Courtesy photos
On May 9 and 10, the Coe Elementary Musical Theater Club once again transported audiences — this time down the rabbit hole — for its spring production of “Alice in Wonderland Jr.”
Of course, any worthwhile trip through Wonderland begins with Alice herself, played by Sloane Capps, who opened the show with a heartfelt rendition of “A World of My Own.”
“It was a dream come true to be Alice,” said Sloane. “And to be able to work with such an amazing cast of friends.” Helping her navigate this topsy-turvy world were Piper Taylor (Small Alice) and Emmy Slonecker (Tall Alice), who appeared and reappeared as the character’s size fluctuated throughout her journey — thanks to a few ill-advised snacks.
The cast featured a dynamic ensemble of 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-graders who brought color, chaos, and charisma to every inch of the stage across three joy-filled performances. One of the crowd favorites — the ever-grinning Cheshire Cat — was portrayed by three performers: Emma Brown, Faith Maxwell, and Iris Cave.
“All of the hard work, time, patience, and practice we have all given to this spectacle has really paid off!" said Emma. “We have strengthened our bonds, found new friendships, and created a COMMUNITY!!!!” Iris added, “I liked being backstage, looking at all the other performers, and I felt so proud.”
Vivian Dettling hopped through scenes as the perennially late White Rabbit, pocket watch in hand.
“Virtual Choir with Ms. Carreiro was the highlight of every single week during remote school,” she said. “I loved watching all the older kids perform and could not wait for the opportunity.”
That long wait clearly paid off.
Alice’s path was filled with unforgettable characters — from the bickering duo of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (played by Stella Backstrom and Leesha White) to the chaos of the tea party. “Being Tweedle Dee was so enjoyable and being able to make the audience laugh—it was a highlight of my Coe experience,” said Leesha.
The Mad Hatter and March Hare, played with wild abandon by Eleanor Williams and Vivienne
Moll, kept things wonderfully off-kilter. “It was hard and there was a lot of work involved,”
Eleanor admitted, “but it was all worth it at the end when we got to perform.”
Meera Chheda played the Caterpillar with mellow wisdom, proving that sometimes the best advice comes from someone with extra legs and excellent taste in adventure songs.
“As a caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, I loved singing ‘Adventure Is a Wonderful Thing,’” she said. “Our performance was surely the most wonderful adventure!”
And of course, no visit to Wonderland would be complete without the Queen of Hearts. Klunoyon Gnonhossou ruled the stage with poise and power. “Working with the cast was great. I especially loved being on stage with my friends and peers,” she shared. “The saddest part was realizing that it would be the last time on stage with everybody from the Coe community.”
Directed once again by the tireless Krista Carreiro and her passionate team, the production was a colorful, chaotic, and heartfelt journey that reminded everyone why school theater matters. Whether dancing with a Dodo, confronting pretentious flowers, being guided by a flippant caterpillar, playing musical chairs at a tea party, or verbally dueling with the Queen, the students of Coe Elementary helped Alice — and the audience — see that with enough heart (and maybe a cookie or two), anything is possible on stage.