From the 1900 publication of Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to Gregory Maguire’s 1995 publication Wicked and the spectacular and popular movies and stage productions of each book, the Oz story has had staying power in our culture. Why? Many popular stories have come and gone, yet we continue to tell and retell the Oz stories.
In this class, we will examine both books and both movies, all produced in different times periods spanning well over a century.
Our discussions will center on the ways in which the story has shifted with its production time, the characterizations, themes, effects, and fascination of the reading and viewing audience.
Even if you are not attracted to the Oz stories, this class will explore WHY the Oz stories are important to us and WHY we have examined them for so many decades. Hopefully our discussion will illuminate us about our culture and ourselves.
The fun of this class will rest on the variety of the voices in the room and the wealth of reading and life experiences that lie behind those voices. I hope you will join me!