Standing up to OCD
Breathing: It is something most of us take for granted. From the moment we first enter the world to the moment we leave it, we breathe. It is an instinctive, mechanical reflex. We never give it a second thought. But for some people even a simple, basic act – such as breathing - can become an obsession, taking over and breaking to pieces their otherwise normal lives.
For Stevie, this is how it all began. At age 12 he started to obsess about his breathing, constantly checking to make sure he was still alive.
Stevie said: “I could obsess about my breathing all day long. It would make me panic, and I found it extremely hard to concentrate.”
Soon, Stevie found other problems beginning to emerge, including a compulsion to crack his joints and pull out his hair. At age 21 Stevie’s troubles worsened. After watching a television programme about a homosexual relationship, he began to obsess about his own relationships and sexuality. Before long his life began to spiral out of control.
Stevie said: “My life was being controlled by my thoughts. I found it difficult to function both at work and socially. I had visions of suicide and could spend some days obsessing about the quickest way to kill myself. I was having an emotional breakdown.”
Stevie is just one of over 101,000 people in Scotland who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which according to the World Health Organisation, is one of the top 10 most debilitating illnesses in terms of lost income and decreased quality of life. According to the support group OCD-UK, OCD is the 4th most common mental disorder nationwide after depression, alcohol and substance misuse, and social phobia.
OCD takes on different forms in different people. For most sufferers, the disorder is composed of two parts: obsessions and compulsions. These sufferers are overcome with neurotic thoughts, and as a response to these thoughts, they feel the uncontrollable need to engage in certain types of behaviour, which can take the form of physical actions, such as hand washing, or mental actions, such as silently counting. For other sufferers, like Stevie, OCD can also appear in the form of ‘Pure O’ – where the person is overcome with obsessive thoughts, but those thoughts are not always accompanied by compulsive actions.
Stevie said: “Because there are very few or no physical compulsions, sufferers of 'Pure O' generally keep their disorder quiet. They are embarrassed to speak about such bizarre thoughts.”
Clinical therapist Dr Fred Penzel said: “[OCD] has been referred to as the hidden epidemic. People with OCD are not crazy. They realize that their thoughts and behaviours don't really make sense. Therefore, they keep their thoughts to themselves and do their compulsions out of sight of others. There is a big shame factor here.”
Like many OCD sufferers Stevie had a problem trying to get a medical diagnosis.
Stevie said:”My experience of the NHS is that they have very limited knowledge of the disorder and find it hard to make a diagnosis and get sufferers the correct treatment. There also seems to be a distinct lack of therapists within the NHS to treat sufferers, which means long waiting times.”
According to the UK’s leading OCD expert, Prof Paul Salknovskis, there is an average 17 years between onset and diagnoses of the illness, and sufferers can spend up to 2 years on clinical waiting lists for treatment. Salknovskis said this is due to problems with resources at all levels, from government funding to local GPs. He added that there is also no universal treatment method for OCD.
Salknovskis said: “Some are offering alternative types of therapy like Freudian therapies, which are ultimately no good and can even make OCD worse.”
To fix the problem, Prof Salknovskis said that there needs to be a reorganisation and retraining of people as well as a redistribution of money.
Caroline Jannetta, who helps run an informal OCD Support Group in Edinburgh, said: “There is a lack of understanding about OCD. Most people think it’s psychological. It’s not a psychological disorder. It’s a neurobiological disease that needs to be treated by a combination of medication and behavioural therapy.”
While medical evidence shows that OCD is a biological disorder, the actual causes for OCD are unknown. Still, studies have found that the brain reacts differently in people suffering from the disorder, such as increased activity in the front part of the brain – with biological synapses firing, transmitting signals that something is wrong over and over and over again like a broken record.
In his book, Brain Lock, Dr. Jeffery Schwartz outlines to what extent OCD is medical problem and how the symptoms can be overcome both with medical therapy as well as a Buddhist Philosophy of Mindfulness – a redirection of attention through various forms of meditation, mental exercises and self understanding.
