Slippery Rock University Theatre to Present ALICE BY HEART, Directed by Aaron Galligan-Stierle

In the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer's budding teen life is turned upside down, and she and her dear friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. As they travel through the tale, Alice by Heart explores the poignancy of first love, coming to terms with loss, and finding the courage to move forward. This musical encourages us all to celebrate the transformational power of the imagination, even in the harshest of times.

Directed by Aaron Galligan-Stierle, the production Alice by Heart is a collaborative process, resulting in a deeply impactful mainstage show. Creating the ambiance of wonderland, professional choreographer Lucas Fedele weaves dance through this deconstructed world with the help of dance majors Hanna Herrmann and Will VanSlander as Young Alice and Young Alfred, respectively.

Similarly to the recent production of "Astronots," "Alice by Heart" is chock-full of students in its creative process. Galligan-Stierle says this was an intentional effort to "help develop the next generation of artistic leaders - directors, choreographers, dance captains, and dramaturgs. This show is deeply influenced by their powerful artistic visions, research, and contributions." This feeling of importance is shared with the artistic team itself. Associate director, Kaleb Purswell, notes, "It has been so educational and exciting to collaborate with so many artists on the same cohesive vision."

The cast of "Alice by Heart" includes Ari Mitchell as Alice; Ricky Osman as Alfred/White Rabbit/March Hare; Maddie Kesler as Red Cross Nurse/Queen of Hearts; Sam Carter as Dodgy/Duchess; Liam Webster as Harold Pudding/Mad Hatter; Sophia Condit as Tabitha/Cheshire Cat; Gabriel Isaac as Dr. Butrige/Jabberwock; Peyton Houston as Clarissa/Caterpillar; Jack Cipriani as Angus/Caterpillar; Adam Fox as Nigel/Dormouse; Will Vanslander as Young Alfred; Hanna Herrmann as Young Alice; Rin Smith as House Tutor/King of Hearts; Lily Joseph, Hope Johnson, Veronique Chayer, Conor McAleer, and James Traverso as School Children/Mock Turtles. Understudies include Veronique Chayer, Aidan Duez, Courtney O'Reilly, Care Caldwell, Max Milligan, Miriam Shrivastava, Sean Kelly, Paja Clark, Joey Estok, Tristan Smith, Jack Lloyd, Demiah Brown, Sofie Marino, Belle Trask, and Evan Jarvis.

The band includes Eric Francis, reed; Patrick Bennett, trumpet; Jake Glath, guitar; Ben Kane, guitar; Sophia Elliot, drums; Jake Nathanson, cello.

The creative team of "Alice by Heart" includes Aaron Galligan-Stierle, director; Lincoln Sandham, music director; Lucas Fedele, choreographer; Riley Gross, stage manager; Lisa-Ann Goldsmith, accent/dialect coach; Kari-Anne Innes, intimacy director and box office coordinator; Sam Kuchta, scenic designer; Mackenzie Hook, lighting designer; Rebecca Morrice, Costume Designer; Michael Boone, technical director; Ryan Mounteer, sound designer; Burton Tedesco, fight director; Care Caldwell, Aidan Duez, and Rowan Wilken, dramaturgs; Gretchen Jessup and Kaleb Purswell, associate directors; Rissa Williams, assistant director; Katelynn Handa, assistant choreographer; McKenna Cover, dance captain; Abby Weiser and Spark, assistant stage managers; Brittany Walsh, rehearsal ASM; Mikayla Petrosky and Isaac Smith, assistant scenic designers; Mary Hodson, costume coordinator; Alex Barnhart, assistant technical director; Hailey Rodgers, propmaster; Megan Best, student box office manager; Maggie Mitchell, house manager; Maya Hope and Rachel Dercola, public relations.

"Alice by Heart" show dates are November 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30pm and November 24 at 2pm. Tickets are $12 for SRU student and $15 for general admission. Tickets may be purchased at sru.edu/tickets or at the box office in Miller Theater beginning one hour before the performance.

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