KU News Release

Sept. 7, 2007
Contact: Charla Jenkins, University Theatre, (785) 864-2684.

KU Theatre for Young People opens with ‘Through the Looking Glass’

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas’ Department of Theatre and Film,
University Theatre and Theatre for Young People will stage public performances of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There,” adapted by Rosemary Nursey-Bray, at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, in the William Inge Memorial Theatre in Murphy Hall.

The production is directed by Dennis Christilles, associate professor of theatre and film, who also designed the sets and lights and composed incidental music for the production. Costume designer is Jackie Bowin, a junior from Columbus, Kan., and Goose Creek, S.C., and the puppet design is by Spencer Lott, a sophomore from Lawrence.

A memory play set in the early 1920s, the play opens as an elderly Alice Liddell, the real Alice in Carroll’s books, reflects on the telling of the original story.

The Nursey-Bray adaptation is faithful to Carroll’s story about childhood fears of growing up and keeps the Victorian charm and merriment by maintaining Carroll’s scenes intact, Christilles said.

One sleepy afternoon, Alice, playing chess by herself, sees a real Red Queen through the looking glass. Stepping through the mirror, she meets the kings and queens of her chess set and discovers the whole world is marked out as a chessboard, across which she must travel as a pawn.

“She meets talking flowers, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, sees Humpty Dumpty fall from his wall, meets again the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, and witnesses the furious battle between the lion and the unicorn fighting for the crown,” Christilles said. “Finally a gentle White Knight rescues her from the cruel Red Knight so she herself can become a queen.”

“Through the Looking Glass” will be staged for area students in grades four, five and six at 1 p.m. Sept. 17-21 and at 9:45 a.m. Sept. 26-28.

General admission tickets for the production are on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982; Lied Center, 864-ARTS; and Student Union Activities, 864-7469; and online at www.kutheatre.com. Tickets are $10 for the public, $5 for students and $9 for senior citizens and KU faculty and staff. All major credit cards are accepted for phone and online orders.

Students in cast and production roles for “Through the Looking Glass” are listed below by name, class and major, parents’ names, high school and role.

CHEROKEE COUNTY
From Columbus 66725 and Goose Creek, S.C.
Jackie Bowin, junior theatre and film and history major, daughter of Thomas and Mavis Bowin; Columbus Unified High School; costume designer.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66044
Dale Buchheister, senior theatre major, son of Jim and Carol Buchheister; Manhattan High School; White King.

From Lawrence 66049
Spencer Lott, sophomore theatre and film major, son of Hunter and Nancy Lott; Lawrence Free State High School; puppet design.

FINNEY COUNTY
From Holcomb 67851
Logan Walker, senior theatre major, son of Lynn and Cindy Walker; Holcomb High School; Red King and Voice of the Poet.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Olathe 66062
Cali Gilman, junior theatre major, daughter of Barbara Signor; Olathe South High School; Tiger Lily, Unicorn and Frog; also violinist.

From Overland Park 66212
Jordy Altman, senior theatre major, son of Ron and Julie Altman; Blue Valley Northwest High School; Rose, March Hare and White Knight.

From Shawnee 66216
Rebecca Ralstin, junior theatre major, daughter of James and Mary Ca Ralstin; Shawnee Mission Northwest High School; Red Queen.

From Stilwell 66085
Matthew Crooks, junior theatre and film and English major, son of Mike Crooks and Nancy Wunderlich; Blue Valley High School; Guard, Tweedledee, Leg of Mutton and Tree.

KEARNY COUNTY
From Lakin 67860
Chelsie Shipley, junior theatre major, daughter of Price Shipley and Sue Shipley; Lakin High School; Daisy, Goat, Mad Hatter, Walrus and Carpenter.

RENO COUNTY
From Hutchinson 67502
Brady Blevins, senior theatre major, son of Curt and Cindy Blevins; Hutchinson High School; Daisy, Horse and Humpty Dumpty.

COLORADO
From Littleton 80123
Kacie Dienstbach, senior theatre major, daughter of Eric and Donna Dienstbach; Heritage High School; White Queen.

GEORGIA
From Lenox 31637
Katrina L. Darden Bondari; doctoral student in theatre studies, daughter of Martha and Laddie Darden; Lenox High School; clarinetist.

NORTH DAKOTA
From Fargo 58102
Amy Virginia Buchanan, junior theatre and film major, daughter of David and Cindy Buchanan; Stillwater High School, Stillwater, Okla.; Alice.

SOUTH CAROLINA
From Goose Creek 29445 and Columbus, Kan.
Jackie Bowin. See CHEROKEE COUNTY

TEXAS
From Plano 75025
Ben Cook, senior theatre major, son of Rick and Carol Cook; Plano Senior High School; Gentleman Dressed in White Papers, Tweedledum and Plum Pudding.

CYPRESS
From Nicosia
Angela Chrysostomou, junior theatre and film major, daughter of Alkis and Penelope Chrysostomou; Kykkos B School; Violet, Lion, Red Knight, Sun, Moon and Oysters.

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