While Professor Paul Salkovskis says that the success of mindfulness has not been scientifically proven, he does advocate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is a psychological treatment that looks at how people with OCD think. It uses ‘behavioural experiments’ whereby OCD sufferers expose themselves to what makes them feel anxious, but they do not follow through with their usual compulsive rituals. This allows them to see for themselves what happens when they do not play into the hands of their OCD.
Prof Salkovskis was scheduled to be the featured speaker in this July’s OCD conference in Edinburgh, organised by OCD-UK. But due to the organisation’s lack of funding the conference was cancelled and the support group faced closure. However, through the fundraising efforts of its members - members like Stevie who having gotten his own illness under control, participated in a 95 mile walk to help raise funds for OCD-UK- the organisation has managed to raise enough money to remain open for the next year.
Stevie said: “The walk was gruelling and tiring but much enjoyed all the same. The aim was to raise as much money as possible for OCD-UK, which in turn could be spent helping sufferers and raising the profile of the disorder.”
Organisers say they hope to raise enough funds to bring the OCD conference back to Scotland in 2007.
*Stevie’s name has been changed for the purpose of this article
For Stevie, this is how it all began. At age 12 he started to obsess about his breathing, constantly checking to make sure he was still alive.
Stevie said: “I could obsess about my breathing all day long. It would make me panic, and I found it extremely hard to concentrate.”
Soon, Stevie found other problems beginning to emerge, including a compulsion to crack his joints and pull out his hair. At age 21 Stevie’s troubles worsened. After watching a television programme about a homosexual relationship, he began to obsess about his own relationships and sexuality. Before long his life began to spiral out of control.
Stevie said: “My life was being controlled by my thoughts. I found it difficult to function both at work and socially. I had visions of suicide and could spend some days obsessing about the quickest way to kill myself. I was having an emotional breakdown.”
Stevie is just one of over 101,000 people in Scotland who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which according to the World Health Organisation, is one of the top 10 most debilitating illnesses in terms of lost income and decreased quality of life. According to the support group OCD-UK, OCD is the 4th most common mental disorder nationwide after depression, alcohol and substance misuse, and social phobia.
OCD takes on different forms in different people. For most sufferers, the disorder is composed of two parts: obsessions and compulsions. These sufferers are overcome with neurotic thoughts, and as a response to these thoughts, they feel the uncontrollable need to engage in certain types of behaviour, which can take the form of physical actions, such as hand washing, or mental actions, such as silently counting. For other sufferers, like Stevie, OCD can also appear in the form of ‘Pure O’ – where the person is overcome with obsessive thoughts, but those thoughts are not always accompanied by compulsive actions.
Stevie said: “Because there are very few or no physical compulsions, sufferers of 'Pure O' generally keep their disorder quiet. They are embarrassed to speak about such bizarre thoughts.”
Clinical therapist Dr Fred Penzel said: “[OCD] has been referred to as the hidden epidemic. People with OCD are not crazy. They realize that their thoughts and behaviours don't really make sense. Therefore, they keep their thoughts to themselves and do their compulsions out of sight of others. There is a big shame factor here.”
Like many OCD sufferers Stevie had a problem trying to get a medical diagnosis.
Stevie said:”My experience of the NHS is that they have very limited knowledge of the disorder and find it hard to make a diagnosis and get sufferers the correct treatment. There also seems to be a distinct lack of therapists within the NHS to treat sufferers, which means long waiting times.”
According to the UK’s leading OCD expert, Prof Paul Salknovskis, there is an average 17 years between onset and diagnoses of the illness, and sufferers can spend up to 2 years on clinical waiting lists for treatment. Salknovskis said this is due to problems with resources at all levels, from government funding to local GPs. He added that there is also no universal treatment method for OCD.
Salknovskis said: “Some are offering alternative types of therapy like Freudian therapies, which are ultimately no good and can even make OCD worse.”
To fix the problem, Prof Salknovskis said that there needs to be a reorganisation and retraining of people as well as a redistribution of money.
