With spring having recently arrived, Play Production looks forward to putting on its annual spring play, closing the year off for the many seniors leaving it behind. This year, Play Pro plans to bring a “mad” twist to Malden High with “Alice in Wonderland” coming on May 3rd.
The electric choice of “Alice in Wonderland was rooted in an attempt to make the 15 graduating seniors have an enjoyable and relaxing last show. “Our goal was for our last show to be something fun and lighthearted, something everyone would know and be excited about and really want to invest time into,” Play Pro teacher and Director Ariana Messana explained.
With so many seniors leaving, Messana made special considerations when picking the casting, ensuring that all seniors had a special spot within what would be their last play, and that every senior goes out with one final role to say goodbye.
Senior Ashlyn Cullity stated her genuine excitement to portray the lead of “Alice”, while it is also her final resident show. “Within my three years of Play Production, I’ve made so many friends and created an amazing community where I feel so connected, so it’s very sad to be leaving, but ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is such an amazing show to go out on.”
Although the “Alice in Wonderland” we all know is about the non-conformist world that holds the sweet and innocent girl of Alice, Play Pro hopes to enhance the production and give a “creepy” spin to it. “When it comes to design, I liked to think a little bit about the live-action movie, you know how it’s a little bit creepy and has things that might take out the ‘sweet’ version of Alice in Wonderland,” described senior stage Manager Sarahy Ayala Escobar.
As the production date approaches, many challenges have arisen that the actors, tech, and director have been able to push through despite the challenges brought about. One of the most notable challenges for both students and Messana has been the two-week pushback to accommodate the busy end of the year.
However, Messana maintains an optimistic view of the earlier date, mentioning that “sometimes, those challenges make us work even harder together as a team.”
For Cullity, keeping the originality while creating a new variant of Alice has been her biggest roadblock in the production thus far. “Alice is a well-known character, and it has been difficult to add my own pieces in it and keep the character to a point where everyone will still know who she is,” Cullity stated.
With Play Production working hard behind the scenes every day, the department is doing its best to bring the most lively, creepy, and exciting “Alice in Wonderland” that will leave Malden High “mad.”
For more information and updates about the upcoming show, visit @mhsplaypro on Instagram. You can see the show at their double-showing on May 3rd at 2 pm and 7 pm, so be sure to bring a friend and fall into the magical rabbit hole.
