Alice
at J.H. Picard School

Reviewed on April 22, 2016

Mark Jones
Jasper Place High School
Submitted for publication to Edmonton Journal 1

What's the difference between a raven and a writing desk? Truth and mass assent? A table and a hippopotamus? J.H. Picard's original, absurdist production of Alice, based on Lewis Carroll's beloved novels Through the Looking-Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, attempted to answer these questions and more.

Written by Jesse Crowley and director Jon Shields, and partially by the students themselves, Alice follows the title character as she travels through the mind-bending virtual world of Wonderland. Along the way, Alice's relationship with her sister Lorina is explored, as well as the nature of reality and the dangers of the online world. Steeped in elements of improv, dance and music, J.H. Picard's Alice was a surreal production executed with flair.

Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle as Alice, was phenomenal in portraying her character's innocence as she struggled to understand Wonderland. Madison Dabbs-Petty as Lorina provided a counterpoint to Alice's free spirit, and the two created a convincing relationship around which the story revolved. Throughout the show, Lorina's thoughts and motivations are explored, which Dabbs-Petty portrayed with strong physicality and intonation. The fact that both these actresses helped to rewrite the show's ending is further proof of their dedication to the project.

Familiar faces from the traditional Wonderland were given a delightful twist by J.H Picard actors. Maxwell Hanic,as the Caterpillar, spoke volumes using the slightest change in facial expression, and worked well with the ensemble to make his few scenes memorable. The Mad Hatter, played by Luigi Talarico, was given an expanded backstory and role in Alice's life. Talarico portrayed his character's complexity with unwavering focus, one moment a tortured, flawed person, the next a frantic madman. These nuanced performances revealed the skill of the entire cast, each of whom brought something special to the table.

Those behind the scenes matched the actors' brilliance. The surreal experience of Wonderland could not have been created without everyone working together. Subtle shifts in lighting created mood as the actors used the set of scaffolding to create dynamic staging and levels. Meanwhile, the sound crew (Kayla Murphy, Tristan Rogers, and Isaac Kostelecky) balanced six microphones and over 40 sound cues with apparent ease.

The dance and vocal ensembles further brought the world to life. Often in faceless red and white masks, dancers leapt about onstage, clambered through the scaffolding, and never failed to impress. As they snatched at the main characters and did cartwheels, the vocal ensemble hit every note. Together, the two ensembles brought the production to a whole new level.

A group should rise and fall as one, and every member of the cast and crew of Alice helped to make the show a success. Performing an original piece of theatre so complex is always a gamble. For J.H Picard, the standing ovation they received was testimony to how splendidly that gamble paid off.

Samantha Horkulak
Millwoods Christian School
Submitted for publication to Edmonton Journal 2

Through flashing lights, illogical logic, and neon faces, the cast and crew of J. H. Picard created an experience unlike any other with their absurdist production of Alice.

The show performed was not the classic tumble down the rabbit hole we all are accustomed to. Based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There, this play with musical elements follows a little girl desperate to be a hero with a technological twist. Alice faces the confusion of a virtual Wonderland and tries to find justice on Mercy Street despite the widespread fear of judgment and race against time.

Wandering the avant-garde Wonderland and fighting injustice was Alice, played by Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle. Through child-like hope and raw emotion, Coyes-Loiselle led a strong, versatile character with flawless chemistry with her sister Lorina (Madison Dabbs-Petty). Dabbs-Petty provided a brilliant pessimistic contrast to Coyes-Loiselle with overwhelming emotion. The two brought light to the hope and defeat that comes in life with seemingly effortless characterization and lovely singing.

The Mad Hatter, played by Luigi Talarico, showed hysterical perfection. Talarico portrayed the insanity of the Hatter intertwined with moments of solemn clarity which brought a dimensional twist to the unusual character. The comedic duo of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Ryley Kingham and Jackson Thompson) had impeccable timing and rapport. Their physical comedy and consistent bickering won over the audience and created a memorable set of characters. Maxwell Hanic showed lofty demeanor as the Caterpillar. The flamboyancy of his movements and rapping skill made the character stand out in the absurdity of the Wonderland creatures as a leader.

