From Munchkin to Mentor: Anna’s Growth Through Theatre

Anna Knutlund first stepped onto a stage at age seven, nervously chanting, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” as she auditioned for a Munchkin role in The Wizard of Oz. That moment sparked a lifelong love of theatre. Nearly two decades later, Anna is back in Oz for the fifth time (four with GREAT- 2003, 2007, 2014 and 2024)! This time she’s playing a lively array of characters—in the twister scene, and as a jitterbug and a tree. But returning to the stage isn’t just about reliving childhood memories; it’s an opportunity to reflect on how theatre has shaped her personal and professional growth.

Anna’s early theatre days are filled with vivid memories. She recalls her first audition. “It wasn’t structured at all like it is now,” she laughs. “Back then, everyone was in one big room of hopeful actors, with no one knowing who was next or what was coming.” Today’s more organized process is far different—and, in Anna’s opinion, “way less nerve-wracking!”  This new approach, she says, has given her a newfound appreciation for the process—it’s a chance to focus on her skills, rather than getting distracted by the crowd. 

Theatre has always been more than a hobby for Anna. 

It’s been her training ground, her outlet, and her community. And it’s shaped her professional life in ways she never expected. Now working as an HR professional for Blattner Company, she’s realized that the lessons learned on stage—empathy, teamwork, adaptability—have seamlessly woven into her daily work life and are just as crucial in the workplace as they are on the stage.

“Adapt and overcome—that’s theatre training in a nutshell,”

she explains, thinking back to the unpredictable moments on stage when a prop would break or a line would slip. Those moments taught her not to freeze but to improvise, stay calm, and move forward. That same mindset applies to her work in HR. “In theatre, you have to work together as a team quickly and solve problems on the spot. HR is very similar. We’re working toward a common goal, and sometimes you have to find solutions in real time. It’s about adapting and overcoming, together.” This has been a superpower for handling unexpected changes, workplace curveballs, and even last-minute deadlines. “I think that’s why I feel prepared for anything,” she says. 

“People already don’t love dealing with HR and have this idea that it is all about paperwork and protocols,” she laughs, “so it’s important to bring some warmth to it,” Anna explains. “Theatre has helped me bring more personality to the role. I can build genuine connections, even with colleagues in other states. And when they finally meet me in person, there’s already a friendly rapport—it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re Anna!’”

Anna’s part in this particular production of The Wizard of Oz is meaningful to her because it connects her to a lifetime of experiences and memories, each show a bit different from the last. “The beauty of coming back to a familiar story is that it’s never the same show twice,” she explains. 

For her, stepping onto that stage for The Wizard of Oz this holiday season is a chance to revisit her past, embrace the present, and carry those lessons forward into her life offstage. 

From her first steps onstage over twenty years ago to her latest role, Anna’s theatre journey is a lifelong passion that has fueled her professional growth and continues to be a source of joy, creativity, and community.  “Being part of a growing and evolving organization like GREAT has been amazing. I feel like I’ve grown right along with it,”she says. “Whether I’m a munchkin or a manager, I get to bring a little piece of the stage with me every day,” she says. “That’s the real magic of theatre.”

You can see Anna and the rest of the cast bring the enchantment and magic of The Wizard of Oz to life Nov 22-Dec 8, 2024 at the Paramount Center for the Arts.