Alice in Wonderland is a beloved story. It has been reimagined in many forms from many different producers- both on screen and on the stage. There is so much interest and many different interpretations about what Lewis Carroll was trying to convey in this story. That is what makes Alice in Wonderland such a popular choice for the stage- each production can be a unique interpretation that is different from the one before.
When we first chose Alice in Wonderland we did not know exactly what we wanted it to be. We knew that we wanted to steer clear of both Disney interpretations and we didn’t want to do the much-used 1960’s drug-induced type of Wonderland. We wanted to find an interpretation that offered a lot of creativity and still paid homage to Carroll’s novel. We settled on a concept related to dream research. According to researchers, your brain cannot create brand new characters or places in dreams, it can only take parts and pieces from things you’ve actually seen and experienced. With that we explored how Wonderland is connected to Alice’s real life.
We started this journey to Wonderland by including the students of Technical Theater in Production (2nd, 3rd and 4th year students) in the script selection and the design process. We had a basic concept for the set, but we didn’t have all of the nuances worked out. What you see tonight is a true collaboration between student designers and adult mentors.
We did not go into this production with the idea that “the students will design this show,” but that is exactly what transpired. Everything you see, besides the shape and function of the set, was designed and implemented by a team of student designers; including the scenic painting design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, makeup design, original show artwork design, lobby design, tea party design, and even original music composition! We could not be more proud of what the students have created! This is truly educational theatre as it is meant to be- a true collaborative art.
This production and the student designs were possible thanks to a handful of dedicated adults who were willing to mentor and assist these students from concept to completion. A special thank you to Bryan Cooper, Elizabeth Johnson, David Schultz, Erica Ahmed and Elisa Yi for your willingness to share your time and expertise to mentor these young people and help them achieve their vision.
We would also like to thank: Michele Cox for being our resident show photographer, Sam Broff and the entire tech crew for all of your hard work on this show, the student designers for your leadership, maturity and creativity, the cast for your enthusiasm and hard work, the Folsom High School administration, teachers and support staff for your continued support, the district administration team and school board members for recognizing the importance of educational theatre, the parents of the cast and crew for all of your support, and you, the audience, for continuing to support educational theatre.
Enjoy the show!
Tamara and Michael Mosier
