By Juliana Blatzheim and Madalynn Tagle Posted March 28, 2025
March 3 – 7, Lowry Drama and Stagecraft put on “Looking Glass Land” for local elementary and middle schools as well as public performances at night, March 3 – 5. “Looking Glass Land” was a creative take on the classic Alice in Wonderland that followed Alice, played by Emily Valdez, as she made her way to the eighth square, where she could become queen. Drama teacher, Ms. Kelly Bales, worked with the students to bring the production together, attempting one major upgrade compared to previous plays.
“The biggest difference with this play is that we never closed the curtains,” said Bales. “In all the other plays I have done, there are always scene changes where we closed the curtains and moved the sets, but in this play, the scene changes were done in full view of the audience. This meant that we had to be precise and choreographed, so it flowed well with the play. All my stagecraft students were dressed as pawns, so they did all the set changing. It was very interesting and difficult to figure out, but it came together perfectly.”
For Sophomore Caitlyn Peters, who played the King of Hearts, this was her first time performing in a play in which she had 24 lines. It was an adjustment for her, but she enjoyed each performance and the chance to make memories for the children.
“Getting through the performances, I could remember when my classes came to see the children’s play and wanted the kids to have an equally memorable time,” said Peters. “My favorite part of the play is how confusing and full of riddles it is, just the small comments that made the crowd laugh.”
Adelyn Quirate played the train conductor and enjoyed seeing the reactions from the children through each scene.
“It was really fun,” said Quirate. “They were lively and very supportive.”
With 16 total performances, each student worked to give their best execution each time, especially considering the lengths particular characters spent on stage.
“All of Drama and Stagecraft performed amazingly during the week, but I would like to recognize Emily Valdez, who played the main character of Alice,” said Bales. ”From the minute the curtains opened until they closed 50 minutes later, Emily was on stage. That means during the week she spent 800 minutes, which is over 13 hours, on stage. Every performance was spot on, and she gave as much energy in her last performance as she did in her first one.”
Valdez as Alice worked through each scene, from meeting the Queen of Hearts played by Leksi Hagness to encountering Dee and Dum played by Gage Samms and Ethan Montenegro to hopping on a train conducted by Adelyn Quirate.
“I enjoyed the interactions with different characters,” said Valdez.
Each actor works to strengthen their character each time they perform, giving Director Bales something to look forward to each performance.
“I enjoy watching my students develop their characters, and they come up with ideas to enhance their characters or their time on stage during the week, so I enjoy watching that process,” said Bales. “I also really enjoy hearing the children laugh during the play.”
Throughout the week, the students bond and make moments on and off the stage to remember.
“At the end of the play, everyone looked forward to who Emily was going to throw her crown at, making for a very funny final scene,” said Peters.
