The Road Back from Emerald
Cast
Dorothy: Shiramaru Mito
The Wizard of Oz: Senju Iroha
Act 1 -
The great plains of Kansas, gray sky and earth.
That was all there was to my world.
But from the moment that tornado swept me away along with my house and dropped me in this strange land, my fate changed completely.
This is the "Land of Oz".
I accidentally crushed the Wicked Witch of the East with my house, and the Munchkins-little people-thanked me for it, but my wish wasn't to become a hero.
I just wanted to go home to where Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were waiting.
The Good Witch of the North told me:
"Ask the Great Wizard Oz who lives in the Emerald City."
I held my beloved dog Toto and continued walking the 'Yellow Brick Road', meeting Mr. Scarecrow, Mr. Tin Woodman, and Mr. Cowardly Lion along the way.
Though our purposes for the journey were different, there was only one person who could grant our wishes: the "Great Oz".
We held that name as our light of hope and overcame dark forests and dangerous poppy fields.
The Emerald City we finally reached was breathtakingly beautiful.
Seen through green coloured glasses, the city sparkled like jewels, and everything was dyed green.
"Lord Oz sees no one," said the gatekeeper, but when he saw that I had the silver shoes, he finally granted us an audience.
If he was a wizard, he should be able to send me back to Kansas. Believing this, I walked down the long corridor of the palace.
Act 2 -
No one was sitting on the throne...?
When I looked more closely, only a giant head without a body was floating there.
"I am the Great and Terrible Oz. What do you want?"
"I'm Dorothy. Please send me back to Kansas. My family is worried about me."
My companions-Mr. Scarecrow, Mr. Tin Woodman, and Mr. Cowardly Lion-also asked for brains, a heart, and courage respectively.
But the wizard's answer was all too cruel.
"If you want help, overcome a trial. Go kill the Wicked Witch of the West."
To me, who had accidentally defeated the eastern witch, he commanded yet another witch hunt.
If he was the great and terrible wizard, he could do it himself...
Still, to return to Kansas and to have everyone's wishes granted, I had no choice but to obey.
After various twists and turns, I was able to defeat the Witch of the West as a result.
I threw water at the witch in anger and she melted-it was just coincidence or good luck.
Regardless of the actual circumstances, we'd fulfilled our promise. Now Oz should grant our wishes.
Act 3 -
When we returned triumphantly to the throne room, Oz didn't show himself and only echoed his voice from the ceiling.
"You defeated the Witch of the West? So quickly??? I see...I'm a bit busy right now, so could you come back tomorrow?"
At Oz's insincere attitude, Mr. Lion, who was usually gentle, roared.
Surprised by that voice, Toto leaped toward a screen in the corner of the room and knocked it over.
There stood an ordinary old man.
"Who are you!?"
Mr. Tin Woodman readied his axe defensively.
Though startled, the man smiled wryly and bowed his head.
"I am Oz. The Great Oz. Well, wait...please don't be so angry."
The giant head from before was papier-mâché, and the voice was ventriloquism.
"No way...so the wizard is actually a fraud?"
When I muttered this, he smiled sadly and admitted, "That's right."
He too, long ago, was just a circus performer who had been blown here by balloon from Omaha, America, just like me.
When he descended from the sky, the people of this country mistakenly thought he was a great wizard and made him their king.
Oz, pleaded with to protect them from two witches, used trickery to create the image of the 'Great Wizard Oz' as a deterrent to neighboring countries.
And to avoid having his true identity discovered, he had been living in seclusion alone.
Having revealed his identity, he seemed to have made up his mind and tried to face us honestly.
He couldn't use 'magic', but he used his wisdom.
He gave Mr. Scarecrow 'brains' stuffed with bran and needles, Mr. Tin Woodman a 'heart' made of silk, and Mr. Lion a mysterious drink as 'courage'.
Probably none of it had any effect. But my companions believed it and were overjoyed.
"Everyone just thinks they don't have what they want. They really already possess what they desire."
Oz whispered this in a voice only I could hear.
This person might have been a fraud, but he seemed to know how to satisfy people's hearts.
Act 4 -
My companions' wishes had been granted-or so they believed.
Only I remained.
Oz said:
"Dorothy, there's only one way to get you back to Kansas."
"Ride in the balloon with me. I want to go home too. Even if you sit on a throne, your heart yearns for where it belongs."
We inflated the balloon in the square.
We told the people that "Oz is going to visit his brothers above the clouds."
When we talked about America together, he just showed a smile.
He seemed happy to have someone who could talk with him about their shared homeland of America.
On departure day, the square was filled with cheers.
The balloon gently floated upward.
"Come on, Dorothy! Hurry and get in!"
The moment Oz reached out his hand to me from the basket, Toto jumped out into the crowd.
"Toto, no!"
The moment I caught Toto and tried to return, the rope connecting the ground and balloon snapped.
The balloon rose higher and higher into the sky.
"Goodbye, young lady...you're a strong child. You'll be fine even without me."
The balloon grew smaller and disappeared beyond the clouds.
He had finally become free, leaving me alone.
I was at a loss.
Then Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, appeared.
She pointed to the silver shoes I was wearing and said:
"If you click your heels together three times, you can go anywhere."
To think the way back to Kansas was so close...
But if I had known about the shoes' power from the beginning and returned right away, Mr. Scarecrow, Mr. Tin Woodman, and Mr. Lion would have remained without confidence in themselves.
Even if it was 'false hope', it was still hope.
Perhaps it was because we aimed for this Emerald City where Oz lived that we were able to become strong.
"Thank you, Oz."
I whispered in my heart.
That person wasn't a great wizard, but he gave me adventure, gave me companions, and taught me the courage to take a step forward with my own strength.
I hugged Toto and clicked the heels of my silver shoes three times.
"There's no place like home!"
As the emerald brilliance faded into the distance, I was certain:
Magic isn't something granted by some great person. It had always been right at my own feet.
Aftertalk -
Senju Iroha
(To think that Denki would receive an invitation to the World Theatre League...and the play we're performing is 'The Wizard of Oz'...)
Shiramaru Mito
Iroha-chan...?
Senju Iroha
Ah, sorry! I was spacing out a bit!
Shiramaru Mito
Are you okay...? Haven't you been pushing yourself too hard lately?
Senju Iroha
No need to worry, Mito-chan! Actually, I'm getting really motivated! I have to work hard for the audition!
Shiramaru Mito
The judges from the World Theatre League are coming to Denki too, after all. Yeah, Mito feels the same way, too.
Senju Iroha
Right! Let's all work hard together! Oh, we were in the middle of a read through, weren't we!
Senju Iroha
Next I'll read Oz's part, so Mito-chan, please read Dorothy's part!
Shiramaru Mito
Got it, Iroha-chan.
Senju Iroha
(If I perform Dorothy in the next production and get recognised by the World Theatre League people...)
Senju Iroha
(I could convey Denki's appeal, achieve something that wouldn't shame the Senju family name, and maybe lighten my sister's burden...!)
Senju Iroha
"Everyone just thinks they don't have what they want. They really already possess what they desire."
Senju Iroha
(I have to work hard...!)