'Alice in Wonderland' comes to North Salem High School

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - As Alice learned, sometimes you have to believe in impossible things. For the North Salem High School Drama Department, that meant dazzling its audience with a triumphant opening night production of "Alice in Wonderland," even with paint still drying on the background trees as the curtain rose.

"There was a point where we were nervous that the show wouldn't come together. It was hard to get that synergy, but we finally found it," said Cianna, the senior who played Alice. "Even the day before the show, there was some doubt. And then it was opening night, and it went fantastically."

"In theater, you get to know people that you don't even notice passing in the hallway, and suddenly you're best friends," said senior Annaleen, who played the Duchess. She found that the cast's commitment and passion created a stronger show. "You don't just go up there and say words that you memorized; you're putting your heart into it."

Like Alice navigating Wonderland's curious challenges, the production demanded creative and critical thinking.

"Crew is a lot of problem-solving," said senior Finn, who created props and designed sets. "But you also learn to rely on other people. When there's a problem, everyone works together to fix it."

After two months of rehearsals and three successful performances, the production marked a bittersweet farewell for graduating seniors. During Saturday's curtain call, younger students honored each senior with speeches, flowers, and some tears.

"You see this every year, but then suddenly it's you up there," said senior Evan, the microphone engineer who plans to apply his theater problem-solving skills to computer science studies. He received a heartfelt speech from his younger brother. "The seniors you looked up to, that's you now."

"As seniors, all these moments are just flying by, and we're getting closer and closer to not being here anymore," said John, who built the towering tree set. "It's daunting, it's exciting, it's everything in between."

Directed by Jennifer Molloy, the production proved the Cheshire Cat wrong: in North Salem's theater, nobody's mad; they're all talented here.

Article courtesy of North Salem Central School District.