This weekend, “Alice by Heart” will premiere at the Lighten Theater as a senior thesis in Theater and Performance Studies.

The 2019 musical by Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson, tells the story of Alice Spencer, a young girl taking refuge in an underground London Tube station during World War II. To cope with the loss of her dearest friend, Alfred, and overlook the horrors of the war, she escapes into the story of “Alice in Wonderland.” However, she finds that stopping time and ignoring her problems is not the safe haven she thinks it will be. From Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, the cast of 14 will perform this retelling.

“This is more a story about war and coping with grief,” said Abigail Murphy ’27, who plays Young Alice and the Second Caterpillar. “[‘Alice in Wonderland’] is used to create motifs within the story to highlight what Alice is feeling.”

The production is the senior thesis project of Maya McGrory ’24, who plays lead character Alice Spencer. McGrory is also working as the show’s producer and co-director alongside Sophie Dvorak ’25. Additionally, Dvorak serves as the musical and orchestral director.

The show features a live band that sits on the stage balcony, which adds a sensory experience of live music that helps create an immersive atmosphere. This is aided by the coziness of the theater, which brings in the audience as a part of the tale. Actors do not shy away from interacting with audience members — the Queen of Hearts goes so far as to scold the audience for praising Alice after a musical number. 

“I was trying to kind of show the irony that the people in power at the time [WWII] were behaving kind of like children, but they were the ones that are supposed to be the adults in the situation,” said Rena Kawasaki ’27, who plays the Queen of Hearts and the Red Cross Nurse.  

In addition to acting in the show, Kawasaki also choreographed the dance sequences alongside Elizabeth Chun ’26.

The show features a variety of technical elements, notably light, sound and costume design.

The lighting changes to match the tone and plot of the story. It goes from a blue hue during the song “Those Long Eyes” to a soft and colorful lighting in the fantastical world “Wonderland,” to a blaring red when fighter planes fly overhead and a cooler toned lighting in the London underground. 

The sound effects also aid in bringing the story to life, especially as the sounds of bombs dropping accentuate the ongoing background setting of a violent war.  

The costumes — designed by Leana Hoang ’23 and assisted by Abraham Payne ’26 — are intricately crafted and deliberate in their motifs, incorporating elements of reality while still holding on to the sense of whimsy quintessential to the Wonderland aesthetic. 

For example, the group of characters named ‘Mock-Turtles’ wear green costumes resembling that of a WWII soldier, and their shells are helmets. Also, the Queen of Diamonds wears a beautiful white ball gown with silver detailing, while the Queen of Hearts wears a white puff sleeve shirt and full red skirt adorned with hearts. Each costume is unique to the character and helps elaborate the wonder of the show. 

While the plot of the show is not a direct interpretation of the classic novel by Lewis Carroll, the essential message of accepting a sometimes unbelievable reality remains. 

“It’s an elaboration on the story we all know and love,” said Crawford Arnow ’27, who plays Alfred, the White Rabbit and the March Hare.

The show will be playing until Dec. 2.