The cast list for our school’s fall production of Alice in Wonderland is up, and a cluster of hopeful auditionees clamor to get a look, each of them wondering the same thing – who is Alice?

The lead role this year went to junior Leah Miller, who is currently taking Acting 3.

Before any decisions were made regarding casting, anyone who wanted to participate had to audition. For the first part of auditions, students had to sing two lines of a song of their choice, being evaluated for their vocals. The second part of auditions was a test on improvisational skills and creativity – everyone had to come up with an original and complete fairy tale in five minutes. Lastly, students were given a script that they had never seen before, and were asked to read from it. “It’s pressure, on the spot,” Miller said.

Miller put down the lead role as the one she would most like to play “just in case,” not really expecting to get it.

When her teacher described Alice before they began working on the production, Miller realized she could relate to her as a character. “I really like the character of Alice. She’s kind of quirky, but a little serious, and she goes through a big change,” she said.

When she found out that she had, in fact, gotten the part she tried out for, Miller was thrilled. “I didn’t believe it. My friend told me, so I was really shocked. I took a picture to make sure I wasn’t seeing things,” she said.

Now, Miller practices every day in preparation for the play, which is scheduled from October 31^st to November 2^nd at 7:00 p.m.

This isn’t Miller’s first experience on stage. She started performing at the age of five, when her parents enrolled her in an acting class. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she said. Miller enjoys acting because she like to entertain and perform for other people, and wants to continue with it both in future high school plays, and in college, where she plans of majoring in drama. Other than performing, Miller hopes to try out for Unified Bocce this for the school this year.

When asked if the fall play this year would be a success, Miller said, “Yes, the cast is really great. Everyone fits their part almost perfectly.” The scene she is most excited for is at the end, when her character fights back. “You’ll have to see it to find out what that means,” Miller said.

With a strong, hardworking, leading actress like Miller, one thing is certain – this year’s fall play will definitely be one worth seeing.