Alice in Wonderland | Mainstage Theatre | September 14th, 15th, 16th and September 22nd, 23rd and 24th.

As a child one of my favorite places on earth was the library. As soon as I was able to read I found a love for the classics and that included Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. I loved reading about the quirky characters and the adventures of the ever curious Alice. So when I found out the Anderson’s Mainstage theatre would be putting on a production of Alice in Wonderland in September, I marked my calendar right away!

I also enjoyed watching the Disney movie that was made in 1951 and is still loved by many today. Between the book and the movie, I couldn’t get enough! However, this play is based on the book. Co-Director Kirby Gilliam shared a bit about the show with me.

” The novel, and the play, tell the story of Alice- a curious little girl that falls asleep under a tree reading a book. She dreams of a fantastical place called Wonderland where she meets many creatures and people including the White Rabbit, The Mad Hatter, and the Queen of hearts. Alice learns, through her journeys, that although Wonderland is a great place to visit, home is her ultimate place of happiness.” – Co-Director Kirby Gilliam.

One of my personal favorite parts of this production is the incredible talent that is involved. Just spending the afternoon with this group was inspiring! Each actor has worked so hard to bring their character to life! And they have a few tricks up their sleeve too. Co-Director Kirby Gilliam spoke on that:

“The cast at Mainstage Theatre has put together a wonderful production of Alice in Wonderland. Each actor has become their characters, and I say characters because in this play you will see one actor play multiple parts! This is a lot of work for the actors and a lot of fun for the audience.” – Co-Director Kirby Gilliam

And the talent doesn’t end there! There is a whole team of creatives behind the scenes working hard to put this production together. One such example would be the fantastic costumes! There is so much attention to detail and fun colors. Each one better than the last. They truly have outdone themselves as far as costumes go! Our community is so lucky to have such a dedicated and talented group!

Co-Director Sharon Zimmer recently starred in Mainstage’s production of “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” but now she is behind the scenes making things happen. This girl is a go getter and I love that about her! Sharon shared a bit of her perspective on this production with me.

“Directing Alice in Wonderland with Kirby has been a great experience, it’s always fun when you get to collaborate with your best friend creatively! She’s all about the BIG picture, and I’m so OCD about the details. We’ve both been involved personally with costuming and designing the look and theme for this show. There are a handful of darling little girls in the cast that have been a joy to direct. Kirby likes to tease me because traditionally I don’t like working with kids lol! And here I am directing my second show with kids!”

The show is full of special effects and fun quirks. I don’t want to give too much away, so make sure you get your tickets as soon as possible and see for yourself! I know I’ll be there! CLICK HERE to get your tickets, and don’t be late!

-Alison

Cast and Crew

• Alice – Julia Beeler
• White Rabbit – Melissa Franklin
• Butterfly, Door 1, Cook, Flora Daisy, Lady in Waiting, Mock Turtle  – Jessica Cookston
• Lory, Door 2, Dora Daisy, Queen of Hearts – Kayla Cange
• Door 3, Duchess, Moon – Jamie Conway
• Table, Kettle, Tweedledum, March Hare, Knave of Hearts – Tommy Thomas
• Duck, Baby, Tweddledee, Dormouse, Wicket- Kevin Sheets
• French Mouse, Pan, Sun, Mad Hatter, Wicket – Andy Persinger
• Dodo, Cheshire Cat, Carpenter, King of Hearts – Cameron Vale
• Caterpillar, Walrus, Gryphon – William Malone

• Wonderlandians

  Michele Mullins
  Macin Precup
  Mackade Planeaux
  Emma Walls
  Aaron Cookston
  Rachel Neal

• Wonderland Dancers

  Rebekah Bale
  Lilly Thomas
  Gigi Cox
  Alaina Cookston
  Raya Conway

• Directors – Kirby Gilliam and Sharon Zimmer
• Music Director – Kayla Cange
• Musicians – Stephen Fleck and Ronald Groves
• Sound, Lights and Tech: Erin Erwin and Daniel Erwin
• Choreography – Jessica Kimm Cookston 
• Set Designer – Dan Denniston
• Set Build – Andrew Persinger , Jeremy Cox and Ralph Sipes
• Carpenters and Painters – Ralph Sipes, Andy Persinger, Jeremy Cox, Sharon Zimmer, Gwyn Zimmer and Jason and Betty Knapp
• Costumes – Collected by the cast, Sharon Zimmer, Kirby Gilliam and Michele Mullins
• Special costumes/Puppeteer – Sara Fields
• Photography – Alison Mae Photography

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