Oozing, bright green skin with an elongated nose that curves at the tip. Bushy, black eyebrows with tiny hairs that stand straight up when she crinkles her hideous face, cackling in amusement. Her jagged teeth are a tinted shade of yellow, the color of butter. Frizzy black hair protruded outwards untamed from underneath her pointed black witch hat. Her face is round, with a big, obnoxious wart on the left side of her chin, almost the same size of the house that dropped on her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East. 

Dark circles remained under her puffy eyes, as though she had stayed up until all hours of the night, closely examining Dorothy and her friends in the magic crystal ball; which turned into an eerie shade of forest green when she mixed her evil poppy elixir beside it. Her fingers were long and bony, with nails that appeared a rich shade of green and were extremely pointy at the ends, similar to sharp knives. Her eyes were dark; like her soul, which lit up with excitement when she began to burn Scarecrow’s arm with the scorching fire. 

Many individuals will remember watching this classic childhood favorite, “The Wizard of Oz,” taking them all the way back to 1939. Ozfans will know that the reference above is describing the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. 

Over two weekends in February, Ashland University hosted the iconic musical “The Wizard of Oz” in the Hugo Young Theatre. The iconic show is about a young woman named Dorothy Gale, who lives with her aunt and uncle on a farm and her dog, Toto. Their cranky neighbor, Miss Gulch, gets bit by Toto and threatens to take her dog away. Dorothy refuses to let that happen, so she runs away with Toto. They encounter a tornado, and mysteriously wake up in the land of Oz. Along the way, Dorothy gets into trouble and she meets Tin-Man, Scarecrow, and Lion, who travel with her to help her find her way back home, to Kansas. 

Sophomore Andrea Disch took on the part of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as the not-so-friendly-neighbor of Dorothy, Miss Gulch. Disch is a musical theatre major with a minor in music and has been performing on stage since the third grade. 

“I remember last year, I was very self-conscious and I saw how amazing other actors were, and I didn’t know if I was on that level, and to know that I landed such an iconic role and I was able to call my parents and say, “I’m playing the Wicked Witch of the West!” It was an amazing feeling; they were so proud,” Disch said. 

Disch described a typical night of rehearsal with the cast and noted how they all worked long, tedious hours to ensure that the play was everything individuals hoped for, and more.

“We started rehearsing as soon as we got back from [winter] break. We would have rehearsals six nights a week; our days off were Saturdays,” she said. “We would rehearse every night from six to ten o’clock. It was intense, but we did get five to ten minute breaks in between scenes, so it wasn’t really  over-whelming.” 

At AU, having “The Wizard of Oz”brought to life on stage did not happen overnight. Individuals began carefully planning a year in advance for the production and all that it entails. 

Disch acknowledged why acting is her passion in life, and why she wants to set herself apart from other actors or actresses and really make a difference, while serving as a role model for the youth.

“I love acting so much because I really do feel as if it’s made me who I am today,” she said. “I was the kid in the back of the classroom who didn’t want to talk, [and] who didn’t want to be seen by other people. I feel like through theatre, my confidence grew and I felt I was actually good at something. As an actor, I want to be that person who inspires that little girl in the back of the classroom to take a stand and just do whatever it is that she wants to do and not be afraid to be seen by other people. I also want to provide entertainment for others, and provide an escape from the real world and make [individuals’] night better,” Disch said.

Disch enjoyed portraying Miss Gulch along with the Wicked Witch. In order to transform, she had to really step outside of her comfort zone. Playing the Wicked Witch of the West, she was able to understand why her character had acted in such an angry manner. 

Acting as Miss Gulch, Disch wore a long dress, with her hair in a sock bun, complete with a straw hat. Going into the transition of the Wicked Witch, the overall costume and makeup was more complex. 

She had a prosthetic nose and chin, she wore a black wig with disheveled hair. She wore an old, torn-up black dress, had yellow contacts, and air brushed green skin.  

Disch offered advice to those who aspire to try acting. She explains that she has learned a lot along the way during her college career as an actress. 

“Sometimes you just have to get out of your head and do it. You will come up with a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t. If you really want it, just go for it. Know that as long as you work hard, you will find a place,” she said. 

Disch has performed countless plays in high school, college, and community theatre. She hopes to continue her acting career after college in Chicago at The Second City Network.