Submitted by Rebecca Graber of the Montgomery Blair High School CAPPIES Theatre Review Group

On the other side of reality, a young protagonist learns of a despotic force bent on control and encounters the impossible trying to answer the question "how far down does the rabbit hole go?" No, they have not made The Matrix into a theatrical production (yet), but Lewis Carrol's fantastical classic Alice in Wonderland is still on the stage, delighting audiences young and old with its irreverent humor and ever-memorable characters.

In their production of Carrol's classic, Bishop O'Connell High School contributed to the show's long and impressive legacy. The show that once impressed such names as Queen Victoria and Oscar Wilde worked its magic on an Arlington audience in a thoroughly amusing performance.

Rose Brand, as the wandering Alice, made a very believable child. Her innocent expressions, adorable poutiness, and exaggerated hand movements created a very convincing portrait of an eight-year-old (or "eight-and-a-half-exactly" as Alice would say). The ever-present white rabbit, played by Sandra Callahan, succeeded in maintaining rabbit-like mov ments throughout the entire play, never diluting her character with human mannerisms.

One character deserves a particular commendation. When some other members of the cast tended to go stale or flat in their portrayals, Stephen Benedicto's Cheshire Cat was one of the true highlights of the production. Benedicto executed difficult gymnastic feats with seemingly effortless ease and fluidity. His slippery, feline agility and soft, purring voice made him truly memorable and intriguing to watch, despite only being onstage briefly.

Designing the costumes for such an incredibly diverse and bizarre array of characters could not have been even remotely easy, but costume designers Kathryn Elliot and Aileen Mooney lived up to the task. Each character was given a unique set of clothes that clearly identified their respective species and personality. The waggling bustles of the red and white queen's gowns were a particularly nice touch, shaking comically whenever these characters walked. As the red queen, Celina Ces made particularly good use of her whimsical costume, exaggerating the shaking of her hips as she walked for full humorous effect. Carefully matched and applied makeup, done by Celina Ces, Kristin Elliot, Sandy Callahan, and Cara Brennan also contributed significantly to the believability of the characters, making up for the occasional tendency of some of the actors to lapse into somewhat forced characterizations. Also helping the beauty of scenes was the complicated, eerie forest background designed by Katy McGinley that glowed under black light, casting a more ominous, surreal tone on the otherwise lighthearted show.

With so many characters introduced over such a comparatively short period of time, as well as a rather disjointed script, Alice in Wonderland is a difficult show for any company to bring to life. The cast and crew of Bishop O'Connell High School tackled their task with sincere fortitude and creativity.