Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, first published in 1856, has endured many alterations and adaptations throughout the years.According to Cinnemazi.com, “Film adaptations are mixed: from the surreal, to the very Victorian in feel to the star-studded musical extravaganza that either lovingly adapt or happily butcher Carroll’s work for the sake of following the Hollywood template.”

Homestead’s 2014 fall play involved its own creative spin on the Victorian classic. The actors and actresses involved in the production, along with Ms. Amelia Figg-Franzoi, drama teacher, chose to combine the existing versions of Alice in Wonderland to create something entirely their own. “Ms. Figg chose to rewrite the script because it gave us the freedom to make our own interpretation of it,” Maddie Fricker, senior, said.

According to Alex Gieske, senior, writing an original script was a unique and unfamiliar experience for the cast. “We had to decide how we were going to make the play more than just Alice wandering through Wonderland. We decided that the basis for our story was that the Queen’s tarts has been stolen and so while Alice is exploring Wonderland, she is also dealing with figuring out who stole the tarts and how she is supposed to get home,” Gieske said. “Then we had to cut some scenes and characters. We knew we wanted the iconic scenes such as the Mad Tea Party and the Caterpillar, but we also knew that some things just would not fit with what we wanted to do. Some lines came directly from the books and others were written entirely by us. It was a long and hard process and there were so many ideas thrown around that it was often hard to make a decision.”

According to Maggie Collins, senior who played the Queen of Hearts, the performances blew the crowd away. “Performances were magnificent because we love our show,” Collins said. “The positive energy was always present, and we really stepped it up for our audiences.”

The students’ own twist on Alice in Wonderland proved to be a success. Filled with excitement and energy, people’s eyes were glued to the stage. “I didn’t know that [the actors] helped write the script. That definitely shows the talent some people have and how much work they put into the show,” Mo Cahill, junior said. Mari Duckler, junior, added, “[Alice in Wonderland] was a wonderfully staged show with a great script and even better actors.”

Throughout the many hours spent at rehearsal, the actors and actresses involved in the show earned the reward of long-lasting friendships. According to both Fricker and Collins, bonding with the cast was the best part of participating in the production. “[Alice in Wonderland] was unlike any other show I’ve been a part of in that everyone really liked each other. We tried really hard, as seniors, to make sure everyone viewed rehearsals as a fun, safe and welcoming environment that they could call home,” Collins said. “I’m proud of the fact that the freshmen started high school off surrounded by drama club. I’m going to miss the rehearsals and all the people who were a part of this work of art.”

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