BWW Reviews: Dos Pueblos Theatre Presents the Wild and Wondrous Circus of ALICE IN WONDERLAND

The importance of producing student-based theatre in an educational environment cannot be emphasized with enough fervor. The production experience students gain in high school and college not only introduces them to the excitement of dramatic, performance-based storytelling, it also teaches the basic creative and technical skills necessary for burgeoning performers and designers to pursue work in the theatre, whether as a profession or a hobby, later in life. For the students in Santa Barbara and Goleta, there are numerous impressive theatre programs to choose from within the public school system. Most recently I viewed Dos Pueblos Theatre Company's fall production, Alice in Wonderland, an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic literary tale about falling down the proverbial rabbit hole into a place removed from typical reality. Written and directed by Clark Sayre, this one-act play emphasizes the idea of relative perception; it exists within a colorful, wacky universe where students can showcase their talents without fear of overstepping the boundaries of nuance required in a more standard theatrical piece.

Sayre's version of Alice in Wonderland takes place in a circus, a setting not so far removed conceptually from Carroll's Wonderland: a place of familiar elements without typical context-not quite reality. The details of the circus theme integrate well with the classic constructs of the original Wonderland, and the set and characters are a recognizable yet unique derivative of Carroll's universe: Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum are strong-men; the Caterpillar is a fortune teller; the Queen of Hearts is a lion-tamer; and the white rabbit is the ring-leader. Sayre has written an adaptation that features a cast large enough to allow a multitude of students to showcase their talents. The production is ambitious and vibrant, and utilizes a number of performance styles, from mime to basic acrobatics.

An impressive, multi-level set allows performers to perpetuate the strange and fantastic atmosphere of the Wonderland carnival by appearing and disappearing through hidden entrances and exits. Dos Pueblos' production exhibits the otherworldliness of an old circus (or falling down the rabbit hole), yielding an experience that is, indeed, curiouser and curiouser. Alice in Wonderland is not a story about one character's journey through the wilderness to return to a more identifiable reality; instead, it's about Alice's experience with a cabaret of lively entertainers whose characters are defined by their particular style of performance. Dos Pueblos' show is an imaginative effort that accomplishes exactly what a student play should: it gives aspiring performers, designers, and production assistants the chance to experience the simultaneous order and chaos of a large-scale production. Allowing students to work with accomplished designers and producers (Co-Director/Choreographer Gioia Marchese, Scenic Designer Rafael Perea De La Cabada, Costume Supervisor Jennifer Housh, Lighting Designer Leigh Allen, Projection Designer Natalie Khuen, and Props Mistress Naomi Fujita) provides them a true sense of the specific artistries that endure within the theatrical arts. A student production that shares the spotlight amongst many performers so equally is laudable, and Alice in Wonderland is a showcase of student talent based in comedy, whimsy, and mystery. The performers demonstrated excitement and joy on stage, and it's clear that Sayre and the Dos Pueblos High School Theatre Company are doing an excellent job of grooming a new generation of theatrical artists.

The Dos Pueblos Theatre Company Presents: Alice in Wonderland

Directed by Clark Sayre
Produced by Todd Harper

November 7th - November 15th, 2014
Fridays @ 7pm, Saturdays @ 2pm & 7pm

Elings Performing Arts Center, Dos Pueblos High School

www.dptheatrecompany.org

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