NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, Aug. 7.
SEQUIM — In “Alice in Zombieland,” our curious heroine is now a teenager facing a lot of changes.
In this production at Olympic Theatre Arts, Alice returns to Wonderland only to find the Wicked Witch of the West, that one from Oz, has transformed all of the characters — even the Queen of Hearts — into zombies.
The witch has cast Wonderland into a “Spells-R-Us” shop with zombies as her minions — so it’s up to Alice to save the day.
It’s a crazy mix of teens and tweens frolicking across the stage for just three shows: at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at OTA, 414 N. Sequim Ave.
All seats are $10, with reservations available at www.olympictheatrearts.org and via the box office at 360-683-7326. Remaining tickets will be sold at the theater door.
Opening set tonight
This evening only, there’s an opening set: Kids Got Talent, a one-hour showcase on the OTA stage. The singing, dancing and other talent will spill at 5 p.m. as part of Sequim’s free First Friday Art Walk.
As for “Alice in Zombieland,” Danny Willis and Bonne Smith are directing the play by prolific Chicago-born writer Craig Sodaro.
The cast features 14-year-old Erin Gordon as Alice; Ava Fuller, 9, as the White Rabbit; Meguire VanderVelde, 13, as the Queen of Hearts; Owen Douglas, 8, as the Cook; Mike Roggenbuck, 14, as the Mad Hatter; Isabella Knott, 11, as Dorothy; and Payton Sturm, 13, as the Wicked Witch.
Willis, 18, is a seasoned actor who most recently appeared in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” at Olympic Theatre Arts. He’s been up on stages for a good 10 years already.
“I have always had such fun working in theater, and I really wanted to share that,” he said.
“We have a cast of 25 from ages 7 to 16, and they are the best.
“They listen, they give creative input and they laugh,” just as he and Smith do.
Along with costumer Kaylee Ditlefsen, Smith feels an affinity for zombies. They’ve worked with a number of cast members’ parents to create the getups and the special effects in the show.
“Everyone wants to be a zombie, don’t they?” Smith mused.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
