Sometimes on our journey to culture change it seems we are like Dorothy in The Wizard
of Oz, facing mounting obstacles with each bend in the Yellow Brick Road. One thing that
helps me over the rough spots is the memory of my involvement in live theater shortly
after my husband, daughter, son and I moved to Springfield, Illinois.
I have always sung, and I played piano in my church choir since age 13, so I decided to
audition for a part in The Wiz - an updated, African-Americanized version of The Wizard of
Oz - at the local summer Muni (outdoor theater). To my great surprise, I got the dual
roles of Auntie Em and Glenda the Good Witch.
You may recall that Auntie Em, along with Uncle Henry and Dorothy, is in the very first
scene, which meant I had to sing the first song of the evening. Now, I have sung in
auditoriums, churches and other inside venues, but never in an outdoor theater where some
things are outside of your control. "What if a bug flies down my throat," I thought, "or a
dog runs onto the stage?"
So, I already was a little nervous when the director put an even greater burden on my
shoulders. "Okay, Neyna," he told me, "You have to belt this song out because you set the
tone for the whole production!"
To make matters worse, I have a fear of heights, which came into play in my role as
Glenda. In one scene, the Good Witch comes down from the sky and sings with Dorothy.
Naturally, I can't fly, so the stage crew built a huge scaffold on wheels with a little
box on top for me to stand on. Gathering my huge hoop dress around me and assisted by two
volunteer firefighters, I had to climb a narrow ladder up the scaffold. Then, they wheeled
me across the stage as I stood precariously atop the box and sang.
Opening night arrived, and I was as nervous as the Scarecrow at a bonfire. But like the
Cowardly Lion, I found my courage. Auntie Em's song came off without a hitch. No bugs flew
in my mouth, Toto was well behaved and I never fell from my perch. Three weeks of
performances without a mishap!
But perhaps the best experience of all was the relationship we developed as a stage
crew and cast. Rehearsing every day, even weekends, was like having a second full-time
job. But everyone pitched in, and over the weeks we worked, ate and played together until
we were like a family. It made me feel right at home in my new community of Springfield.
It is a lesson that has served me well in this movement for culture change in long-term
care, as I again find myself surrounded by so many hard working, talented people who have
discovered, like Dorothy, that there is no place like home.
Neyna Johnson is Deputy State Long-Term
Care Ombudsman in the Illinois
Department on Aging and serves as Vice President of the
Pioneer Network Board of
Directors. She has been instrumental in planting the seeds of culture change in Illinois
by bringing in Pioneer speakers to spread the word throughout the long-term care community
and aging network, and helping to establish a statewide pioneer coalition. Recently she
secured funding from the State Department
of Public Health to provide training and monitor the progress and impact of the culture
change movement in the state.