Caroline Jannetta, who helps run an informal OCD Support Group in Edinburgh, said: “There is a lack of understanding about OCD. Most people think it’s psychological. It’s not a psychological disorder. It’s a neurobiological disease that needs to be treated by a combination of medication and behavioural therapy.”
While medical evidence shows that OCD is a biological disorder, the actual causes for OCD are unknown. Still, studies have found that the brain reacts differently in people suffering from the disorder, such as increased activity in the front part of the brain – with biological synapses firing, transmitting signals that something is wrong over and over and over again like a broken record.
In his book, Brain Lock, Dr. Jeffery Schwartz outlines to what extent OCD is medical problem and how the symptoms can be overcome both with medical therapy as well as a Buddhist Philosophy of Mindfulness – a redirection of attention through various forms of meditation, mental exercises and self understanding.
While Professor Paul Salkovskis says that the success of mindfulness has not been scientifically proven, he does advocate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is a psychological treatment that looks at how people with OCD think. It uses ‘behavioural experiments’ whereby OCD sufferers expose themselves to what makes them feel anxious, but they do not follow through with their usual compulsive rituals. This allows them to see for themselves what happens when they do not play into the hands of their OCD.
Prof Salkovskis was scheduled to be the featured speaker in this July’s OCD conference in Edinburgh, organised by OCD-UK. But due to the organisation’s lack of funding the conference was cancelled and the support group faced closure. However, through the fundraising efforts of its members - members like Stevie who having gotten his own illness under control, participated in a 95 mile walk to help raise funds for OCD-UK- the organisation has managed to raise enough money to remain open for the next year.
Stevie said: “The walk was gruelling and tiring but much enjoyed all the same. The aim was to raise as much money as possible for OCD-UK, which in turn could be spent helping sufferers and raising the profile of the disorder.”
Organisers say they hope to raise enough funds to bring the OCD conference back to Scotland in 2007.
*Stevie’s name has been changed for the purpose of this article
As Clear as Glass
Emery powder and oils blacken the nail beds of Thomas Ashburner’s hands. A small spot of blood dots the side of his left forefinger. And as the gum chewing 22-year-old talks about his work, his green eyes widen with passion and excitement, sparkling as bright as the hand crafted crystal neatly displayed on the shelves surrounding his workbench.
Ashburner, one of only two engravers to work at the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company, said: “It’s a brilliant craft. It’s a really rare craft. It’s not the kind of run of the mill mainstream art. It’s amazing. And you can really feel proud that you are one of few who can do it.”
And one of few he is. Engravers are a dying breed as the UK’s share of the crystal market falls victim to overseas influences.
Jessamy Kelly, a glass designer for the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company said: “The crystal industry is dying in the UK. A lot of industrial glass making and design is being outsourced to the rest of Europe, because the costs of production are less there. So, there’s not really an industry in Scotland for young people to go into.”
Though the industry is waning, there are a select few who continue to enter into it and maintain it. These young professionals all share one fundamental thing in common: a love for the art. Ashburner and Kelly are two such young workers who share in this love. Both are employees of Edinburgh Crystal, and both have a passion for their work. Each plays a vital role in the crystal making process, but their jobs are very different, as are the ways in which they entered them.
Ashburner began his career as an apprentice. He left school at 16 aware that he wanted to work in a trade but unsure as to which one. He said: “To me sitting at a computer all day would have been a nightmare. My dad was an engineer, so I think that’s where my hands-on interest in crafts and design came from. I lived in Edinburgh, and the crystal factory was here [in Penicuik]... and I just kind of fell into it.”
Ashburner, who in the past has demonstrated the finer points of engraving to Prince Andrew and many other elite visitors to the crystal factory, said that he has reached his occupational zenith.
He said: “Basically I’ve advanced as far as I can go. Now, it’s all about the challenges I give myself with trying new things and my own designs.”
One way Ashburner challenges himself is through his masterpiece collection. Masterpiece collections are compiled of one of a kind pieces designed by the engravers and sold as such by the company. Ashburner’s past masterpieces include glass portraits of Noddy Holder of Slade and Slash from Guns and Roses.
But despite his expertise and talent at crystal portraits, Ashburner is hesitant to go into business for himself.
