What if the munchkins

had to sell the yellow brick road to foreign investors because the Lollipop guild was over inflating their real estate prices?

What if Dorothy was not Dorothy but a girl named Beth who needed to find her way to Oz because her sister had just died and

 she needed to figure a few things out before she could go on with life as usual without her sister by her side?

This was the basic plot of the ISPS spring show;

a screen play version of the Wizard of Oz written by Don Zolidis.

What if, when the tornado came to take you on your journey,

you had your red umbrella handy, but you didn’t realize how fast the storm would take you

around the course of a year

and before you know it, pomeracs are in season again

reminding you how short life is,

that a year can go by in such a blink of an eye

and that,

just as Connie and I  had reassured each other time and time again, everything is going to be ok.

.

What if the Emerald City you are looking for might just be the one you have to paint for yourself?

and when you let others in on the painting party, your magical world only gets richer and more complex?

Your Emerald City is there for the taking, even if you have to fight some demons to get there.

What if  when you finally find your wizard, it isn’t the wizard you had envisioned

but she still manages to help you find the brain, the heart, and the courage you need

to find beauty in any and every road that crosses your path,

to see the humanity in the wickedest of witches,

to laugh with the brightest of munchkins,

to find your inner strength,

and maybe even spot a real live princess

or three

as you proceed along the yellow brick road of your own making.

In the end of the play, Beth finds home when the wizard helps her realize that no matter where she is, she is always home,

because her sister travels with her

 

wherever she goes.

And every step she takes along the road of her invention is life as usual.