By Felix Wiecozoek
On Thursday March 12th, Friday March 13th, and Saturday March 14th (all at 7:00 p.m.), the Dodgeville High School is putting on the show Alice and Wonderland.
There are 35 participating students, including 12 seniors and 5 actors joining for the very first time. The actors and crew have been preparing since December, and are excited to present their show to the community!
The preparation process for this show has been a little different than previous years, because preparation time largely overlapped with the middle school’s rehearsal times for their mid February show, Newsies Jr. Because of this, the actors spent much of January and February rehearsing in the library, and the tech crew prepared props as they waited to be able to reuse and repaint the set pieces. Even with this slight rearrangement, though, the high school cast and crew have been as busy as ever, preparing diligently without any distractions or goofing off whatsoever.
The play draws all types of students, who join to "try something new," "hang out with my friends," and "put myself out there." Through countless hours of lines, blocking, painting, and laughing, cast and crew
forge uniquely special and lasting relationshipsrelationships that are the common theme behind their favorite parts of theatre. One crew member said that they "stay year after year because of the community that we build," and a member of the cast described the community, saying: "Everyone’s so supportive in this really genuine, low pressure way. Even when we’re all tired or messing up the same thing again, someone’s always laughing or helping someone else out. Rehearsals have turned into this little safe space where even the chaos feels fun."
Alice and Wonderland is a truly special show, described by the cast and crew as "really unique" and "nonsensical." Its chaotic wonder forms a bridge between "the real and the fantasy" of life, from playing chess to fantastical royalty. As Tech Director Mrs. Humke put it, this play proves that in life "you can’t always be analytical, you have to let the whimsy in" and let yourself experience "childlike wonder."
So make sure you’re not as late as the White Rabbit, and venture through the looking glass March 12th, 13th, and 14th at 7:00 p.m. to let the Dodgeville High School theatre students immerse you in the whimsical and preposterous magic that is our auditorium’s Wonderland.