The set, though only consisting of four sets of scaffolding, effectively created levels for the characters to portray the chaos and magic of the virtual Wonderland. Complicated lighting and sound were used to convey different moods, and amazing choreography enraptured the audience. Makeup was extravagant, suitable for the mystical characters, and the beautiful costumes were unique and showed the correlation between the characters and ensembles. The show was not only performed excellently, but was written by director Jon Shields and Jesse Crowley, with contributions by students Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle and Madison Dabbs-Petty. The script took ideas from Lewis Carroll's original books as well as student improvisation, which made the performance all the more impressive.

J. H. Picard's cast and crew took the audience by surprise with their wonderful adaptation of Alice. The dream-like quality of the performance made their journey down the rabbit hole an unforgettable trip.

Stephen Stewart
Millwoods Christian School
Submitted for publication to Edmonton Journal 3

Wonderland was once a figment of the imagination of a little girl named Alice, and a place for one to journey down a rabbit hole and back up again with lots of crazy twists and turns along the way. But it's not anymore. J.H. Picard's Alice, the modern reinvention of the classic tale, invigorated their audience as the student cast and crew took them for a whimsical journey down the rabbit hole, but maybe not back up the way they expected.

Adapted from Lewis Carroll's novels Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, J.H. Picard premiered an original piece which intertwined brand new ideas with classic plot points from Carroll's stories. This adaptation focused on Alice and the search for her sister, Lorina, in the vast chasm of cyberspace. Along the way, she meets classic characters, like the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar and the infamous Mad Hatter.

Consistent energy and commitment to character shone through everyone on stage. The performers demonstrated their talent by being able to push through a three-hour show, while keeping the audience engaged. Although the show dragged occasionally, the cast infused their performance with immense heart to make such a complex show come to life so gracefully. The ensemble portrayed the world of Wonderland with grace as they executed difficult choreography with perfection.

Leading the cast with innocence and charm as the infamous Alice, was Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle, who enticed her audience with vibrant expression and powerful delivery. She breathed life into a self created character arch from the beginning to the end of the show. Coyes-Loiselle unravelled Alice with authenticity, as the world she knows begins to crumble. Opposite Alice was her sister Lorina, played by Madison Dabbs-Petty, whose characterization of Lorina dabbed into the comedic side of the character and indulged in the dark side as well.

Maxwell Hanic breathed humour and a round emotional complexity into the character of the Caterpillar. He held his audience in the palm of his hand as he turned from light-hearted humour into his serious questioning of Alice. Other notable performances were those of Jackson Thompson and Ryley Kingham as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, respectively. The two portrayed the dynamic duo with an unstoppable chemistry and unwavering comedic timing.

Not only was Alice a treat on stage, but one for the senses as well. The show's costumes, designed by Cherry Chen and team, were visually stunning, adding vibrancy to the actors' physical appearance. Costume choices were intellectual and thought-provoking. The use of neon makeup was strategic and smart, as it brightened the stage, and added to the cyber setting as well. Lighting cues were executed with ease, adding new moods and contrast, complementing the tremendous work done by the actors.

Through commitment to character and the immense bravery it takes to embark on producing an original piece, J.H. Picard gave a strong and unified performance, even if Wonderland did seem quite absurd.

Janey Small
Jasper Place High School
Submitted for publication to Edmonton Journal 4

How do you know when you've reached the bottom of the rabbit hole?
JH Picard's original production of Alice outlined every layer of Wonderland, a virtual world in a travelling carnival.
Written by Jesse Crowley and the director Jon Shields, Alice is an adaptation of three different Wonderland stories by Lewis Carroll. In hopes of creating an interesting plot and character back stories, the adaptation follows a girl, driven to be a hero, through the virtual world of Wonderland. We see Alice explore relationships and meet a series of people. The play also deals with the consequences that the role of technology has in our modern-day world.

From beginning to end, the cast's high energy was sustained. They hit every note and played each moment at a pace that was entertaining to watch. The physicality throughout was mesmerizing. The ensemble added so much to each stage picture by supporting the scenes and using movement to enhance the other characters. The dance ensemble added flow to the movement and made the transitions much more visually appealing.

