“I wanted a show that was a big title that would draw a lot of people in but be able to be very conceptual in its nature. I really liked Alice in Wonderland because of its potential,” said Ms. Adler.
Ms. Adler’s first official production with Atholton’s drama department will premiere on November 16th and run until November 18th. Tickets will be available on booktix.com.
This year has brought many changes to Atholton’s theater department, with a new teacher and a structuring of the tech team. However, many are excited about the freshness that the new faces will bring to the department.
Last spring, many teachers were involved with the musical due to Mr. Rosen’s departure. This made things chaotic for students due to uncertainty of who would be directing.
“I’m excited to rehearse and perform the show. None of our recent productions have gone smoothly, so I’m ready for a show where nothing will go wrong,” said Ava Barnes, who will be playing Alice.
Atholton’s production of Alice in Wonderland will be close to the original book by Lewis Carroll, but with a twist. The characters themselves are putting on a production of The Fairytale, but they have no one to play Alice.
They find a girl to play her, so she is experiencing the show for the first time while the other characters have rehearsed the show previously. The meta element sets this production apart from the iconic Disney movie that comes to mind when most think of Alice in Wonderland.
Ms. Adler has a background in every aspect of theater. She began performing at the age of six and continued to do so throughout her education. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in theater, which exposed to the other facets of theater.
She directed in college and learned how to do prop, costume, and set design. She also worked as a studio assistant for a Broadway costume designer.
Having Ms. Adler as the director is highly anticipated by the cast. Xavier Julien, who will be playing the White Rabbit, emphasized how excited he is to work with her. “She’s nice, she’s kind, she gives lots of feedback. She’s just an amazing teacher.”
This sentiment is shared by the rest of the cast. Lucia Chacon, who will be playing the Queen of Hearts, stated “She does it [directing] in a way where we feel comfortable and safe and always puts our needs first. She puts us all together in a way that makes the show the best it can be.”
Along with having a new director, the tech team will be facing major changes. With many of the previous leads having graduated, new people will have to be taught how to run lights and sound.
“All the tech leads have to learn this year, so I’m not sure how that will go. I don’t think it will be bad though,” said Barnes. There will be some returning faces, such as Eva Mendoza, the head of costumes.
Mendoza explained that the costumes will be “very bright and cartoony.” The goal of the costumes is to add to the atmosphere created by the set and special effects.
“We want to really create Wonderland and its inhabitants through the use of distinctive costume pieces and accessories. Wonderland is a place of whimsy and weirdness and we hope to transport our audience there through Alice,” said Mendoza.
According to Ms. Adler, the weirdness of Wonderland will be achieved through special effects. “All I will say, because I don’t want to spoil anything, is that there will be a special effect that defines Wonderland versus the real world. It’s not going to be what you think.”
She added that the set will be made to convey the whimsical nature of Wonderland. “In the sense that Wonderland is very mish-mosh and kind of a million things put together, it makes sense.”
Spirits are high among the cast, with many being excited to get back on the stage. “I’m most excited for my costume and to be able to be myself in the most crazy way I can on stage. I think it’s going to be very fun,” said Chacon.
AJ Clarke, who will be playing the Cheshire Cat, added that “I’m just most excited to do it to be honest. It seems fun. At first it didn’t make much sense to me but I feel like it’s going to be fun. The point of [the play] is to not make sense.”
Atholton’s production of Alice in Wonderland will be taking place from November 16th to November 18th. Tickets will be available [waiting on confirmation]
With all the hard work going into this production, Ms. Adler hopes that the AHS community will enjoy it. She said “I’m excited for people to see all the elements come together.”