videos