Short takes place against the backdrop of a university theater’s summer production of The Wizard of Oz, including four weeks of rehearsal and three weeks of performance. A typical production process for a musical production can be split into eight phases: preproduction, music, choreography and blocking, runthroughs, sitzprobe, tech, dress, and show. In preproduction, the creative team (the director, stage manager, and designers) decides on the overall vision for the show and determines the audition and casting process. Short opens at the end of the preproduction phase when Julia auditions for the play; at this point, the theater company has already hired Shawn Barr, who has determined the broad plan for the show. Julia’s first week of rehearsals involves her and the other Munchkins learning the music, lyrics, and the beginning of the choreography. This is in keeping with the typical progress of a musical production; the cast learns the music and lyrics before practicing specific scenes or choreography. As a member of the ensemble, Julia’s rehearsal time consists mainly of music, lyrics, and choreography rather than specific scenes or dialogue.

In the latter half of the rehearsal period, the cast and crew begin runthroughs, working through the play from beginning to end and stopping intermittently to fix errors or make changes.