He said: “I kind of a considered it. But the thing with engraving is it’s really expensive, and it takes so long to churn out enough crystal to make a profit. So the designs have to be basic. The stable independent businesses, those are the ones that just put words on glass – engraving people’s names, dedications and anniversaries. That’s not for me.”
He added: “Here [at the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company] the work is stable. The pay could be better, but it pays the bills. And, I enjoy it; that’s what matters.”
Unlike Ashburner, who entered the company as an apprentice, 27-year-old Kelly studied glass design at the Edinburgh College of Art and participated in a scholarship program offered by Edinburgh Crystal. The Edinburgh Crystal Masters Design Scholarship Program, which was created in the early 1990s, had two main objectives. It aimed to bridge the gap between the design theories studied in a university classroom and the grit and grime of the production factory. The program also hoped to revamp the crystal market, attracting a new wave of clientele by having a fresh generation of designers create looks that would appeal to a younger market.
In this programme, which is no longer in operation, participants had their tuition and living costs paid for by the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company. They then divided their time between attending design lectures at university and working hands-on in the crystal factory.
As a student, Kelly’s work was already being recognised by master glassblowers. And, as her knowledge of the industry grew, so did her desire to enter into a career in glass design.
Kelly said: “I enjoyed it – the whole experience. I was given a wide breadth and scope of design. I managed my own projects and produced my own original body of work.”
At the end of the two year scholarship program, participating students had both a Master of Design degree and a position waiting for them in the design department at Edinburgh Crystal.
In contrast to Ashburner, who creates one-of-a-kind masterpieces sold individually by the company, Kelly’s job is to fashion new design themes that can be mass produced. She currently has two successful lines of crystal being sold by the company. Her first line is called ‘Infinity’, and her latest range, released just this spring, is called ‘Signet’.
In addition to designing new lines for the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company, Kelly is also active as an independent glass artist. She travels throughout Europe and attends numerous international symposiums. She also creates sculptural glass work for exhibition and commissions.
Kelly said that her independent work is “less constraining, more artistic and not as commercial”.
She added: “It’s a different market, focusing on art galleries and art institutions. But, I don’t spend quite a lot of time on independent sales and commissions. If galleries invite me to show with them I will, but there’s really no guarantee that any of my work will sell. It’s not a very stable economic market. It’s more of a risk, and it’s quite a lot of investment. It’s a high end market with high end prices. I don’t do it for the money. I definitely do it for the love.”
She added: “I am a very sensual designer and constantly strive to reflect my emotions and passion into every piece I create.”
And, in the UK’s slowly decreasing crystal market, it is the love and passion for the art that keeps these young professionals entering the trade.
Kelly said: “It’s about finding a way to keep you stable financially and do what you want. You have to find a balance, a happy medium. As you get more established you can up your artistic end. It takes time though. It’s not going to happen over night. But, if glassblowing, engraving, designing is what you want to do, it’s worth it.”
Ashburner, one of only two engravers to work at the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company, said: “It’s a brilliant craft. It’s a really rare craft. It’s not the kind of run of the mill mainstream art. It’s amazing. And you can really feel proud that you are one of few who can do it.”
And one of few he is. Engravers are a dying breed as the UK’s share of the crystal market falls victim to overseas influences.
Jessamy Kelly, a glass designer for the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company said: “The crystal industry is dying in the UK. A lot of industrial glass making and design is being outsourced to the rest of Europe, because the costs of production are less there. So, there’s not really an industry in Scotland for young people to go into.”
Though the industry is waning, there are a select few who continue to enter into it and maintain it. These young professionals all share one fundamental thing in common: a love for the art. Ashburner and Kelly are two such young workers who share in this love. Both are employees of Edinburgh Crystal, and both have a passion for their work. Each plays a vital role in the crystal making process, but their jobs are very different, as are the ways in which they entered them.
Ashburner began his career as an apprentice. He left school at 16 aware that he wanted to work in a trade but unsure as to which one. He said: “To me sitting at a computer all day would have been a nightmare. My dad was an engineer, so I think that’s where my hands-on interest in crafts and design came from. I lived in Edinburgh, and the crystal factory was here [in Penicuik]... and I just kind of fell into it.”
