Wareham High to perform ‘Alice in Wonderland’

Dec 8, 2021

Ready for a “wild ride down the rabbit hole?” 

The Wareham Viking Theatre Company will perform “Alice in Wonderland” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11. 

“We’re going for whimsical, colorful, very fun,” said Gabriela Andrews, the student directing the production. She said the show is very family-friendly. 

This is the first full show to be performed in the school’s auditorium since the fall of 2019.

“Everyone has that drive to be back here,” Andrews said, noting that a number of new students have joined the theatre company. 

“We’re a very small crew, but we’re very tight-knit,” said James Pinkham, who is in charge of logistics and plays the Caterpillar and Executioner. 

The most recent play put on by the school, Almost Maine, was a fairly dramatic, realistic production. For Alice in Wonderland, the actors are using different skills to get into character.

Pinkham said that to play the caterpillar, he thinks about being “a slow-motion version of himself.” 

Maverick Cavacas, who plays the White Rabbit, is channeling a good bit of anxiety into his role as “the little bit of sense trying to hold the place together” in a world of nonsense. 

Koral Davis, Queen of Hearts, said she’s usually fairly quiet, so it’s been fun to get to yell. 

“There’s no ‘too loud,’” one actor said. “There’s nothing ‘too’ — nothing too weird, nothing too loud, nothing too crazy.”

The students said that with a story as well known as Alice in Wonderland, they are trying to put their own spin on it.

Ethan Cavacas, who plays the king, also designed the flyers and posters for the show.

“I didn’t want to do just the Disney thing,” Cavacas said, adding that he’s been looking into Victorian design. “It’s just a weird, wonky aesthetic.”

Evelyn Delorie, a senior, is in charge of costumes for the show. Working with an even tighter-than-usual budget, she’s gotten creative. In addition to using a variety of costumes from the high school’s collection, she’s also building new elements using items like false eyelashes, floral foam and a bike helmet. 

“You can find anything at Savers,” she said. “There’s a lot of room for creativity.”

The show will be performed twice: at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will be required to wear masks. 

Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $7 for student admission.