Previews: SHAKESPEARE'S OZ: A PARODY PLAY IN FIVE ACTS at Carrollwood Cultural Center

Coming to Carrollwood Cultural Center on February 8-9, 2025, Jordan Monsell's Shakespeare's Oz: A Parody Play in Five Acts is a unique staged reading that promises to delight audiences of all ages. It offers a fresh and comedic take on the classic story of The Wizard of Oz through the lens of Shakespearean verse.

Shakespeare's Oz: A Parody Play in Five Acts features Erica Garraffa, Trevor Salmon, Kate McColgan, Topher Larkin, Lianne McDonnell-Kruger, and Joel Ferrer.

As both the director and an actor in this production, Garraffa navigates, balancing these dual roles with remarkable finesse. "It certainly is tricky to try to watch your actors, take notes, and remember to deliver your own lines at the same time. But when you have the right cast, it's not as much of a challenge."

She expresses confidence in her cast's instincts and comedic sensibilities, allowing her sometimes to take a directorial backseat and let them make big choices.

When initially approached to direct, Garraffa was unfamiliar with the show. However, after reading the script, she was surprised that no one had thought to combine Shakespearean language with The Wizard of Oz sooner. "I'm excited for our audience to hear a classic story they know and love in a new light," she shares.

Directing scenes incorporating period prose and iambic pentameter is a unique challenge. Garraffa explains, "The word 'Parody' in the title is doing some heavy lifting because this script is written entirely in Shakespearean verse and prose." She prefers a natural, conversational delivery over strict adherence to iambic pentameter, ensuring the play remains approachable and accessible to all audiences, regardless of their familiarity with classic literature.

Garraffa's approach to guiding actors in portraying their characters in a Shakespearean style while staying true to the essence of The Wizard of Oz is both inventive and effective. She instructed her actors to imagine "Google-translating" the text into modern English and then back into Shakespearean English. The characters' physicality also plays an important role, with distinctive movements helping bring Oz's iconic characters to life.

One of the unique elements of this production is its minimalism. "Since it's a reading, there's no set, just chairs and music stands, no props besides our 'Toto,' and very little costuming (save for a fabulous and cunning array of hats)," Garraffa explains.

As an actor, Garraffa plays Glinda and reads the stage directions throughout the play. While she enjoys playing Glinda, she particularly loves the challenge of injecting humor into the stage directions finding opportunities for little winks to the audience.

Through this parody play, Garraffa hopes to show the audience that Shakespeare is genuinely funny and that the language is not a barrier to understanding the humor but rather a different lens through which to experience it. She emphasizes that the play celebrates both Shakespeare and The Wizard of Oz.

When asked who should come to see the staged reading, Garraffa enthusiastically responds, "Everyone! If you like Shakespeare, if you like The Wizard of Oz (who doesn't?), or if you just enjoy supporting local theatre, come on down!"

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