Odyssey Theatre following Alice’s adventures
June 22, 2012 · Karla Steffens-Moran, Special to the Sun

So, this summer, why not take the time to slow down and join Alice in her adventures and see what pieces of the puzzle you might otherwise pass by. Take an adventure with Alice as she meets wild and whimsical characters in Wonderland.

In this Lewis Carroll classic tale, "Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass," performed this summer by nearly 70 area youth from Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Solon, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, by Odyssey Theatre for the Young of Art, a not-for-profit theatre company based in the Mount Vernon Lisbon area, anything can happen and often does down the rabbit hole. As Lewis Carroll wrote: "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?" 

In its 12th year of presenting classic theater for and by young people, Odyssey Theatre for the Young of Art celebrates with two summer performances of "Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass" - a fairy tale of stuff and nonsense and fun, which follows the adventures of a bored young girl named Alice who in her haste follows the white rabbit down the rabbit hole in order to entertain herself only to find herself wanting nothing more than to make her way back home, and so his adventure begins. Performances are in the Mount Vernon School District auditorium Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. General admission tickets will be sold at the door for $5. The box office will open one hour prior to each show.

In keeping with its recent workshop productions, including last summer's "How to Eat Like a Child" and this past holiday season's "Oliver, the Musical," this year's summer production of "Alice" is not only for students, it is by students. The work is student-driven - both onstage and backstage, there are students responsible for the choreography and the light design and hang, the building of sets and the painting of set pieces. The credit belongs to the students - this time more than 100 area students both on stage and backstage.

Founded in 2001 by Mount Vernon residents and co-artistic directors Mike Moran and Karla M. Steffens-Moran, Odyssey Theatre for the Young of Art emphasizes the joys of using one's imagination in its productions to create the imaginary world of the play's story and to encourage young people to understand first hand that theatre is fundamentally, a chance to imagine, a chance to play. To this end, the students focus on pantomime skills and vocal work to develop the world of the story, rather than elaborate staging and production values.

Area youth involved in this summer's production include:

Actors - Alice (Saturday): Theresa Gruber-Miller

Alice (Friday): Mya Reyhons

Alice understudies: Chloe Bunch and Dani Pitts

White Rabbit: Uwen Boettcher (understudy: Emrys Yamanishi)

The Birds: Nicole Theobald, Nicole and Sarah Homrighausen and Hannah Hoer

Mouse: Haley Krob

Dodo: Dallas Olberding

Lory: Lillie Hawker

Eaglet: Lily Booth

Crab: Tessa Baty

Duck: Sage Boettcher

Caterpillar: Johanna Gingrich-Feil

Caterpillar: Evan Wilch

Fish-Footman: Jasper Rood

Frog-Footman: Grace Pettinger

Duchess: Ben Binder (understudy: Nicole Theobald)

Cook: Emrys Yamanishi

Baby/Pig: Dashiell Yamanishi

Cheshire Cat: Ashlyn Steen

March Hare: Martin Benesh

Mad Hatter: Bryce Cox

Doormouse: Lydia Benesh

Two of Spades: Maddy Steen

Five of Spades: Tyler Reyhons

Seven of Spades: Camden Butterbaugh

Queen of Hearts: Nicole Margheim

King of Hearts: Jackson Brus

Gryphon: Jeremy Ferguson

Mock Turtle: Luke Moran

Knave of Hearts: Zach Kolker

Club Card/Soldier #1: Oliver Crocker

Club Card/Soldier #2: Rylan Butterbaugh

Club Card/Soldier #3: Derk Keller

Club Card/Soldier #4: Chris Cannon

Heart Cards/Gardeners: Isabelle Krob, Bree Bevans, Samantha Back, Isabella Squiers, Kate Margheim, Jasmine Turnquist-Wernimont, Ashlee Elliott, Danielle Homrighausen

Red Chess Queen (Saturday): Chloe Bunch

Red Chess Queen: (Friday): Dani Pitts

Train Guard: Chris Banwart

Gentleman in White: Garrett Herring

Goat: Kai Yamanishi

Beetle Voice: Bree Bevans

Voices: Oliver Crocker

Gentle Voice: Raina David

Another Voice: Kate Margheim

Hoarse Voice: Ben Johnson

Tweedledee and Tweedledum: Samantha White and Clara Conroy

White Chess Queen: Stacey Jaeger

Sheep: Simon Crocker

Humpty Dumpty: Nick Silva

White Knight: Sam Krapfl

Horse Front Legs: Clara Conroy

Horse Back Legs: Samantha White

Mutton: Mitchell Gage

Trumpeters: Simon Crocker and Garrett Herring

Soldier/Guards: Rylan Butterbaugh and Oliver Crocker

Chorus/Jury/Water/Members of the Queens' Courts/Fish/Puppeteers/WaterElements: Geana Konkowski, Isabel Hawker, Alice Conroy, Chris Cannon, Dashiell Yamanishi, Elsa Appleton, Leo Appleton, Brady Siders, Nicole, Sarah and Danielle Homrighausen, Hannah Hoer, Atticus Rood, Jasmine Turnquist-Wernimont, Bryan Turnquist-Wernimont, Samantha Back, Grace Pettinger, Kate Margheim, Tessa Baty, Cate Morgan, Raina David, Kaylia Wirfs, Oliver Crocker, Geana Kinkowski, Kai Yamanishi, Emrys Yamanishi, Bree Bevans, Isabella Squiers, Lily Krob, Simon Crocker, Johanna Gingrich-Feil, Nicole Theobald, Jasper Rood, Ben Johnson, Sage Boettcher, Lillie Hawker, Lily Booth, Rylan Butterbaugh, Camden Butterbaugh, Dashiell Yamanishi, Mitchell Gage, Olive Fitzgerald., Ashlee Elliott 

Crew - Beckett Christensen; Owen Egolf, Collin Hallier, Alex White, Tristan Gingrich-Feil, Cece Sullivan, Brandon Douglas and Zak Moran

Intern Staff: Drake Sperfslage, Grace Moran, Assistant Director: Brenna Mills, TECH Director: Cece Sullivan Accompaniest: Alex Doser; choreography: Brenna Mills and Rehanna Rexroat; Interns: Zak Moran, Matisse Christensen, Alex White, Hannah Ganzel, Tristan Gingrich-Feil, Catie Sheehy, Mallory Roudabush and Luke Moran, Adrienne Smith, Brandon Douglas.

A special thanks goes to Barb Shepley, as she continues to find costumes that complete the puzzle picture. Theatre at its best brings people together, of all ages, shapes, sizes and personalities, to accomplish something bigger than any single individual. Perhaps that's one of the lessons of "Alice in Wonderland." The characters we meet along the way might not always make sense to us, but we must meet each one with respect and a willingness to listen and learn. Everyone teaches us something.