Down the Rabbit Hole with the cast of Alice in Wonderland

This fall, under the direction of Professor Kelsie Davis, the Olivet Nazarene University Department of Theatre proudly presents, Alice in Wonderland! This marks Professor Davis’ directorial debut on Olivet’s main stage since completing her MBA in 2022 at Olivet.

Professor Davis shared that she chose this show not only to compliment the new black box theatre space at Olivet, but also to convey a meaningful message for the actors and audience members alike. “On a more personal note, I started in theatre when I was nine years old, and my very first production was Alice in Wonderland. It felt fitting that it’s the first show I’m directing, too!” she shared.

While you may be familiar with the original tale of Alice in Wonderland, this adaptation delves into a more mature Alice and her coming-of-age journey. It explores her discovery of herself in the midst of a chaotic environment. Professor Davis explained, “Audiences should expect an imaginative allegory for moving towards adulthood. Instead of Wonderland being a representation of childhood, we frame Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole as her tumble into the adult world—confusing, often frustrating, but with many moments of inspiration and growth.”

Livi Bryant, who plays the role of Alice, shared “I relate a lot to Alice, especially as a freshman who’s living on my own and navigating many parts of adulthood for the first time.”

When asked about the most important lesson to learn from Alice in Wonderland, Ryan Skinder who plays the role of the White Rabbit shared “Sometimes the real world can be very frightening and chaotic, especially if you are in a transitional period of your life. Alice shows us just how confounding that chaos can be, and how important it is to carry on.”

This production is not to be missed! The new ONU black box theatre space offers an intimate experience for the audience, with the set and actors frequently extending into the audience, immersing viewers in Wonderland itself.

Alice in Wonderland will be showing for two weekends at Olivet, October 20^th-21^st and October 26^th-28^th. More information and tickets can be found HERE.