Shippensburg University Acting Group (SUAG) turned Memorial Auditorium into its own wonderland with its production of “Alice in Wonderland.” The play had four showings, opening on Nov. 13 and closing with a Sunday matinee on Nov. 16.
Charlotte McAleer and Lydia Lyman co-directed the production, and Madeline Thievon led the choreography. There was over 40 SU students involved with the play, in positions of management, acting and crew.
The classic story of “Alice in Wonderland” began as a novel published in 1865 and has since been adapted into multiple films, both animated and live-action. The play follows Alice, a young girl who falls down a rabbit hole into a bizarre yet fantastical world. While there, she meets many interesting people and has many different amusing encounters during her stay in “Wonderland.”
Lyman, one of the show’s directors, made it a point to bring SUAG’s own flair into preparing for the production.
“One of my favorite parts about this play is its ability to create comedy during the scenes,” Lyman said. “Oftentimes I’ll be working with an actor, they would do something, and I can say ‘you can keep that’; adding bits and working with my actors [created] more fun moments within the show.”
Something unique about this semester’s play was that there are a lot of new members of the acting group participating, creating both a fresh and rewarding environment for all involved.
Madeline Thievon as Alice.
“This show in particular has brought out a lot of creativity in the actors,” said Thievon, who played the lead of Alice. “A lot of our actors this semester are incoming freshmen, and they have taken these roles and really developed them into something that you could watch over and over again.”
With daily rehearsals, run-throughs and four performances to prepare for, it was helpful for SUAG to work well with one another, as noted by McAleer.
“Everyone feels like such a concrete unit,” said McAleer. “We’ve had that for the other shows, but I feel like everyone’s energy blends together in such a fun way with these wacky characters.”
“Alice in Wonderland” was a success for everyone involved and served as a fun outing for students. For more information on SUAG and their future productions, check out their Instagram @suagofficial.
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