Cappies Review: 'Alice In Wonderland' At Langley High's Saxon Stage

By Morgan Milman of Annandale High School

A whimsical storm of chaos and confusion swirls with reds, blues, pinks, and purples as time shifts and slows. Stuck, scared, confused, and a little bit whiny, Alice finds herself trapped in the perplexing place of Wonderland.

A story dating back to 1865, "Alice in Wonderland" has been around the theater scene. Originally a book by Lewis Carroll, the play tells the story of young Alice, who has found herself stuck in Wonderland and is desperate to get home. She travels through the depths of Wonderland, encountering a variety of characters and places in her journey to return home. It has seen adaptations of every sort, but the Saxon Stage at Langley High School took it to a new place. With a combination of original elements and stylistic twists, Langley took "Alice in Wonderland" and made it their own creature.

Each actor individually captured the wackiness and quirk of Wonderland. The characters were consistently sharp witted, and well-balanced by the "normal" Alice (played by Ava Carter) from reality. Carter incorporated a youthful curiosity into her character in order to level out the offbeat and kooky dwellers of Wonderland. Further, the Mad Hatter, played by Brady Kastner, was a purposefully silly performance of quick wit and pure energy. Kastner worked well with his ensemble mates in the tea party scene to create a fast, engaging, and amusing sequence.

The actor that commanded the show was Scarlett Spano as the Queen of Hearts. Spano's voice boomed through the auditorium and demanded respect on the stage. Throughout the entire play, The Queen is a feared figure who drives the plot since Alice is seeking the Queen to help her get home. This looming presence during the whole show is reflected profoundly in Spano's delivery of lines and regal physicality.

The technical aspects of the production really set this play apart from other adaptations. The level of depth and dedication apparent just by viewing is phenomenal. Specifically, the lighting design (Atlas Zecca) truly reflected the quirkiness and absurdity of Wonderland. UV lights were used to change and shift the colors of costumes and sets, and supersaturated, intense lighting helped emphasize character emotions and representations.

The lights weren't the only thing to make the sets look incredible. Set Designer (Killian Korchnak) used a rotating tri-scene set layout to keep the swirling, churning feeling of Wonderland alive. Partnered with optical and trippy scenic painting (painting led by Yasmine Said), the entirety of the set composition really embodied the nature of Wonderland and its inner workings. Nothing was linear, nothing made sense, it was perfect.

A tech-heavy show, Langley High School battled the beast of "Alice in Wonderland" and came out on top. A show for families, teens, adults, and anyone looking for a wacky time, "Alice in Wonderland" at Saxon Stage is the place to be.