NOCTILUCA Feb. 2016

AREYOUAWARE? Appleton, Wisconsin February 2016 Vol. XXI Issue I An evening of holiday mischief By Molly Biskupic Page 10

Appleton North Students and is headed by North’s own Mrs. Dechant, held a gift drive during the con- cert, wherein attendees were encouraged to bring a new unwrapped gift to the per- formance. These gifts have since been donated to fami- lies in need at the Fox Val- ley Warming Shelter, COTS, Homeless Connections, and the Harbor House. Overall, the evening, which was standing room only, has been labeled a suc- cess by the event’s coordi- nators and can be expected to run once more in Decem- ber 2016. For more informa- tion, check the Mile of Mu- sic Facebook page or their website at http://mileofmu- sic.com/. full understanding of the show and their complete dismissal of a vital part of the story. Alice, as abstract as we have made it to be, can only be done right with utmost precision and with maintaining the efficiency of our carefully crafted, well-oiled machine. This system is what defines us as One Act performers, as participants in such a com- manding production. Walking off stage as the final seconds of our pro- duction elapse, the pas- sage of time seems surreal because of our collective enthrallment in the remark- able happenings onstage. Afterwards, we await our results in a silent storm of exhaustion and nervous energy. Stop or advance, pass or fail, win or lose, it would be a lie to say that the judge’s’ jurisdiction won’t mean the world to us, because it will. Still, whether or not we put on a show that reflects our blood, sweat and tears and that inspires other theatre programs to do the same is what will last. That, for me, is our entire purpose. For more information re- garding upcoming shows, visit appletonnorththeatre. com.

You may have rolled your eyes at the tree dis- play at Target, cringed at the carols playing on the radio, and avoided eye contact with the Santa at the mall, but the holidays came and went and, with advertisements and pro- motions galore, they were impossible to dismiss. They may have past, but it is impossilbe to forget the season of cheer synony- mous with baked goods, wishlists, seasonal drinks, pointless coffee-cup argu- ments, family reunions, and of course music. For the fifth year in a row, An Evening of Holi- day Mischief provided the community with a night of “Go!” the stage manager shouts queuing a flood of set pieces to surge onto the stage in a choreographed frenzy. For the next forty minutes or less, the Apple- ton North One Act cast and crew becomes one in purpose: to immerse our- selves and our audience in Wonderland. As the timer ticks, we are an instrument of concentration, rendering Lewis Carroll’s beloved story. I play Alice Liddell in North’s One Act produc- tion of Alice in Wonder- land this year. Although Alice One Act isn’t the first production I’ve been a part of with the North Theatre Program, it is cer- tainly among the ones I’ve grown the most fond of because of its whimsical and wonderfully abstract nature. Not to be confused with either one of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland’s, the North theatre production is an original adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s novel, condensed into a single act and performed as a part of the Wisconsin High School Forensic Association’s One Act competition. Working in the Alice cast is an indescribable experi- ence, but I’ll try my best to

hijinks, holiday cheer, and genuine generosity. North alum Cory Chisel hosted alongside his longtime col- laborator and partner, Adriel Denae. Attendees enjoyed solo performances from both Chisel and Denae, as well as collaborative pieces. According to the event’s official Facebook page, “Rhodes Wilder Chisel [the couple’s son] brought down the house with his perfor- mance” as well. With the duo’s Ameri- cana take on classic holiday songs, you can be certain this wasn’t your grandma’s Christmas pageant. Many surprise guests joined the headliners throughout the concert. In years past, these

A tabled filled with gifts donated by attendees have been sent to families in need across the Fox Valley. Photo Courtesy of Mile of Music.

singer and bass player. To spread the cheer throughout the community, Willems Student Marketing team, which features many

performers have included community choirs and local artists, and this year includ- ed the Appleton Boychoir and John Wheelock, a local

By Rachel Sina Student perspective: One Act performing

From left to right: North theatre director Ron Parker, actress Rachel Sina, and stage managers Kamy Veith and Maddy Cuff in an early rehearsal of the Alice in Wonderland One Act. Photo by Maddy Schilling

explain nonetheless. On one hand, there are exceptional bonds formed between fel- low cast and crewmembers that are comparable to be- ing part of a family; we are driven not only by the love of the theatre, but also by a shared desire to uphold the reputation of our the- atre program’s ancestors. One Act excellence is a tradition at North, with our Theatre Program obtaining the coveted Critic’s Choice award at the Wisconsin High School Theatre Fes- tival for the past sixteen consecutive years, so each member of the cast and crew is eager to continue to be the best we can and to tell of Alice’s adventures

with honesty and heart. On the other hand, One Act is an experience not for the weak-hearted. For one, there is the un- derlying stress of each per- formance, with set up and take down included, having to be under forty minutes in order to meet the guidelines of the competition. Then, there are the grueling eight to twelve hour rehearsals wherein numerous changes are constantly made; with surpassing the trials of district and sectional com- petitions, the intensity of rehearsals as the show trav- els to state become more heightened than ever. Frankly, it gets pretty de- manding. From my person-

al perspective as an actor, making sure you’re seen, heard, and understood are all crucial elements of the production. For everyone involved, it is paramount to be in, ahead, and above the moment all at once. Practice makes perfect, and staying at school until around ten at night as well as mentally reviewing scenes individu- ally is necessary to achieve this perfection. After all, receiving Crit- ic’s Choice is completely dependent on how three es- teemed theatre profession- als interpret the play. Pro- jecting a single sentence or remembering a simple gesture can be the differ- ence between the judges’