Written by L. Frank Baum
With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Background Music by Herbert Stothart
Directed by Mary Jo Johnson
ADVANCE TICKETS: $25
AT THE DOOR: $30 Adult, $24 Senior (60+), $20 Youth (22-)
120 Minutes (with 15 min Intermission) Rated G
Chapin Main StageWe’re off to see the wizard! This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has entertained audiences for generations.
Jack is thrilled to be involved in his first show with the Chapin Theatre Company, as well as his first-ever original show! Helping to build How to Supervise Women from the ground up with his castmates and production team has been a particularly enjoyable experience for him. Jack has also performed around Columbia in roles such as Leo Bloom (The Producers at Workshop Theatre), Sir Robin (Spamalot at Town Theatre) and, most recently, Young Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol at Town Theatre). Jack would like to thank his family for always showing up, and to his fiancee, Sara, for her endless support.
Jill is excited to be back onstage and making her Chapin Theatre debut. Her last stage appearance was in Town Theatre’s Grease. She works for the SC House of Representatives. Jill thanks Jamie for the wonderful opportunity to bring Millie to life. She dedicates her work on this show to her dad who introduced her to theatre years ago and has always taught her to persevere.
Lou is having a blast watching her words come to life with this talented group of actors. She is the Playwright in Residence at CTC. She loves comedy and her humor has been influenced by the works of Erma Bombeck, David Sedaris, and Tina Fey. She is obsessed with the Canadian sitcom, Schitt’s Creek. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Lou is a card-holding member of Bills Mafia. She is going to get a Buffalo Bills tattoo when they win the Super Bowl.
Jim is the Executive Director of the Chapin Theatre Company (CTC). His last role was Clarence the Angel (and others) in the Radio Show version of It’s a Wonderful Life performed at Harbison Theatre and King Sextimus in Once Upon a Mattress. Past roles include Victor Velasco in Barefoot in the Park, Harry Douglas in Amorous Ambassador, and Wadsworth in Clue. Designing & building the set for Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors was incredibly special to him. Jim is proud to be a part of this theatre community with all the support and talent that has become a part of the next chapter of the CTC. One of our great honors here at CTC is supporting new works. Jim is excited to be performing in the world premiere of Lou Clyde’s latest work with a great cast, crew, and director. He sends his love to Tina, his kids and those “5 beautiful & spirited granddaughters.”
Samantha is so excited to make her debut at Chapin Theatre and work with this super talented cast and production team. Some of her favorite shows have been Elf: The Musical (Town Theatre), in which she shared the stage with her daughter for the first time, The Wedding Singer (Workshop Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (On Stage Productions), Beautiful: The Carole King Story (Town Theatre), and Rent (Village Square Theatre). When not on stage, you can find her going on adventures with Nick and Elise, traveling, or supporting the local arts. Thank you Nick and Elise for your love and support. Thank you Jamie, Jennifer, and Lou for allowing me to be a part of this amazing show and bringing Phyllis to life!
Jamie is proud to be directing this wonderful show. She has had an absolute blast working with this fantastic cast and crew. Past shows she’s directed include: Something Rotten, Stilt Girl, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Chicago to name a few. She hopes you enjoy this show as much as she has enjoyed directing it. She sends her love to her family. Enjoy!
Debra appears for her third time in a Lou Clyde play. She played Debi in Stilt Girl and Annie in her Ten Minute play, The Senior Discount. This role is personally very special; Debra’s father, Russell Haines, was serving in Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on December 7, 1941, and her maternal grandmother, Rose, worked in the Joliet Arsenal where they made munitions during WWII. Her father spent the rest of the war in the South Pacific and retired after twenty years of service as a Chief Boatswain Mate (Chief Petty Officer). Debra appeared last year in three productions at Chapin Theatre: Queen Aggravain (Once Upon a Mattress), Grace (Taking Care of Business), and Mina/Dr. Van Helsing (Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors). She is blessed to have found a home with Chapin Theatre and is honored to work with a great cast and crew. Thank you, Lou and Jamie, for once again casting this “cantankerous and fussy” woman of a certain age!
Jennifer is thrilled to be working with this talented group! Jennifer is relatively new to the director/stage manager role; she directed a play in Chapin Theatre’s 10-Miniute-ish Play Festival in 2024 and knew she wanted to direct again. She has thoroughly enjoyed learning from Jamie and this production team on a Lou Clyde original play, helping to bring characters to life. Jennifer plans to continue performing on stage, tap dancing with South Carolina Music and Dance Company and singing with the Dutch Fork Choral Society. She would love to thank her husband, Ben, for all his love and support.
Zanna is always thrilled to return to the Chapin Theatre Company stage, especially in another Lou Clyde original! You may recognize her from CTC as Izzy (Stilt Girl), Corie (Barefoot in the Park), Joy (Cinderella), or June (Chicago). Other favorite roles include The Ghost of Christmas Past (A Christmas Carol: The Musical), Annie (The Play That Goes Wrong), Mary Ann (Gilligan’s Island: The Musical), Amber Von Tussle (Hairspray), Rumpleteazer (Cats), and Shelby (Steel Magnolias). Follow along with Zanna’s theatre (and film!) adventures on Instagram @Zanna.M!
Barry is thrilled to be a part of this play. He was recently Mansel in Second Samuel at Soda City Theatre. Prior to that he was fortunate to be Elvis in The Princess and The King and I’m Dead Jim at Chapin Theatre. Some other memorable roles were Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables and Nikki in Bell ,Book and Candle at VST. Barry has been married to Nancy for 40 years and they have two children. Chelsea, their daughter, who is married to Chris and is mom to Katie Mae and Cameron, their son, who is married to Elizabeth Ann and is father to Cameron Jr.
Alyssa believes, to paraphrase (and perhaps mis-apply) Shakespeare, that people act all the time. As such, she’s grateful for this opportunity to hone her skills! Her most recent role was Lisa in Eastmont Theatre Company’s production of End of the Line, and her first role after college was Florika in Town Theatre’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Alyssa is an amateur actor, musician, poet, photographer, and human - in the sense that she’s eager to keep learning! She grew up in Columbia and now lives in Lexington with her partner, his kids, and a cat they were volun-told to care for. Special thanks to: Mom, Dad, Crystal, Michael, Andrew, Joe. She couldn’t do this without you.
