Alice in Wonderland...and What We Found There
at Aliso Niguel

Reviewed on October 27, 2018

Samantha Stokes
Crean Lutheran
Submitted for publication to OC Register

We're all mad for Aliso Niguel's "Alice In Wonderland And What We Found There"

Aliso Niguel High School's production of "Alice in Wonderland And What We Found There" is an innovative and lively adaptation of some of Lewis Carol's classic tales.

Set in Alice's house, the show opens with Alice and her friends celebrating her birthday when her sister begins to read stories aloud for their entertainment. Throughout the party, the children reenact the tales with assorted objects and clothing items that are found around the living room.

Alice, portrayed by Anika Perera, brings a giddiness and childlike energy that lights up the stage. Her animated delivery of the role makes the concept of the show more convincing, since the young children are being portrayed by high school students.

During Alice's adventure, she interacts with many of the well-known characters from Lewis Carroll's fantasy. A few of these notable characters include the Mad Hatter, portrayed by Emilie Manville, and the March Hare, played by Mateo Yepiz. These two actors dovetail together nicely and have a balanced, yet hectic manner that highlights the youthful energy this performance emulates.

The ensemble of this production, the children, are a sprightly and engaged group of performers that spend a majority of the performance attentively observing the scene unfolding. As the show continues, the children repeatedly swap roles. Most transitions are nicely executed with a realistic enthusiasm; however, some felt over energized and chaotic. Despite this, the ensemble is a spry group that makes the approach of children reenacting the tales more plausible.

Since the story takes place in a living room, all props and costumes are composed of objects that could be found in a house. The costumes are simplistic, yet effective, as they comprise haphazard elements such as Superman capes, wooden spoons, and Krispy Kreme hats. Similarly, the props encompass random objects such as slinkys, bubbles, and hobby horses.

The set focuses attention on the actors and not the background. In order to make them appear more childlike, set pieces are oversized, allowing the audience to more easily see the story through the lens of children.

Aliso Niguel High School's "Alice in Wonderland And What We Found There" is a dynamic adaptation that is beautifully executed with vibrant actors and innovative technical teams.

Brianna Blashill
San Clemente
Submitted for publication to OC Facebook

Little Girl falls Down Rabbit Hole at Aliso Niguel High School.

In this original interpretation of the works of Lewis Carroll, Aliso Niguel's "Alice in Wonderland and What We Found There" paints the story of Alice, a curious, headstrong seven year-old who crosses into bizarre, fantastical worlds. In this inventive rendition, Carroll's stories are told through the lense of a child's birthday party. While playing in her living room, birthday girl Alice and her friends listen to Carroll's adventures––inspiring them to act the stories out themselves, with spirited, comedic results.

Alice (Anika Perera) has a childlike charm as she jovially marches across the stage, an underlying expression of curiosity always on her face. Whether she's nervously fiddling with her skirt, or puffing out her chest to stand up to the Queen of Hearts, Alice simultaneously radiates juvenile innocence and a budding boldness. In addition to Alice's charisma, the March Hare (Mateo Yepiz) and Mad Hatter (Emilie Manville), create a boisterous dynamic duo. Bouncing enthusiastically across the stage and using lilting voices, they are engaging, wacky, and loveable. The ensemble as a whole captures the chaotic, vivacious energy of children, through their slumped posture and squeaky, childish voices.

The technical elements are essential in bringing the show to life. The set provides the foundation for this unique interpretation. Its bright blue walls as well as its oversized furniture and stairs create the illusion the actors are truly seven year olds. The lighting is especially significant in setting the tone of the scenes. During Alice's fall down the rabbit hole, the stage is illuminated in backlighting with neon painted props, giving the scene a tone of whimsy while illustrating the darkness of the tunnel. Furthermore as Alice journeys through Wonderland, the lighting is often dream-like and colorful, to display the magic of the world she's stumbled upon. The shifts in lighting are particularly useful in differentiating the two realms of imagination and reality. Similarly, the use of household items (found in Alice's living room on stage) as props, helps to concurrently build the outlandish Wonderland and remind the audience that the characters are meant to be children playing dress up.

As a whole, "Alice In Wonderland and What We Found There," is a creative interpretation of a classic and testifies to the power of imagination.

Max Guerrero
Tesoro
Submitted for publication to OC Facebook

Let imagination run wild in Aliso Niguel's "Alice in Wonderland...and What We Found There"

Packed with creativity and liveliness, Aliso Niguel High School's originally written production of "Alice in Wonderland...and What We Found There" is based on both the original Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. This brilliantly put together rendition of a classic follows a group of seven-year-olds celebrating their conveniently named friend Alice's birthday. As Alice's sister reads them the Lewis Carol classics, they decide to act out the book using household objects as props. Alice (Anika Perera) throughout her amusing but often troublesome journeys meets some peculiar characters along the way.

Perera demonstrates childhood innocence alongside curiosity while she travels around Wonderland with amazement. Her character truly shines when she struggles to keep her sanity while she notices the erratic behaviors of the Mad Hatter and March Hare at a tea party.

The delirious Mad Hatter (Emilie Manville) compliments the nutty March Hare (Mateo Yepiz) all through the first act as they both tease and taunt Alice. Manville displays perfect insanity as her shrill voice filled the theater in the most chaotic scene of the play. Yepiz does not hesitate to share his lunatic side as March Hare as he jumps around all the while retaining a childish mentality.

Although the story is hard to follow, the props Mia Doblee and her crew use are nothing less than remarkable: household items interpreted by seven-year-olds. For instance, the lamp used in the show for lighting doubles as a tree in the flowerbed scene. When Alice shrinks and grows due to magic potions, items relative to her size, such as a stool or key, shrink and grow too. Some props are painted with black-light paint to stand out and glow in the dark during the rabbit hole scene. Brennan Davis' creative choices for costumes strike every chord: costumes fit the personality of the children wearing them, all the while being ordinary household items. Each is vibrantly colored to fit the absurdity of the show.

Consisting of an extravagant cast and a creative crew, Aliso Niguel conveys a glorious interpretation of an already loved classic.