Alice in Wonderland Jr. play inspires wonder, joy for audiences

From March 1 to March 2, the junior high’s drama club took part in a school play based on “Alice in Wonderland.”

Members of the drama club had many roles to play during the musical.  Junior high staff members also had to help students rehearse for the play.

One of the staff members who helped organize the school play was Alyssa Hetrick.  Student helper Preston Mitchell helped her along the way.

Hetrick was pleased with the turn out of the play.

“The students had a really great turnout for this play,” Hetrick said.

The drama club wanted to do something different for a play this year.

“It’s one of those shows where you can step back and still not know what is going on.  We had strong female leads this year and wanted to show how much talent they had as well,” Hetrick said.

Many practices had to be held for the drama club to perfect their acting.

“Most of our practices were spent on blocking which is when the directors tell the students where to stand, when to get on and off of the stage and more.  Choreographing and learning the music itself were other big factors of our rehearsals,” Hetrick said.

The drama club couldn’t do all of this by themselves; however.

“We had some parent volunteers come in and help build our set.  We rent a backdrop every year and have students paint most of the set pieces too,” Hetrick said.

Mitchell enjoyed the reward of being able to work with younger students on the play.

“I already knew a few people who were members of the club, and they felt like siblings to me after working with them more.  It was really cool to watch all of them grow. Those students are real friends to me,” Mitchell said.

Being an organizer and planner is of great interest to Mitchell.

“I would definitely consider continuing to help out with the drama club in the future.  It is really sad that the plays are over for the year,” Mitchell said.

Over the course of the practices and rehearsals, Mitchell experienced much of what it was like to play the role of a helper for the drama club.

“Not only did I get to learn about every aspect of theater, but I got to be part of a new family and build a new relationship with each one of them,” Mitchell said.

Two members of the drama club who participated in the Alice in Wonderland Jr. play were Emma Blazer and Lukas Caracciolo.

Blazer had multiple responsibilities for the play.

“The roles I had in the play were a card, sea creature and Wonderland character,” Blazer said.

This was not Blazer’s first time performing in a play.

“I had already been in many plays and musicals before ‘Alice in Wonderland Jr.’, so I had some experience in the theater.  This year; however, a ninth grader taught me how to act better, and I learned more about improvising,” Blazer said.

There were some parts of the play that Blazer enjoyed more than others.

“My favorite part of the musical was the Unbirthday Song when the Mad Hatter started fixing the White Rabbit’s slow clock,” Blazer said.

Caracciolo is the student tech director of the drama club.

“It can be hard at times, but it’s a lot of fun to do once you get the hang of it.  The lights are very fun to take care of because it’s like writing a whole other musical,” Caracciolo said.

Caracciolo enjoys working with the lights of the play more than its sounds.

“The lights are such a crucial part to any musical or play because it sets the mood and develops the atmosphere.  I love this role because of the opportunities it gives me; I get the experience of being around all the ‘fancy tech,’ and it’s all so much fun,” Caracciolo said.

The “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” play was a very fun experience for not only the drama club members but its directors and organizers as well.