Kent State University at Tuscarawas is presenting their spring production, Alice Through the Lookingglass April 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center.
Bill Auld, assistant professor of theatre, directs the production. “This year marks the third annual spring production,” said Auld. “We selected Through the Lookingglass to enable our students to explore a little bit more fantasy and whimsy with their work while connecting to people with a production that can be familiar, and at the same time challenging.”
In Danielle Lindsay Geoffries’ retelling of the works of Lewis Carroll, Alice once again travels through the looking glass into Wonderland. Through her journey, she discovers that in the looking glass, we may all just be a little mad.
“Our production – as was Carroll’s original story - is the story of a young Alice who is caught wanting to be in her childhood fantasy world but has it constantly shaped and influenced by the adult world she sees around her but may not quite understand,” added Auld.
According to Auld, Carroll, who was also a professor of mathematics at Oxford University, wrote fantasy stories to entertain children and make social commentaries about the world in which he lived.
“Carroll’s world and our world can be fun and spectacular but some of it is scary,” commented Auld. “We wanted to do a production that wasn’t just juvenile - it has scary parts. And there are illogical situations Alice finds herself in. I hope we have managed to strike a chord that will resonate with adults most of all as we show them the world this child finds on the other side of the looking glass.”
The 13-member cast includes Alyssa Wallace as Alice, Alexis Long as the White Rabbit, Michael Gray as the Cheshire Cat, Corey Zickle as the Mad Hatter, Spencer Morgan as Humpty Dumpty, Dallas Murray as Charles Dodgson, Megan Peters as the Dormouse and Shelly Stephens as the Red Queen. The ensemble is comprised of Heather Luxemburg, Tyler McCune, Alexandria Roberts, Faith Roush and Jillian Strawn. The performers are students at Kent State Tuscarawas, Kent State Stark and two are community members.
Tickets are $10 or $5 with a Kent State student ID. A special VIP Mad Tea Party will be held April 16. The VIP ticket is $25 and includes pre-show hors d’oeuvres and a ticket to the Saturday performance. Proceeds from the VIP Mad Tea Party support the Kent State Tuscarawas Scholarship for the Performing Arts. Tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office.
Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Dr. NE in New Philadelphia.