Drama filled weekend in Lennoxville
It will be a comedy double bill this weekend in Lennoxville as both Alexander Galt Regional High School and Bishop’s College School take the stage for their spring productions.
BCS teacher and director Miranda Mcgie told The Record that after putting on the intense play, The Realm, in the fall with the students, she opted for a lighter production for the spring, Alice in America-land, by Dennis Snee.
“This one is comedic, but with a serious message,” Mcgie said.
Written in the 1980s, Snee’s adaptation of the Lewis Caroll classic takes the audience through a distorted world into Alice’s subconscious mind.
“It mocks the societal demands and media messages that people face,” commented Mcgie.
The quirky characters of the original story are part of America-land, with each one representing a different preoccupation in the world, Mcgie said.
For example, ‘The Queen’ is fitness obsessed and the ‘Mock Turtle’ is bent on responsible consumerism. Other characters worry about the rising price of oil, or the fear of someone dropping the big one.
“We have quite a few first timers,” Mcgie said, adding that the cast includes students from Grade 7-11.
While Alice in America-land isn’t a musical, Mcgie said there will be a few songs performed during the play, including one where original music was composed by a student.
Galt teacher and director Olivia Louise Grenier had the same idea as BCS, opting for a lighter production this spring after a heavier play last year.
Grenier chose Get Smart, adapted by Christopher Sergel from the original 1965 spy series.
“It’s a great story,” Grenier said, adding that if the audience wants to see Get Smart, they will see Get Smart. “The play is adapted directly from the episodes,” she said.
Grenier said that this year’s production tells the story of an unlikely hero, something that the students can appreciate and relate to.
Get Smart will be Grenier’s seventh production in five years at Galt. Recently the school has been adding a second play each year to give the drama program more visibility because the school will add a new performing arts concentration option next year, Grenier said.
The cast of 22 was in full dress rehearsal yesterday to fine tune their performances for this weekend.
Galt’s Get Smart starts tonight, April 27, and continues till Saturday. The show will take place at the Galt auditorium beginning at 8 p.m.
The BCS play Alice in America-land will have evening performances, also beginning tonight through Saturday, beginning at 7:30p.m. in the theatre on campus.