Preview of 'Alice Through the Internet' at Naugatuck High School

The 25 students in the Naugatuck High School Drama Club are in rehearsal for a one-act play to be presented April 11 and 12, 2013. The group is under the able direction of Devin Burroughs. Ms. Burroughs attends Central Connecticut State University and serves as advisor to the Drama Club. The students rehearse after school and on Saturday mornings in the Davis auditorium and I was invited to sit in on a recent rehearsal.

After a warm up activity, the director assigned each of the students a task ranging from running lines in pairs, painting scenery, writing a press release (thank you!) or in the case of the lead actress, work one-on-one with the lady in charge.

Katie Coyle, a senior and president of the Drama Club, has been cast in the starring role of Alice. This talented young lady has been involved with the club throughout her high school years, as well as playing french horn with the NHS marching band when she wasn't serving as a drum major. She appeared in Whimsicality's Beauty and the Beast in Wolcott.

Ms. Coyle tells me that she is very excited to be playing Alice in the show and has been working very hard at perfecting the role. She appeared in virtually every scene that I saw the group rehearse and she displayed a fine comic timing in her portrayal of this fun character.  I look forward to seeing her performance in the play.

The vice president of the Drama Club is Preston Bogan, a junior at NHS. Mr. Bogan plays Popup (as in those annoying things usually blocked by an anti-virus) and is required to interupt himself frequently onstage. This is not difficult for this actor, who also plays a "Facelook" friend. (Full disclosure: Preston and I appeared together in in 2007.) "The show is lots of fun," says Mr. Bogan. "The director allows lots of creative liberties and the play includes tons of imagination." He recently was seen as various characters in Naugatuck Teen Theatre's Much Ado About Nothing.

Ms. Burroughs found this unique play through Brooklyn Publishers, a favorite of hers. Although it is written as a one-act, it will be presented with an intermission at the high school. Tickets for the show are $5.00 if a patron brings a food donation and $7.00 without. The shows usually collect a large amount of nonperishable food for the Food Bank. Tickets can be purchased through cast members or at the door.

This smart show contains lots of inside jokes for those of us who have a working knowledge of computers and the internet. Ms. Coyle is the only member of the cast who plays one part; the rest of the students play three, four, and even five roles. The students will have to make ample use of the small but stuffed prop closet at the high school. "This is the smallest cast I have ever had, and the play has the largest number of parts that I have ever had," says Ms. Coyle.

The cast includes Bailey Anderson, Angela Buckley, Preston Bogan, Katie Coyle, Steph Conely, Brianna Durante, Colette Dumant, Danielle D'Olivera, Hailey Diaz, Daniella Gonzalez, Steph Hensley, Megan Jennings, Bradley Karvelis, Katelyn Karvelis, Tom Karvelis, Chelsey Luis, Jenna Miller, Chelsea Newman, Mike Newman, Kaylin Spaulding, Alex Trenbrank, and Kinzey Warholic.

I was impressed by the scenes that I was able to see at this rehearsal. The show is funny and very smart, and I had to pay attention to keep up. The cheeky character names like YouTuba, Cookie, Amazone and Chatty Cathy (played to perfection by Hailey Diaz) add to the fun. Alice often breaks the fourth wall, so the audience gets to be part of the experience. This will be a great production for every computer user, as well as those of us who can relate to a title character who wants nothing more than to get back home from the overwhelming internet. Don't miss it!

Alice Through the Internet 

by Robert Frankel

The Naugatuck High School Drama Club invites you to experience a thrilling and exciting adventure as Alice gets sucked inside of the internet. See what kind of unexpected twists and turns Alice has to make as she desperately tries to get home. Remember to keep your portals open...you never know who might Pop-Up.

SHOW DATES: April 11 and 12, 2013

SHOW TIME: 7:00 PM Tickets $5 with a food donation, $7 without

Naugatuck High School, Davis Auditorium

Facebook event (of course) and Patch Event Listing