Ashburner, who in the past has demonstrated the finer points of engraving to Prince Andrew and many other elite visitors to the crystal factory, said that he has reached his occupational zenith.
He said: “Basically I’ve advanced as far as I can go. Now, it’s all about the challenges I give myself with trying new things and my own designs.”
One way Ashburner challenges himself is through his masterpiece collection. Masterpiece collections are compiled of one of a kind pieces designed by the engravers and sold as such by the company. Ashburner’s past masterpieces include glass portraits of Noddy Holder of Slade and Slash from Guns and Roses.
But despite his expertise and talent at crystal portraits, Ashburner is hesitant to go into business for himself.
He said: “I kind of a considered it. But the thing with engraving is it’s really expensive, and it takes so long to churn out enough crystal to make a profit. So the designs have to be basic. The stable independent businesses, those are the ones that just put words on glass – engraving people’s names, dedications and anniversaries. That’s not for me.”
He added: “Here [at the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company] the work is stable. The pay could be better, but it pays the bills. And, I enjoy it; that’s what matters.”
Unlike Ashburner, who entered the company as an apprentice, 27-year-old Kelly studied glass design at the Edinburgh College of Art and participated in a scholarship program offered by Edinburgh Crystal. The Edinburgh Crystal Masters Design Scholarship Program, which was created in the early 1990s, had two main objectives. It aimed to bridge the gap between the design theories studied in a university classroom and the grit and grime of the production factory. The program also hoped to revamp the crystal market, attracting a new wave of clientele by having a fresh generation of designers create looks that would appeal to a younger market.
In this programme, which is no longer in operation, participants had their tuition and living costs paid for by the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company. They then divided their time between attending design lectures at university and working hands-on in the crystal factory.
As a student, Kelly’s work was already being recognised by master glassblowers. And, as her knowledge of the industry grew, so did her desire to enter into a career in glass design.
Kelly said: “I enjoyed it – the whole experience. I was given a wide breadth and scope of design. I managed my own projects and produced my own original body of work.”
At the end of the two year scholarship program, participating students had both a Master of Design degree and a position waiting for them in the design department at Edinburgh Crystal.
In contrast to Ashburner, who creates one-of-a-kind masterpieces sold individually by the company, Kelly’s job is to fashion new design themes that can be mass produced. She currently has two successful lines of crystal being sold by the company. Her first line is called ‘Infinity’, and her latest range, released just this spring, is called ‘Signet’.
In addition to designing new lines for the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company, Kelly is also active as an independent glass artist. She travels throughout Europe and attends numerous international symposiums. She also creates sculptural glass work for exhibition and commissions.
Kelly said that her independent work is “less constraining, more artistic and not as commercial”.
She added: “It’s a different market, focusing on art galleries and art institutions. But, I don’t spend quite a lot of time on independent sales and commissions. If galleries invite me to show with them I will, but there’s really no guarantee that any of my work will sell. It’s not a very stable economic market. It’s more of a risk, and it’s quite a lot of investment. It’s a high end market with high end prices. I don’t do it for the money. I definitely do it for the love.”
She added: “I am a very sensual designer and constantly strive to reflect my emotions and passion into every piece I create.”
And, in the UK’s slowly decreasing crystal market, it is the love and passion for the art that keeps these young professionals entering the trade.
Kelly said: “It’s about finding a way to keep you stable financially and do what you want. You have to find a balance, a happy medium. As you get more established you can up your artistic end. It takes time though. It’s not going to happen over night. But, if glassblowing, engraving, designing is what you want to do, it’s worth it.”
Oz: Touch the Magic
There is a saying: “All roads lead to Rome.” But one of the world’s most famous roads has its beginnings in the heart of Edinburgh, and anyone who embarks on a journey down this road finds themselves, not in Rome, but an entirely different kind of land: Oz.
