Theater returns to Rowe School with ‘Alice in Wonderland’

R. Roger Rowe School had its first live theater performance in two years with a whimsical, outdoor “Alice in Wonderland” on Dec. 8 and 9.

Rowe drama teacher Christine Calloway had been planning the RSF Players production since the summer, coming up with a creative way around potential pandemic restrictions by hosting a big outdoor afternoon tea party. Tables were set up in the courtyard with flowers, pretty paper tea cups and tea sandwiches and cookies on tiered stands. Colorful paper lanterns hung from the trees.

“I think the Queen of England would be impressed,” remarked Superintendent Donna Tripi.

Two separate seventh-grade and eighth-grade casts performed the show, with characters like the frantic White Rabbit (Michelle Elson and Jonam Shapouri) and the mad Queen of Hearts (Kenzi Cunningham and Madison Rubio) at times racing through the tea party audience to the stage.

The production’s costumes and inventive sets and props were created by Calloway’s seventh-grade stagecraft class. The RSF Education Foundation provided the tea party desserts.

The eighth grade cast of “Alice in Wonderland”.

(Courtesy)

Aubrey Yonemitsu (Humpty Dumpty) and Lizzie Wardrip (Alice) perform in the show.

(Karen Billing)

The RSF Players will next take on “Moana Jr” in the spring.