Alice is a curious young girl who doesn’t know who she is quite yet. One day she finds herself in a strange and unfamiliar world called Wonderland, where she goes on a thrilling adventure, meeting the most obscure characters along the way.

Beginning this Friday at 7 p.m., Alice and the rest of Wonderland’s story will come to life on the La Salle stage. 

Director Mr. Micheal Shelton is very excited about this play, one reason being that “it’s a really nice ensemble show,” he said. “Not only is the audience experiencing Wonderland for the first time, so is Alice. They’re experiencing it together.”

Senior Ava Whalon said she can’t wait to take the stage as Alice. Out of all the scenes that she is a part of, the mad tea party scene is her favorite because of the chaos that occurs. “The costumes … and the characters are so fun in that scene,” she said. “It’s really chaotic but super fun.”

The audience will get to enjoy many classic characters like the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts, but there will also be some new and unique characters that most audience members haven’t seen before — characters that weren’t included in Disney’s interpretation of the story, such as the White Knight or the Mock Turtle.

One character the audience will get to enjoy on the La Salle stage is the Mad Hatter, who is being played by senior Aaron Leonard-Graham. Leonard-Graham is most excited to tap into the insanity that is the Mad Hatter, as “he’s definitely someone who brings out the craziness throughout Wonderland,” he said. 

A less well-known character, the Mock Turtle, is played by senior Shayden Lough. Unlike the majority of characters in Alice in Wonderland, the Mock Turtle is a more lowkey and reserved character which will serve as a nice change in pace for the audience. 

Not only is Lough a cast member in the play, but they are also in charge of props and production design. “It has been a really rewarding experience having this kind of creative control over the show but also being able to work with other people to make this world come to life,” they said.

Mr. Shelton is excited to announce that this version of Alice in Wonderland has been turned into a musical with original music by “internationally renowned composer and musician,” Micheal Allen Harrison. Mr. Shelton and Harrison met in 2011 while collaborating on another project. “On a whim, I reached out to him this past summer,” Mr. Shelton said,  hoping that Harrison could compose some music for the play. “So that’s going to be, I think, fun for our audience to experience something that exists for the first time on the La Salle stage,” he said.

The shows will take place this weekend, Nov. 5-7, and next weekend Nov. 12-14, beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $12 for students and $15 for adults, and they are available on the La Salle website.