Overshadowed by the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle is a small home with a blue door. It is here that a man by the name of George Gibson was born, a man who was one of two art directors for MGM’s 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz, a man who brought to life for the silver screen the Emerald City and the yellow brick road.
When The Wizard of Oz was first broadcast on television in 1956, it had an estimated 45-million viewers. To date, it holds the # 3 ranking in Film Four’s list of the ‘100 Greatest Films of All Time’. It has been named the ‘Best Ever Family Film’ by ITV1, and Vanity Fair lists it as one of ‘50 Greatest Films of All Time’.
But, before Judy Garland donned the ruby red slippers and before George Gibson was even born, Frank Baum’s fairy tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz bewitched audiences. Since its publication in 1900 and its Broadway debut in 1903, the story has been read all over the world, quoted by millions and analyzed by the academic society.
When The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first written, Baum had no intentions of continuing the story; he wanted to explore other occupational avenues. But, his young audience was persistent, so Baum devised a challenge. He said he would only continue to write Oz stories if he received 1000 letters from children asking him to do so. With only word of mouth and newspapers spreading notice of the challenge, Baum did not believe that it could be met –he was wrong.
The author received such positive feedback and such a demand for more tales from Oz that he continued on to write 13 sequels; some of which were later adapted into film and theatre versions. Many other authors have expanded upon Baum’s fairy tales and written their own Oz stories. However, none of the Oz stories were nearly as successful as the original –until now.
The musical Wicked will make its UK premiere in London this September. The award wining show, based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, tells the story of a green-skinned woman who the American Film Institute has named ‘the greatest screen villainess of all time’. Wicked the Musical is the highest grossing musical in the history of Broadway, and within one hour of tickets going on sale for the London premiere the show had raised over £100,000.
Film critic and author Andy Dougan said: “Villains are essentially rich characters. And [the Wicked Witch of the West] is just really good at what she does. She scared a whole generation of children and continues to do so. She’s nasty to Toto, too. We’re willing to forgive her for almost anything she does until she does it to the dog.”
Ironically, because of Baum’s dislike toward witches and goblins, in the first off-Broadway stage performance of The Wizard of Oz in 1902 the Wicked Witch did not make an appearance, and Dorothy’s tiny terrier was recast as a milking cow named Imogene.
Roger S. Baum, the great grandson of the fairy tale’s original author said: “Not everybody knows the complete history of Oz, they just know the movie. And, because of the popularity of the movie and its entertainment value, there are millions and millions of Oz fans out there who are curious to know more about what’s new –anything that helps challenge the imagination.”
Roger Baum has continued in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, writing 11 Oz sequels. In his most recent novel, The Oz Odyssey, Roger Baum has written about Dorothy’s adventure down the red brick road. This road was shown circling around the yellow brick road in the beginning of the 1939 film, and since its first appearance it has sparked curiosity from many Oz fans. The book is due out next month and is currently under consideration to be turned into a major motion picture.
Roger Baum said: “Oz is an institution around the world now. It has mass appeal. Recently, at a book signing I met a couple who had visited China. They were taking a tour, walking through the parks, and they came across a sculpture of the four Oz characters [Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin-Man, and the Scarecrow].”
He also said: “Oz appeals to the imagination of the young and old. People have grown up with this, and it’s become almost self-propelling. What it comes down to –in its most basic form- is love, courage, honesty and wisdom, and those are things people can relate to.”
The self-propelling Oz appeal also has some people dipping deep into their wallets to buy memorabilia from the 1939 film. In 2000 a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the film was sold for $666,000 at a New York auction. Five years later, one of the blue-and-white gingham dresses worn by Garland was sold for £140,000 at an auction in London.
Stephanie Connell the junior specialist of the entertainment department at Bonhams auctioneers said: “With a film like The Wizard of Oz. It’s historically important to collect these things. It reflects people’s childhoods.”
Dougan agrees. He said that people spend such vast amounts of money on memorabilia, because they have a need to “touch the magic”.
He said: “It’s owning a little bit or your childhood –a little bit of innocence, because there’s not a lot of that in the world anymore.”
