Franklin Regional goes down the rabbit-hole with 'Alice in Wonderland'

Patrick Varine, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·2 min read

May 3—It might not be accurate to say Riley Bain was born to portray Alice from "Alice in Wonderland," but there's no doubt that she's done plenty of research for the role.

"I have an obsession," said Bain, 17, a Franklin Regional junior. "I had an 'Alice' party for my 16th birthday."

Bain will play the titular character in the Franklin Regional Thespians production of "Alice in Wonderland," which will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the senior high school auditorium.

Director Richard Sunny summed the play up well when he was giving the cast notes on a particular scene.

"It's ridiculous, and that's the best part," Sunny said.

A play full of nonsense in a world where everything is upside down might seem very forgiving in terms of forgetting a line or two, but junior Elizabeth Hedden, who plays the maddest of them all — the Queen of Hearts — said that hasn't been the case.

"Our entrances and exits are a lot easier, because the show has so much nonsense, that doesn't matter," Hedden said. "But a lot of the 'nonsense' lines are also full of puns and jokes, so if you get them wrong, it can be tough to know what to do next."

"They have to memorize the 'right' nonsense," Bain said with a laugh.

Hedden said the Queen of Hearts has been one of her favorite roles.

"I love villains because they're so outlandish," she said. "The Queen is loud and obnoxious and just runs around yelling, 'Off with her head!' the whole time. She doesn't care and I love it."

Several cast members and Sunny also said the costumes for this production are among their favorites.

"I love the bright colors," Hedden said. "Everyone is dressed so differently, it's great."

"Alice in Wonderland" will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Franklin Regional Senior High Auditorium, 3200 School Road in Murrysville. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.