What better way to enjoy after-school hours than spending time at a rehearsal for a play with your schoolmates.
That is the belief of Sharon Javadala, an 8th-grade student at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School practicing in her lead role in the school’s annual play, Dorothy in Wonderland.
“This is fun, collaborating with other people after a long day at school," Sharon said.
Those “other people” are a total of 47 fellow Middle School students and also the play’s two dedicated Co-Directors, Olivia Matko and Carla Fernandez.
There are 33 student actors and another 14 students who comprise the stage crew.
They have all teamed up to prepare for Dorothy in Wonderland, which will be presented on Friday, November 15. The performance will begin at 7 p.m., while the Middle School auditorium doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the show are $8, while citizens 65 years older and children under age 5 are admitted free.
Here is a summary of the play by Brian D. Taylor that first touches on The Wizard of Oz and then ends with characters from Alice in Wonderland.
“The worlds of Oz and Wonderland collide in this fantastically fun romp, cleverly and carefully adapted from the works of L. Frank Baum and Lewis Carroll. Dorothy Gale has made her way to the end of the Yellow Brick Road, and the wonderful Wizard of Oz is just about to help her get back home to Kansas. But before she can hop into the wizard’s balloon, another whirlwind appears over the Emerald City, sweeping Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion away to Wonderland. Equipped with their new assets — brains, heart and courage — Dorothy’s friends try to help her find her way home, meeting many other interesting characters along the way, including Alice, the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, March Hare, the Cheshire Cat and many more. They also must face a dangerous new foe — the Queen of Hearts! Dorothy and Alice team up to defeat the queen at Croquet, but will that be enough to return Wonderland to normal? And how will they ever get back home to Kansas and to London?”
Co-Directors Ms. Matko and Ms. Fernandez have been proud of the performances on stage and behind the curtain.
“ It is always a pleasure to work with actors who have a strong desire to work and make the show the best it can be. I have especially enjoyed working with the 8th graders who have really grown as actors,” said Ms. Matko, who is the 7th Grade Theater Arts Teacher as well as the Drama Club and Musical Advisor at the Middle School. “It has been really interesting to watch these students put their own spin on classic characters to make it more interesting for a middle school audience. I think that no matter what age you are, you are sure to enjoy this play!”
“Stage crew has been working hard getting ready for this year's production of Dorothy in Wonderland! Students are busy putting together costumes, designing sets, and making props for this whimsical play. It's been great working with such a dedicated and hardworking group of students,” said Ms. Fernandez, who is an English Language Arts Teacher at the Middle School, “They bounce ideas off each other, brainstorm creative approaches to designing the set, and are willing and eager to roll up their sleeves and get to work. There are so many moving pieces behind the scenes, and the students in the stage crew are going above and beyond to manage it all!”
These gifted students also pitched in with the play’s flier, which a stage crew member, Sofia Bella Regala, created.
Sharon cherishes her lead role as Dorothy and reveals that the audience will greatly appreciate the play, especially the closing scene.
“This play has a deep meaning and has a happy and fun ending after a long nightmare,” she concluded.
Come November 15, see for yourself.
Here are the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School staff and students who will present Dorothy in Wonderland.
Co-Directors:
Ms. Carla Fernandez
Ms. Olivia Matko
Cast:
Sharon Javadala
Elianna Mascorenhas
Shaant Sachdeva
Olivia Tang
Jacob Rizkalla
Alice Fan
Adhya Balaji
Briella Alvarez
Kat Orozco
Kirtana Iyer
Danila Quevedo
Hailey Baron
Gabriella Capici
Whitney Guelich
Maura Donahue
Holden Fechter
Shanaya Malhotra
Chelsea Mattis
Grace Ricart
Cassidy Miller
Madison Mattis
Cassidy Caruthers
Skylar Lovelidge
Noelle Sapp
Adwita Singh
Lucianne Raviwong
Sara Polo
Dara Wolff
Anushka Khedlekar
Samara Imadi
Sharanya Bhiwapurkar
Radissa Wibawa
Agil Dinesh
Stage Crew:
Olivia Tang- student director
Gavin Ng- student director
Sophia Ava Halili – stage crew manager
Sudiksha Kolati – stage crew manager
Saivi Ahuja
Sebastian Perez
Sahana Gandhi
Eva Greulich
Sofia Bella Regala
Zalina Pellegrini
Violet Acker
Olivia Franklin
Evan Fidalgo
Nora Psak