Deep in the pits of a rabbit hole lies Alice with no memory of her surroundings. Circled by mystical talking creatures and a new world only her dreams can unlock, Alice must find her way back home from this fantasy. Except this is not a dream but a reality at White Station High School. Sit tight for the mysterious adventures and welcome to “Alice in Wonderland JR.”
“Alice in Wonderland JR.” serves as the directorial debut for Miles Goble (12). As the play’s director, Goble’s goal was to bring the classic tale to life and properly showcase each character’s personality and story. There are various character roles including a three-man Cheshire Cat, snooty-talking flowers and a deck of cards. Though most characters in “Alice in Wonderland JR.” differ greatly, each plays a part in helping Alice learn more about herself.
“You know it’s like a really weird dream because you’re suddenly having different kinds of creatures talking,” Athena Sildo (10) said.
As Wonderland is home to numerous mythical surprises, the unpredictable is what prepares Alice for her life back in England. Due to Wonderland’s many twists and turns, some members of the cast were inspired to audition for their roles.
“It’s my first time joining musical theater, but I really love Alice in Wonderland,” Sildo said.
There was a series of events that had to take place to lay out the groundwork for this play. Since “Alice in Wonderland JR.” only had a one-month rehearsal period, Goble worked to ensure that the cast thoroughly understood their scripts and stage directions. This was another influential part of building the cast, so that they could see how it would run.
“I wanted to get involved with senior directed shows [and] get to see what it takes to direct a show like [Alice in Wonderland],” Giselle Baddorf (10) said.
Besides the actors, another important aspect of creating the play was the stage design because it helped capture the full aesthetic of “Alice in Wonderland JR.” Character building was also important for fully capturing the essence of the play. To execute this task perfectly, each cast member aimed to bring their characters to life by channeling their own previous emotions and experiences. Rin Merriweather (11) related to her role as the King of Hearts, because throughout her and her character’s life, they became more assertive.
“[My role] kind [of] remind[ed] me of … seventh grade [when] I was a lot shyer,” Merriweather said.
The casting for the play also includes a variety of newcomers and past play lovers, creating an environment where new people can be introduced to theater and can learn from other experienced cast members. This allowed any cast member, new or old, to take the stage and have a chance at peeking through the looking glass of a tale as old as time.
“It’s very diverse with new people coming in and old people doing new stuff,” Baddorf said. “Having all those new people come in is really fun.”