Going to the Victoria Theatre to see JOURNEY TO OZ Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 2 p.m. Photo Courtesy of Children s Theatre of Charlotte This presentation is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Ohio Arts Council and the Crane Group. Going to see JOURNEY TO OZ
On Sunday, April 8, 2018, I am going to the Victoria Theatre to watch a play called JOURNEY TO OZ. The Victoria Theatre is a place in downtown Dayton where people can go to see different shows. JOURNEY TO OZ is based on a series books by L. Frank Baum, the most famous of which is called The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. I may have seen the movie The Wizard of Oz and may be familiar with the story, but this version is based on the original book and is different from the movie it is a unique and interactive retelling of Dorothy s journey to the land of Oz. Actors, who are people dressed up in costumes, will act out the story of A JOURNEY TO OZ on the stage. The actors will tell the story by using their voices, by talking, and by using their bodies. There will also be one actor that uses a puppet. I will get to watch the actors on stage and listen to them talk. I can read more about Frank L. Baum and his other books. I can read the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Or, I can watch a video on VTA s website, https://victoriatheatre.com/shows/journey-oz-sensory-friendly/, so I will know what to expect when I go to the Victoria Theatre. Getting to the Victoria Theatre The show will start at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. I can ride to the Victoria Theatre with my group/family. We can get dropped off in front of the building, we can park on the street, or we can park in the Arts Garage and then walk a few blocks and cross the street to the theatre. My family or group can tell me what we plan to do.
In the Lobby We will plan on getting to the theatre by 1:30 p.m. When we get to the Victoria Theatre, we will go inside the building. The lobby is the room you pass through to get into the theatre. Inside the lobby, we will see people who work or volunteer at the theatre. They will be wearing special nametags. They will greet us at the door and will scan our tickets. They can also help to answer questions and show us where to go. I can say hi or good afternoon to the ushers. Inside the lobby, we will also see other people who are coming to see JOURNEY TO OZ. Because there may be a lot of people in the lobby, it is important for me to stay close to my parents or group, so I feel safe. It is also important for me to listen to instructions and wait my turn if I am asked to. If I think it might be too loud in the lobby, I can cover my ears or pack my headphones to wear. The show begins at 2 in the afternoon. The doors to the theatre will open at 1:30, so if I am early, I will have to wait inside the lobby before going into the theatre.
While I wait I can look around the lobby, go to the restroom, eat a snack, or play with the things I brought from home. Restrooms If I need to use the restroom, both a men s and women s restroom are located on the left side of the lobby. There are additional men s and women s restrooms located upstairs on the 2 nd floor. I will have to use the stairs or the elevator to get to the 2 nd floor. There are also two family restrooms located on the 2 nd floor. I will look for signs leading me to the family restrooms. The restrooms are hand flush and have paper towels that I can use to dry my hands. If there are lot of people who have to use the restroom, I may have to wait in line. I will try to be patient and wait my turn to use the restroom. Food and Drinks This is a special performance, and I am allowed to bring snacks and drinks from home and take them inside the theatre. Because other people might be allergic, I will not bring any nuts to snack on during the show. There will not be snacks or drinks for sale at this performance. Quiet Areas
For this performance, there will be a Quiet Area that is available for me if I need to take a break or would like to go to a quiet space with fewer people. I can tell my parents or group that I need to take a break, and we can go to this area. The Quiet Area will be on the 2 nd floor. To get to the Quiet Area, I will need to either climb the stairs or take the elevator. There will be a sign that says Quiet Area. I can go to the Quiet Area before, during, or after the show if I need quiet space. There will be headphones and fidgets in the Quiet Area if I need them. Entering the Theatre
When it is time to go into the theatre, I will enter with my family or group. When I go inside the theatre, I will see lots of seats. Each seat has a letter and a number. The seats are all facing the stage. The people who sit in the seats to watch the play are called the audience. This show is Reserved Seating which means that I will have a specific seat assigned to me. The ushers can help me find my seat if I need assistance. If I need help seeing the stage, I can sit in a booster seat. The ushers will also give me a program that tells me more about the play, JOURNEY TO OZ. While I wait for the show to begin, I can look at my program to learn more about the actors and the show. When I come in I will see the stage. The stage is where the actors perform. I will stay off the stage and sit down with the audience. It is important to sit in my seat or on my booster seat during the show, so that people sitting behind me can see the stage.
In the back of the theatre, I may also notice some people standing or sitting at sound and light boards with lots of cords and wires. These people are technicians. Technicians operate the light and sound boards during the play. Because they are working, I will not enter the area in which they are working.
Watching JOURNEY TO OZ When it is time for the show to begin, someone will come out to make a short announcement and the lights will get a little darker, but they won t turn off. They will stay at 30 percent brightness during the show. The stage lights will come up on the stage, and the actors will enter. The actors will be wearing different costumes to help tell the story. They may be wearing hats, wigs, and makeup and one of them will be using a puppet. They are pretending. Photos Courtesy of Children s Theatre of Charlotte During the show, the actors will be coming on and off the stage. Lights will be used to make it look like daytime or nighttime. Sometimes a light might be focused on a specific actor or part of the set. If I follow the light with my eyes, it will help me look at important things. In addition to hearing the actors voices, I will also hear music and
special sounds that will help tell the story. If the sounds are too loud, I can cover my ears or wear headphones. This show is interactive which means that the actors will be asking audience members to come up on stage to play a part in the show. It is okay for me not to volunteer if I do not want to go onstage. Photos Courtesy of Children s Theatre of Charlotte If I need a break during the show, I can tell my family or group, and they can walk me out of the theatre. Since this is a special performance, it is okay to get up and take a break during the show. If I take a break, I can walk around in the lobby. There will be two monitors on the walls that will be showing the performance, and I can watch it from there if I want. I can also visit the restroom. If I need some quiet time, I can walk up the stairs to the Quiet Room. I can come back into the theatre and watch the rest of the show when I am ready.
The show will last about 60 minutes. There are 10 different scenes in the show. I can learn more about these scenes and characters in the Sequence of Events and Character Guide. At the end of the show, the actors will take turns coming to the stage, so the audience can clap for them. I will clap my hands to show the actors they did a good job. Sometimes, when the audience really likes the show, they will stand up to clap. This is called a standing ovation. This shows the actors that they did a great job! The curtain will close and the lights will come back on in the theatre. This means the show is over. I will look around my seat and make sure I pick up all my things before I leave. I will walk to the aisle and wait for my family or group to walk out of the theatre together. A lot of people will be leaving the theatre at the same time, so I will try to be patient while I wait my turn to walk up the aisle and into the lobby. I can stop in the restroom if I need to on my way out of the theatre. I will walk with my family or group through the lobby and to our bus or car.