From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. —The Montford Park Players will perform “The Hope of Oz,” beginning at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St., (Montford neighborhood), here.

The stage play, written by playwright Will Storrs, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2-24 — on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. However, no Sunday performance is scheduled for the last weekend of the show.

The show is MPP’s last of the 2026 season.

Regarding the production, a promotion stated, “Set a decade after Dorothy’s defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West and her subsequent departure, ‘The Hope of Oz’ brings us to a newly invigorated Capital, where the Wizard’s power has grown immensely with constant systematic oppression on his denizens and waging a drug-fueled war with the new cadre of Witches that brings its citizens to their knees. 

“The story follows Gale, an investigative ‘Witch-hunter,’ on the trail of East’s assassination. Trapped in a bar with a synthetic (known as mimics), surrounded by encroaching revolutionaries, Witches, and the Wizard’s ever watchful eyes, Gale must survive the night if Oz will see its dawn. But in an empire of extremes, who can survive?”

AI Overview added, “‘The Hope of Oz’ is a dark, reimagined adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic universe. It is set a decade after Dorothy defeats the Wicked Witch of the West. The plot follows an investigative ‘Witch-hunter’ named Gale, who is trying to survive a dystopian, oppressed Emerald City caught between the Wizard’s tight control and encroaching revolutionaries.”

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. General admission is free. For premium seating tickets, visit online at www.MontfordParkPlayers.org. “Your continuous, generous donations help keep our ticket price as pay-what-you-can,” MPP noted.