Overshadowed by the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle is a small home with a blue door. It is here that a man by the name of George Gibson was born, a man who was one of two art directors for MGM’s 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz, a man who brought to life for the silver screen the Emerald City and the yellow brick road.
When The Wizard of Oz was first broadcast on television in 1956, it had an estimated 45-million viewers. To date, it holds the # 3 ranking in Film Four’s list of the ‘100 Greatest Films of All Time’. It has been named the ‘Best Ever Family Film’ by ITV1, and Vanity Fair lists it as one of ‘50 Greatest Films of All Time’.
But, before Judy Garland donned the ruby red slippers and before George Gibson was even born, Frank Baum’s fairy tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz bewitched audiences. Since its publication in 1900 and its Broadway debut in 1903, the story has been read all over the world, quoted by millions and analyzed by the academic society.
When The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first written, Baum had no intentions of continuing the story; he wanted to explore other occupational avenues. But, his young audience was persistent, so Baum devised a challenge. He said he would only continue to write Oz stories if he received 1000 letters from children asking him to do so. With only word of mouth and newspapers spreading notice of the challenge, Baum did not believe that it could be met –he was wrong.
The author received such positive feedback and such a demand for more tales from Oz that he continued on to write 13 sequels; some of which were later adapted into film and theatre versions. Many other authors have expanded upon Baum’s fairy tales and written their own Oz stories. However, none of the Oz stories were nearly as successful as the original –until now.
The musical Wicked will make its UK premiere in London this September. The award wining show, based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, tells the story of a green-skinned woman who the American Film Institute has named ‘the greatest screen villainess of all time’. Wicked the Musical is the highest grossing musical in the history of Broadway, and within one hour of tickets going on sale for the London premiere the show had raised over £100,000.
Film critic and author Andy Dougan said: “Villains are essentially rich characters. And [the Wicked Witch of the West] is just really good at what she does. She scared a whole generation of children and continues to do so. She’s nasty to Toto, too. We’re willing to forgive her for almost anything she does until she does it to the dog.”
Ironically, because of Baum’s dislike toward witches and goblins, in the first off-Broadway stage performance of The Wizard of Oz in 1902 the Wicked Witch did not make an appearance, and Dorothy’s tiny terrier was recast as a milking cow named Imogene.
Roger S. Baum, the great grandson of the fairy tale’s original author said: “Not everybody knows the complete history of Oz, they just know the movie. And, because of the popularity of the movie and its entertainment value, there are millions and millions of Oz fans out there who are curious to know more about what’s new –anything that helps challenge the imagination.”
Roger Baum has continued in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, writing 11 Oz sequels. In his most recent novel, The Oz Odyssey, Roger Baum has written about Dorothy’s adventure down the red brick road. This road was shown circling around the yellow brick road in the beginning of the 1939 film, and since its first appearance it has sparked curiosity from many Oz fans. The book is due out next month and is currently under consideration to be turned into a major motion picture.
Roger Baum said: “Oz is an institution around the world now. It has mass appeal. Recently, at a book signing I met a couple who had visited China. They were taking a tour, walking through the parks, and they came across a sculpture of the four Oz characters [Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin-Man, and the Scarecrow].”
He also said: “Oz appeals to the imagination of the young and old. People have grown up with this, and it’s become almost self-propelling. What it comes down to –in its most basic form- is love, courage, honesty and wisdom, and those are things people can relate to.”
The self-propelling Oz appeal also has some people dipping deep into their wallets to buy memorabilia from the 1939 film. In 2000 a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the film was sold for $666,000 at a New York auction. Five years later, one of the blue-and-white gingham dresses worn by Garland was sold for £140,000 at an auction in London.
Stephanie Connell the junior specialist of the entertainment department at Bonhams auctioneers said: “With a film like The Wizard of Oz. It’s historically important to collect these things. It reflects people’s childhoods.”
Dougan agrees. He said that people spend such vast amounts of money on memorabilia, because they have a need to “touch the magic”.
He said: “It’s owning a little bit or your childhood –a little bit of innocence, because there’s not a lot of that in the world anymore.”
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