Short

It is opening night. Julia is nervous about the show, but her mother comforts her with kind words and ginger ale. Julia thanks her mother for making her audition. At the theater, it is revealed that the Wizard and Gillian are dating now, but when Gianni brings flowers to Olive (instead of the now taken Gillian), Olive is not impressed. As Julia reflects on this, she recalls Shawn Barr’s advice that there “are always two things happening in any situation: What we see, and what we don’t see” (254). Julia decides to investigate the growing “adult world” of romance and heartbreak while also considering what she might bring as a gift to her castmates.

The show begins and the Munchkins line up in the wings waiting to come onstage. Almost immediately, Julia notices that the Munchkins’ part in the play is not going the way they rehearsed it: The Munchkins are fidgety, the sets are still wet, there’s not enough space on the stage, they are singing too loud, and they aren’t at their marks. Both Julia and Olive are disappointed with the performance, but they quickly change into their flying monkey costumes and prepare for their next scene.