Over the Rainbow
Story appeared in the 2021 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY HAYLEY PICARD, Director of Communications & Marketing
“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devasting to the performing arts sector. Since March 2020, thousands of live drama and musical stage productions were cancelled or postponed, sending directors, actors and creative people around the world into an existence void of their creative voices. For QMS Junior School students, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the spring 2020 production, The Lion King Jr., and as the virus continued to impact the 2020–2021 school year, their ability to perform The Wizard of Oz was also put in jeopardy.
Throughout the summer of 2020, QMS Drama Teacher, Tilly Lorence, endeavoured to be innovative with the Broadway stage production, envisioning ways that would allow it to conform to provincial health regulations. “My original vision was to have a small audience travel with the actors [around the QMS campus],” she explains. “Throughout this process I had to keep re-imagining it based on the restrictions, as well as our collaborators and resources.”
With restrictions that required learning cohort rehearsal plans and a sudden ban on any in-person audience, Tilly met with administration to propose something never done at QMS before. She suggested the play utilize the entire 27-acre campus as the set to film the musical, using key School infrastructure to infuse the performance with a Centennial vibe, and continue with the idea of having actors lead the viewer on Dorothy’s journey through Kansas and Oz. The idea of a virtual production posed new challenges for Tilly and her team. From theatrical contract copyright amendments, to securing an approved on-line video hosting and ticketing service, and sourcing a local film company—the project scope grew and grew. Yet, QMS’ collective passion for providing students with an opportunity to be part of a successful performance quickly became clear.
Junior School Principal, Susan Cruikshank, looks back to the daunting scope of the re-envisioned Wizard of Oz and shakes her head in awe. “Look at the support we had, not just from Junior School teachers and parents, but Senior School teachers, families, Gappers, and administrative staff who stepped in. They assisted with the direction of the play, managed students, helped with costumes and props, it was just incredible. Senior School students did all of the make-up and came in on their weekends-off to help. Well, I think that was amazing. There was a collective pulling together to make this work.”
With the logistical pieces all falling into place, Tilly refocused on the story of Dorothy and how she could reinforce its links to QMS’ story through the lens of feminism, courage, inner strength, and service to others.
“The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”
“I see Dorothy as a compassionate leader. If you analyze her actions throughout the play, she never does anything for herself, so it goes with our motto of ‘serving bravely’,” outlines Tilly. “She’s always doing things and wanting to care for others. She really encompasses that whole aspect of what I believe Miss Denny and Miss Geoghegan stood for and what we are constantly striving to instill in our students at the School.”
For the actors, morphing from a stage production to performing on film had its own unique trials. Actors had to become accustomed to lavalier microphones, new audio-visual technology, learn how to “hit their mark” for scenes, act within modified films sets and be flexible to change when scenes had to be altered on the fly. Their adaptability was further tested when they were required to relearn choreography to suit a film format. From start to the final drop of the director’s clapperboard, students rehearsed and performed for hundreds of hours.
Throughout the two weeks of filming, Tilly and the production team of Robert Reinhardt and Snow Dowd from VideoRx sprinkled special QMS Easter eggs into the movie for viewers to find. “I hope they noticed the campus,” she smiles. “Dorothy’s costumes are authentic QMS uniforms from the 1930s, the actors who portray corn wore QMS kilts, and Kansas was shot at the Equestrian Centre. So, every moment that was planned, was intentional in celebrating our 100 years.”
“It was also a reflection on the importance and meaning of ‘home’, especially after this past year of COVID. I think a lot of people, like me, view QMS as home and part of their home community. Like the cyclone that pulled Dorothy up into the air and made her have an adventure, I think that also represents what a lot of us have gone through.”
When reflecting on the creativity and resourcefulness of the QMS team, and the commitment and dedication of the actors in The Wizard of Oz, one can only hear the gentle murmur of Glinda, the Good Witch, saying, “You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”