Tweedle Dee (Ryley Kingham) and Tweedle Dum (Jackson Thompson) brought comic relief to the deep and absurd plot, and allowed moments for the audience to absorb everything that happened. The two actors had admirable stage chemistry, and maintained the energy and the relationship they had.

The Caterpillar (Maxwell Hanic) also brought humour during his moments onstage. With physicality and confidence in his character, he was memorable and entertaining to watch.

Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle as Alice hit every beat and maintained the stage presence that was required for the role. She excelled in making her emotions and objectives clear, and maintained the naive and dream-driven qualities of the character. Not only did she give support to her fellow actors on stage, but also she flawlessly delivered her own moments to shine, especially in her final monologue, which she herself wrote. The commitment she had to her character was evident throughout.

On the technical side, the set was versatile and minimal. Actors did a fantastic job of transforming the scaffolds into what was demanded of them in each scene.
The make-up was undeniably amazing. Each character had unique and complex features, and was done precisely and accurately.
The costumes were similar, suiting each character and allowing for contrast. The ensemble costumes allowed them all to look the same, wearing all black with striped socks, but also having masks and other items to allow them to stand out.

The lighting, 80 cues designed and run by Joseph Meleshko, enhanced the mood and contributed to the absurdity of Wonderland.
The sound, done by Kayla Murphy, Tristan Rogers, and Isaac Kostelecky, was consistent in contributing to the atmosphere and the world they were in, as well as bringing some elements of absurdist theatre to life by stimulating senses from all angles.

The cast and crew of JH Picard used physicality and detailed characterization to perform the original script, and the company had undeniable stage chemistry and commitment to the piece.

Kayla Warkentin
Millwoods Christian School
Submitted for publication to Edmonton Journal 5

A merger between the familiarly bizarre world of Alice in Wonderland and the modernity of a technological world seems impossibly contradictory. However, the students of J. H. Picard School were able to create a uniquely stunning interpretation of the classic tale, adeptly incorporating relevant themes into a mesmerizing performance. Through an original production, they depicted the story of a young girl finding herself transported to the virtual world of Wonderland, where questions of self, morality, and justice arise and demand her to respond.

From the first moment, the performance had a notably haunting mood. The physicality of the dancers was fluid and dynamic, creating a highly animated performance. Jarring lighting choices and eerie choreography amplified the unique atmosphere, while creatively illustrating aspects of the setting and providing greater fluidity to a mildly convoluted storyline.

Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle's representation of Alice was consistent and believable. She presented a refreshing characterization of the popular character, and constantly delivered her lines with great clarity. Her sister Lorina, portrayed by Madison Dabbs-Petty, had palpable chemistry with Alice in each of their shared scenes. Lorina's role in the story was multifaceted, and thus a highly effectual aspect of the show. Madison demonstrated strong vocals as well, resulting in a performance that was remarkably engaging.

One of the most successful components of this show was the dance ensemble. Everything from the simplicity of their costumes to the complexity of their movements was strikingly impressive. The ensemble allowed for a greater depth of plot, and the dancers were quite versatile in their performances. Maxwell Hanic, in his role of the Caterpillar, captured attention naturally, and had an exceptionally singular presence on stage. He had consistently captivating energy and was a perfect fit for the role.

With over 40 sound cues and 80 lighting cues, the technical aspects of the performance were highly detailed and impressively complex. Ever-changing light sequences greatly contributed to the overall atmosphere of the show, and the sound was clear and consistent. The costumes were also a prominent success of the play, as many of them were both intricate and thematic. Alice and Lorina's costumes were very similar but for the colours. While Alice was dressed in light blues and whites, Lorina's dress was comprised of black and deep shades of burgundy, reflecting their close yet strained relationship. The makeup was also incredibly captivating, as the glowing and exuberant style served to further isolate the virtual world from reality.

This absorbing, original story parallels the backward, transformative power of the media, and serves as a reminder that human connection is far more valuable than any form of technological integration.