On November 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, Gateway’s drama department put on their fall production, Alice in Wonderland. Despite the distinction of having a fall play and spring musical every year, the Gateway drama department has performed solely musicals for the past few years.
Many frequent attendees of Gateway’s theater productions were eager for this change of pace and weren’t entirely sure what to expect. I have been attending Gateway’s productions since before I was even a Gateway student and couldn’t imagine what I was in for with a spoken play rather than a constantly fast-paced and stimulating musical.
Senior Allison Eckstein, who played Alice in the show, remarked that she was excited to get to experience a Gateway play due to their scarceness, especially being the lead role.
“Alice-on, “who was also excited to have her senior lead role be a character so close to her name, did a fantastic job portraying young Alice, who just wants to escape the confusion of Wonderland and get home for her birthday party. Her classic baby blue costume and long blonde hair was gorgeous, and she hit the tone of young Alice just right.
Being on stage for the near-entirety of the show, her line accuracy and delivery was extremely impressive.
Her counterpart throughout the show, senior Jack Patrick as the Cheshire Cat, “Chessie,” also was excellent in his role. As a friend of Jack’s, I can confidently say that he was made for this role featuring dead-pan comedy and the perfect amount of sass. Jack was excited to put his artistic skills to use, designing and executing his own Cheshire Cat makeup look for the shows.
He remarked, “This show didn’t stress me out at all. It was easy and so much fun. I was able to be really creative, and it was really the perfect role for me.”
You cannot forget one of the most notable characters of the production, The Mad Hatter. Freshman, Kayla Clancy, stunned audiences with her hilarious and spookily accurate portrayal of the hatter-gone-crazy.
Her iconic velvet suit and huge red hair were impressive on their own, but Kayla’s deranged facial expressions, clever movements, and crazed voice really brought her character to life.
Only a freshman, she is definitely one to watch as she continues to shine in Gateway’s future productions as her performance was already Broadway-worthy. Personally, I can’t get over the expressiveness just in her eyes alone–she truly became The Mad Hatter, becoming a show favorite.
For the past few years Gateway’s theater productions have had a very large middle school student presence, which came in handy for this show. The talented young ensemble did a fantastic job keeping the show magical and whimsical, whether they were croaking frogs, staunch card soldiers, glistening fairies, or fluttering flowers.
There is no doubt that Gateway’s theater department has lots of young rising stars.
You may have recognized other familiar faces from past Gateway shows, such as Mia Wenglicki as Cook, Shai Wallace as the Blue Caterpillar, Braelynn Pettolina as the Duchess, Alivia Graham as White Rabbit, and Michael Cassagnol and Harmony Madre as the King and Queen of Hearts.
Alice in Wonderland was directed by Erin Galczynski as her debut show. She is a former Gator adored by students and parents for her kind and encouraging disposition and is sure to produce more fantastic productions in the future.
If you enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, you must be sure to return for Gateway’s spring production of The Addams Family musical this March!
Be on the lookout for show dates and ticket sales in the coming months. You won’t want to miss it!
