This Just In from the Merry Old Land of Oz

Just before the closing of our recent production of The Wizard of Oz, ensemble member Hannah Miller (standing to the right in the photo) interviewed her fellow cast member, Jennings Whiteway (standing to the left). Here's their backstage banter.

Hannah:
Jennings, you're the only actor who's performed in all four of Theatre IV's productions of The Wizard of Oz: 1990, 1992, 1999 and 2007. What do you remember about the previous productions?

Jennings:
You'd think I'd remember a lot, but after doing all four versions they've sorta blurred together, so forgive me if the details I recall seem somewhat scattered. I remember in the first one I was six years old, and my brother P. J. and I were Munchkins. My mother was Glenda and my dad was the Tin Man. P. J. was in the Lollipop Guild, and one of the cool things is that both of our original 1990 costumes were used in Munchkinland again this time around. I may be the only actor to have been in all four productions, but a lot of the costumes are four-timers as well. Theatre IV never throws anything away. And Tom Hammond, our Costume Designer, built those puppies to last. This is a picture of the four Whiteways in Theatre IV's first Wizard.

That production was my first taste of acting and theatre. I must have been bitten by the bug pretty hard, cause I'm still auditioning and continuing to perform whenever I can fit it in!

I remember that tech rehearsals have been horrendous each time out--there's so much scenery! But somehow we always get through it. I remember actors I really liked, like Stacy Trowbridge playing the Wicked Witch, Cliff Todd playing the Tin Man (almost as good as my dad), and Deborah Wagoner as the original Dorothy. I remember dancing with Scott Wichmann when he played the Cowardly Lion in 1999 and I was an Ozian for the first time. I thought I was so lucky to be his dance partner. I remember the smoke for every witch entrance used to be green smoke, and this time it was white. I remember playing "sardines" with all the Munchkins on three show days, which thankfully, we had none of this run.

Hannah:
Is there anything else different or unique about this production?

Jennings:
Well, one of the obvious differences this time out was that our Wicked Witch, Jan Guarino, was also the Director. She did a wonderful job of juggling both jobs, which, as you can imagine, are huge on their own. Stacy Trowbridge was an Assistant Director and the Witch in 1992, but Bruce Miller, the original director who set the show, was there for most of that rehearsal period, so she wasn't totally on her own.

The other thing that was really different this time around was that Uncle Henry played the Emerald City Guard at the top of Act II. In the three other productions, the Guard was played by the same actor who played the Wizard and Professor Marvel, like in the movie.

Hannah:
What are the good and bad points of being in the ensemble as opposed to having a lead role?

Jennings:
Well, I've always been in the ensemble, so I'm answering this from that limited perspective. I love being on stage, and I have a great time being a part of any show whether my part is big or small. (This photo is of Hannah Zold, Gigi and me horsing around backstage in our Winkie costumes.)

I love to sing and the ensemble often sings throughout the entire two and a half hours. I GUESS that it's pretty exciting to be in a lead role or be the star of a show because you get to shine and show off your talent and win the eye of the audience, and really develop a character. But another plus about being in the ensemble is that you can play your scenes on stage and then have a break. It's a lot of fun to hang out with people backstage in the dressing rooms between scenes. And ensemble members get to play so many different roles. We're Twister Trash (black unitards) and Poppies (red flower heads) in Act I, and Ozians, Winkies (weird guard uniforms) and Flying Monkeys in Act II. I have made so many friends doing shows throughout my life, and one of my favorite things is bonding with castmates backstage and throughout the rehearsal period.

One sorta bad thing about being in the ensemble would be having to stay up late for long rehearsals. A lot of times the whole cast has to hang around, even when we may not be on stage. Acting is more of a hobby for me, and I have a full time day job. Staying up late can be a fun thing, and I don't really stress or get bored in long rehearsals. It's more of a release, actually. It gives me the chance to do something enjoyable and be a part of something that makes me happy. But sometimes I'm really sleepy the next morning.

Hannah:
Speaking of having a day job, you work as Special Events, Access and Food Services Manager for Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. That means that you were the #1 person in charge of planning for and implementing the Fairy Tale Ball, Theatre IV's major annual fundraiser. Was it hard to find the time to rehearse and do everything that was needed to get ready for the Fairy Tale Ball?

Jennings:
YESSSSSSSSSSSS. It was a major struggle juggling both Wizard rehearsals and preparations for the Ball, which occured two weeks before opening when rehearsals were getting heavier and heavier. I debated for a long while about whether or not to do the show, but decided that it would be fun and let me relax with friends, in a time when I was very stressed. I definitely don't regret accepting a role in the ensemble for Wizard, but I don't know if I would do it again. Doing a show and planning an event for 700 people at the same time is a LOT of work. Often, I would go to rehearsal till 10 and then go back to my office to finish work or details that I hadn't completed in the work day. Being around my pals in the cast gave me more energy and helped me push through my exhaustion. Something else that kept me going, and often does, is seeing how hard the rest of the Theatre IV staff works, and how others work as many hard hours as I do. We all push ourselves to the limit and further. It's nice to know that co-workers work the same crazy hours as I do. A couple examples of co-workers that I saw going through this with me were Richard Koch, Production Manager and Bruce Rennie, Technical Director, who were doing double duty helping me with the Ball, and working on the Wizard set, lights, flying, special effects, etc.

After the Ball was over and the show closed, I went to the Munchkin party. Finally feeling the relief of everything being over, I went swinging through the trees, literally. That's me on the rope swing. Talk about a thrill ride!

Hannah:
When you were a Munchkin did you want to grow up to be an actor?

Jennings:
Yes. I think it was my first stint as a Munchkin that did it. And then I kept dreaming the dream for years growing up as I continued to do other shows with Theatre IV. Then when I got to college, my path changed a bit. I initially wanted to major in voice performance, but when I didn't get accepted in the Music Department at the school of my choice, I think this made me fear that even if I majored in the arts or theatre or music, there was a chance I might not be successful on that path. That made me worry that if I failed I'd have nothing to fall back on. SO... I majored in business management and special events, and obtained my certificate in leadership. I'm happy with my degree and college experience, and extra happy to be able to fit acting in as a hobby. I enjoy it so much.