As opening night approaches, the RHS cast of “Alice in Wonderland” practices in the Rotary Theater, to perfect the play. “Alice in Wonderland” will premiere on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at 7 pm in the Rotary Theater.
This play is amazing. It’s a creative and colorful, filled with so many contrasting tones that all pay off in the end.
The production was beautifully done, with the costumes and props being some of the best I’ve seen in a Redwood play so far. And every actor brought something different to the play, always keeping it fresh and entertaining.
‘Alice in Wonderland‘ is a magic tale taking place somewhere in England long ago. The play follows Alice (played by Bella Garret) a curious girl, who one day follows a white rabbit (played by Flyn Olson,’25) down his hole and ends up in wonderland.
It’s a fantastic but strange place, filled with different colors and shapes and even has talking animals like the Cheshire Cat (played by Juju Morales, ‘24). Alice is determined to get home however and meets many new people on her journey to get back home to her family.
The props used for this play are very much well done. Each prop has its own unique look and design and it’s easy for the audience to tell that lots of time was spent making them.
For example the Queen of Hearts throne is nicely made with a big red heart in the center of it and it adds to her strong presence throughout the play as in most scenes you’ve met with different symbols from playing cards (hearts, spades, diamonds, clovers). And seeing the heart on her chair really symbolizes her power and influence on the land.
And each prop is moved swiftly off and on as the scene changes.
The costumes only add to the awe and color to the play. They only help bring the characters to life, as the actors themselves do a great job of that. Some of my favorites were the Card Guards, the Queen of Hearts, and the Mad Hatter.
The cards have simple outfits but I found them so well made and it was interesting to see these humans bring literal play cards to life. And for the Queen of Hearts, her dress was big and intimidating, with royal colors such as red and gold. Which really paired well with her personality and the actress who played her (Lydia Castillo). And the Mad Hatter (played by Jacob Lucio ‘24) has a mostly brown attire, which may not sound like much, but the brown helps the Hatter’s pink hair and colorful accessories pop out, making it a memorable costume.
Alice is played wonderfully by Garret. Her amazing acting abilities really bring out Alice’s soft and caring nature. Alongside the nice side of Alice, Garret knows to shift her character’s tone and attitude like a pro. Going from sweet and polite, to upset and demanding when she finds herself in trouble. Garret is definitely a reason to watch this play.
The actors of this play are phenomenal. Lucio’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter is a highlight of the play. He brings all the right aspects of this character to life, his mysterious and odd side is very much shown off in this play. Lucio also nails his odd outbursts of energy and humorous moments, making the audience anticipate the moment he returns.
The Queen of Hearts is handled amazingly in this play. Castillo’s love and passion for this program is really shown in every scene she appears in. Her high pitched tone of voice is perfect every time she screams, “Off with their head!” and this use of this line makes for very comedic moments. As in one scene she threatens to execute her executioner after he tries to argue her logic. Castillo is the Queen of Hearts.
Do yourself a favor and head down to the Rotary Theater on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, to watch this spectacular play. Tickets can be bought here.
So good that you should watch it twice.
Aiden Lupian
Aiden Lupian (´25) is a second year writer for the Gigantea who loves to tell a good arts story and really looks forward to all the stories he can write, and people to connect with
Tags: Alice in Wonderland, drama, fall play, rangers, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, rhs, visalia ca
