By Catherine Ellerton
Moapa Valley Progress
The White Rabbit was running about muttering to himself, the Cheshire cat sat in disguise, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were merrily rhyming with no reasoning, the Queen was huffing and puffing and the Cards were trying to keep it all in perspective. The MVHS Drama program’s production of Alice in Wonderland was in full swing at the Ron Dalley Theatre last week.
As I wandered into the auditorium I looked for the director Kenna Dalley to get her take on this evening of experimental theater. Sitting next to her was a lovely, yet, rather strange creature. It turned out this very blue-skinned lady was one of the two student directors – Danielle Pray – the second being Danielle Ricardo. The make up and costume and names should have given me my first clue.
This play was written by Eva Le Gallienne and Florida Freibus from an adaptation of the Lewis Carrol masterpiece. It was far from Disney’s version, but the costumes, make-up and stage energy were incredible.
Dalley explained that the script, with a few staging suggestions and even fewer pictures, was all the producer had received. The rest was up to the directors and the young actors.
The MVHS version took the talents, energy and vision of the entire theatre department, plus members of the town at large. Working together they presented a very energetic story of young Alice as she shrinks, grows, goes down the rabbit hole, talks to all kinds of strange animals and people on her journey and attends a very confusing Tea Party.
The rabbit walked through the audience and decided to take someone’s chair until called back into the story; creatures were wandering down the aisle; shawls were flying through the air; and there was a very interesting Humpty Dumpty encounter and dance.
This play is filled with clever witticisms throughout; which, when delivered amongst the ensuing stage madness, are even more poignant. For example lines such as: “Begin at the beginning and then come to the end” or “It takes all the running you can do to stay in the same place.”
The actors were successful with portraying the feeling of the play “Everyone is mad or they wouldn’t be here.”
As Ms. Dalley heads out to begin her “mad journey” to obtaining her doctorate, this reporter would like to say thank you. You have brought both the classic theatre and “experimental/entertainment” theatre to this small community. But, most importantly, you have enriched your students by encouraging them to expand and to explore the possibilities. Yet, you have always credited the students and have often said that “the highlight of the productions was working and collaborating with the young Thespians.”
The lessons they have learned will be fondly remembered for many years I have no doubt.
2 thoughts on ““We Are All Mad Here!””
My wife and I were in the audience all four nights of Alice in Wonderland.
We congratulate Kenna Dalley and her group of Thespians for a job-well-done.
Each member of the cast and crew contributed to a great theatre experience.
Yes, the play is more than a bit confusing, as is the original book, but the acting was superb.
For high school students to take hold of the play in the way they did took a large measure of acting skill and an equal measure of imagination.
The play, by intent, was somewhat improvisational, and the players did just that, which made each performance a pleasure.
Each performance, because of the improvisational nature of the play, was different, culminating with the final performance, which was the best of the four.
We were particularly pleased to see our two grand-daughters in the play.
Kenzie Harris, who played Alice, was on stage every moment of every performance.
That meant she had to learn a lot of dialogue of her own, plus that of the other players, to be able to come in on cue.
Our other grand-daughter, Cheyenne Harris, who played the cook, did a great job of casting about various utensils during her time at the stove.
All-in-all, a grand time of watching and a magnificent way for Kenna Dalley to end her tenure as Theatre Arts instructor for MVHS.
Thank you Kenna, and thank you students for four very pleasure filled evenings, as we watched Alice in Wonderland.
Jim & De Scanlon
New Braunfels, Republic of Texas
My wife and I were in the audience all four nights of Alice in Wonderland.
We congratulate Kenna Dalley and her group of Thespians for a job-well-done.
Each member of the cast and crew contributed to a great theatre experience.
Yes, the play is more than a bit confusing, as is the original book, but the acting was superb.
For high school students to take hold of the play in the way they did took a large measure of acting skill and an equal measure of imagination.
The play, by intent, was somewhat improvisational, and the players did just that, which made each performance a pleasure.
Each performance, because of the improvisational nature of the play, was different, culminating with the final performance, which was the best of the four.
We were particularly pleased to see our two grand-daughters in the play.
Kenzie Harris, who played Alice, was on stage every moment of every performance.
That meant she had to learn a lot of dialogue of her own, plus that of the other players, to be able to come in on cue.
Our other grand-daughter, Cheyenne Harris, who played the cook, did a great job of casting about various utensils during her time at the stove.
All-in-all, a grand time of watching and a magnificent way for Kenna Dalley to end her tenure as Theatre Arts instructor for MVHS.
Thank you Kenna, and thank you students for four very pleasure filled evenings, as we watched Alice in Wonderland.
Jim & De Scanlon
New Braunfels, Republic of Texas