Very different from last year’s Radium Girls, SWMHS’s production of Alice @ Wonderland is packed full of fan-favorite wacky characters and a widely recognizable plot. As a modern take on a classic story, told most popularly by Lewis Carroll and Disney’s animations, the play follows young Alice as she meets the inhabitants of Wonderland and their upside-down logic.

Sophomore Eleya Kose is thrilled to be playing the famed title character. “It’s honestly a dream come true,” Kose tells Echo Lites. “Younger me would constantly watch Alice in Wonderland and be so fascinated by her journey and all of the different characters she comes across.” 

Kose, just beginning to navigate the spotlight in the drama department as an underclassman, says her castmates and the crew have welcomed her with open arms. During Tech Week, a week-long marathon of rehearsals that begin to incorporate lights, microphones, and everything in between, students spend the majority of their day together on and off the stage. As a result, amidst the long and stressful rehearsal nights, she has found a home. “There is never a dull moment when I’m with them,” she says. 

Although for some students, Alice @ Wonderland feels like just the beginning, for others it is the closing of another chapter. Senior Ryan Yuhas plays the always-tardy White Rabbit, the first character Alice encounters on her journey. A seasoned stage actor in the Sayreville community, he has participated in everything from middle and high school productions to community theatre. Hoping to continue in the field of musical theatre and possibly pursue work in education as a university student, Ryan finds his last Fall Drama to be a bittersweet experience. However, he continues to cherish the moments he shares with his castmates. “Seeing their creativity come to life on stage is just a blessing,” he says. 

Of course, acting isn’t always a walk in the park for actors. With every new script comes new ideas and challenges. As a show primarily under the genre of children’s theatre, actors must learn to play with loud, comedic choices, forcing them to think outside of the box. Cast as an iconic character, Yuhas aimed to focus on the frazzled nature of the White Rabbit. “I think the biggest challenge was perfecting the pacing,” he notes. 

Both the cast and crew are excited to invite the SWMHS community to enjoy Alice @ Wonderland at Sayreville War Memorial High School. Save the dates: Friday, November 4th at 7 PM and Saturday, November 5th at 5 PM. Tickets can be purchased here.

As Yuhas would say, “Don’t be late!”