Over the years, the school has put on various plays, and that tradition continues this year. However, this year’s spring musical will look very different. 

The spring musical this year is “Alice is Wonderland” by Randy Wyatt, based on the book by Lewis Carroll. The show follows a young girl named Alice who falls asleep and enters a magical dream, where she goes on a journey and meets all kinds of wild characters along the way. 

Mr. Michael Moffatt, the technical director of the theater program, said that Alice’s interactions with the characters were why the play “Alice in Wonderland” was chosen to be performed. Alice meets only with a few characters at a time, and during a pandemic, it’s important to have as few actors on stage as possible.

“Alice in Wonderland” is quite a whimsical play. To capture the essence of Wonderland, Moffatt said that creative lighting and sound will be used. Set pieces will be made oversized to exaggerate the environment.

Covid-19 helped drive the decision to put on this particular play. According to Ms. Maria Souza, the school’s theater director, it was difficult decision. Souza said that she and her students knew the protocol for live performances early on, and that a live performance with singing and dancing would be unsafe due to the potential for the virus to spread. 

Moffatt said that all involved went back and forth on whether to have a performance. “We went from an outdoor play, where we would have to contend with the weather, to an indoor production that would be streamed,” he said. The indoor production would have allowed only a select few audience members. 

This is different from other CaTheatre productions of the pandemic. “The ‘Rookie Showcase’ was all virtual, ‘Hades’ was a live performance, while ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will be shot in segments and edited like a film,” said Moffatt. While there is disadvantage and heartbreak that comes with not being able to directly interact with a live audience, Moffatt says one advantage that comes with a filmed play is that actors will be able to more effectively work the stage trap doors.

Students are getting involved in the play in a variety of ways. “Claire Miller is the student director, and we have a student lighting designer, a student prop master, student choreographers, and we’re working together with student groups for marketing,” Souza said.

An audition callout email was sent to students in January, with a link to sign up for five-minute tryout slots and sides from the show to perform at the audition. Students can memorize other monologues as well. 

Rehearsals will take place after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and those sessions are scheduled to begin on Feb. 22. Technical rehearsals and filming will occur after spring break from March 29 to April 9.