Go Down the Rabbit Hole with ALICE IN WONDERLAND at the Bonstelle Theatre

By: Sep. 27, 2016
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Theatre and Dance at Wayne continues its 2016 - 17 season with the adventurous Alice in Wonderland at the Bonstelle Theatre running October 7 - 16 . Based on Lewis Carroll's classic children's book , this energetic production follows a young girl named Alice , as she falls down a rabbit hole and embarks on a bizarre and extraordinary journey to discover her true identity.

The twists and turns of Wonderland mirror the twists and turns of childhood as Alice explores an unknown land , making friends and enemies along the way . With this production , Theatre and Dance at Wayne pushes the mind past its normal limits , focusing on curiosity of the world around us which leads to the formation of identity - growing up.

With every character Alice meets , she is asked , " Who are you ? " This motif relates to persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds , as we often are faced with this very question . Alice has a hard time throughout the play , but by the end grows into her own as she's encouraged to speak on it consistently . It takes an adventure and a leap of faith to create a world of possibilities and to encourage and promote growth within one's self .

Whether you are 7 , 17 , 27 , or 70 , wonderland is filled with curiosity for all ages . This beautiful work of art is led by two outstanding and experienced professionals at Theatre and Dance at Wayne - Jill Dion and Lavinia Hart.

Jill Dion is a Wayne State alumna and a graduate of the Moscow Art Theatre School ( MXT ) . While in Moscow , Jill studied movement under Andrei Droznin and is currently teaching his method in the Theatre and Dance Department at Wayne State . She is a founding member of Studio Six Theatre Company , the Program Director of the " Month in Moscow " study abroad program , and also works as the Artistic Director for Wayne State University's Motor City Cabaret . Lavinia Hart is an Associate Professor of Theatre and former Artistic Director of the Attic Theatre for 19 years . She holds her MFA in Directing from Wayne State University , a professional training certificate from Oakland University's Academy of Dramatic Art and a Teaching Certificate from the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium at Kent State University . Hart comments on her time working with the production.

" My training as an actor , artistic director and teacher has always highlighted the actor - as - creator rather than the actor as merely an interpreter of a director's vision or of a playwright's text . Time limitations frequently cause us to abbreviate a collaborative approach to making theatre , but I'm happy to say that is not the case with Wayne State's current staging of Alice in Wonderland . Having a Co - Director with extraordinary talents in choreographing Physical Theatre scenarios , as Ms . Jill Dion possesses , is a rare opportunity for the directors and actors to realize a long held dream about actor - centered theatre . With a cast as collaborative and celebratory as the Bonstelle Theatre Company , the components for - more - a beautiful , engaging event are complete . Finally , out of a desire for a classical Alice who would speak to a broad spectrum of young , diverse theatre goers , we have cast 3 young women playing Alice in her journey . Their transformation within the world of Wonderland offers a variety of role models who urge children everywhere to ' imagine six impossible things before breakfast . ' It is my hope that this bold and bright production of Alice in Wonderland will offer something for family members of all ages . "

Alice in Wonderland is a wonderful opening to Theatre and Dance at Wayne's 16 - 17 season at The Bonstelle Theatre . It has an array of mystery , suspense , and just the right amount of wonder to get away from it all . Don't be late for a very important date with Alice ! About the Bonstelle Theatre The Bonstelle Theatre is a Broadway - style house with a 1,034 - seat auditorium featuring a balcony and much of the original Beaux - Arts architecture . The Theatre was built as Temple Beth - El in 1902 and converted to the Bonstelle Playhouse in 1922 . The Bonstelle Theatre Company includes BA and BFA actors , designers , and stage managers in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University.

Here , future stars of theatre , film , and television follow in the footsteps of successful alumni like Emmy and Golden Globe Award - winning S . Epatha Merkerson ( NBC's Law and Order , Lackawanna Blues ) , Lily Tomlin ( 9 to 5 , ABC's Desperate Housewives ) , and Ernie Hudson ( Ghostbusters , NBC's Heroes ) . For box office hours and information on performances , tickets , group discounts , and corporate packages , please call the box office at 313 - 577 - 2960 or visit the theatre's website at http : / / www.bonstelle.com . The Bonstelle Theatre , Where Wayne Plays . Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to over 26,000 students .



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