(Sitting) freshman Henry Weddle, sophomore Audrey Mendralski, senior Chad Bowling, sophomore Sydney Ventura, freshman Easton Gliebe, senior Chrisanthi Burch, and senior Ashley Gildenblatt, as well as (standing) senior Olivia Weddle, senior Sam Harper, junior Ben Hartong, junior Callie Ziegler, and senior Sam Chandler.
Anderson High School is entering their seventh decade of spring musicals by presenting “Alice by Heart,” a new musical by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, who won two Tony Awards in 2007 for their musical “Spring Awakening.”
“Alice by Heart” is a poignant and lyrical re-telling of the Lewis Carrol classic through the eyes of a group of teenagers trapped in an underground bunker in WWII London. Alice Stuart uses the familiar tale to distract herself and her best friend, Alfred, who has tuberculosis, from the horrors of their isolation.
As Alice tells the story of “Alice in Wonderland,” the teens and adults around her transform into characters from Wonderland, from the Mad Hatter to the Queen of Hearts. Alfred becomes the White Rabbit, and as he grows weaker the characters explore the ways we deal with grief, loss, and love.
Director and Theatre and Film Teacher Chad Weddle chose this work, in part, “because this generation of young people are still dealing with the pain and loss and isolation of their Covid experience. This musical shows all of us a path forward—a way to use imagination and story to process emotion and to heal.”
“Alice by Heart” runs April 25-28 at Anderson High School. Tickets are $15 at the door, with special $10 senior and student pricing available in advance through http://www.ShowTix.com. For more information, visit AndersonTheatre.com.
The cast of Anderson Theatre’s “Alice by Heart” includes (sitting) freshman Henry Weddle, sophomore Audrey Mendralski, senior Chad Bowling, sophomore Sydney Ventura, freshman Easton Gliebe, senior Chrisanthi Burch, and senior Ashley Gildenblatt, as well as (standing) senior Olivia Weddle, senior Sam Harper, junior Ben Hartong, junior Callie Ziegler, and senior Sam Chandler. Visit AndersonTheatre.com for information and tickets.
Alice at AHS Tracks:
Anderson Theatre’s “Alice by Heart” runs April 25 through 28. Cast members include (front row) freshman Easton Gliebe, senior Chad Bowling, sophomore Audrey Mendralski, senior Olivia Weddle, sophomore Sydney Ventura, freshman Henry Weddle, and senior Ashley Gildenblatt, (back row) junior Ben Hartong, senior Sam Harper, senior Sam Chandler, junior Callie Ziegler, and senior Chrisanthi Burch.
Alice at AHS stairs:
Students from Anderson Theatre’s production of “Alice by Heart.” The show runs April 25 through 28 at Anderson High School, and tickets are available at the door and by visiting their website, AndersonTheatre.com.
Two master playwrights, two groundbreaking plays, one amazing weekend. The Glass Menagerie is a semi-autobiographical masterpiece by Tennessee Williams, a lyric and emotional ‘memory play’ that reflects on family dysfunction and the difficulty of accepting reality. The Mousetrap is the iconic murder mystery by Agatha Christie, a tale of suspense and murder that stands at the world’s longest-running play. Anderson Theatre is presenting both of these plays in a single weekend in February, giving audiences alternating nights of some of the best theatre in history.
The Glass Menagerie will run February 15 & 17, and The Mousetrap will run February 16 & 18. Tickets go on sale to the public on 1/6/2024. Purchase them by visiting our website (
In April, a decades long tradition continues. Anderson High School’s 60th spring musical is “Bring It On, the Musical,” a high-flying look at competitive cheerleading. Originally directed and choreographed on Broadway by Cincinnati native Andy Blankenbuehler, it boasts lyrics and music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and was inspired by the 2000 movie “Bring It On.”
Anderson High School senior and film student Devin Lands was inspired by Stephen King’s novel “The Shining” when he wrote the screenplay for this year’s mainstage Film project. His film tells the story of teenagers Michael, Rose, and Freddy as they spend three months house-sitting an off-season B&B for Michael’s Uncle. The house has a dark past, but so does Michael, and all too soon that darkness rises to threaten them all.
