Strathcona Alumni Playing By Heart

Strathcona High School’s Alumni make an impactful comeback with their stellar performance of “Alice by Heart”! From their unique and harmonizing voices to their simplistic yet strategic set, the Strathcona Alumni played all their roles with heart.

Written by Steven Sater, Jessie Nelson, and Duncan Sheik, “Alice by Heart” is a touching story that takes place in the tunnels of London during World War II. It follows the story of Alice and her friend Alfred, who is suffering from tuberculosis. As Alice blends and blurs the line between her fantasy and her reality, “Alice by Heart” becomes a story of the difficulty of facing grief during difficult times.

From the opening statement to the finale, the Strathcona Alumni demonstrated their dedication to excellence. Actors like Emmy Whitehead, who portrays Alice, showcase their talent by presenting Alice as a naive and imaginative girl with hopes taller than herself. Patrick Lynn, as Alfred, balanced Alice as someone with patience and acceptance. Of course, the rest of the cast did not go unnoticed, as they enhanced the experience of their performance with their stage presence and musical harmony.

The technical aspects of the show are details that no one can forget. The audience can clearly distinguish between Alice’s fantasy and reality, as the lights go from the cool colors of purple and blue to a white wash light. It highlights the creativity and imagination that Alice presents throughout the show, as well as the severe and harsh reality she has to face. Additionally, the set is simplistic to start with, as there aren’t many cues as to where the characters are in certain scenes. Of course, each scene is well-thought-out and choreographed with actors filling the negative space, making audience members even forget that there was negative space to begin with.

To finally wrap it up, “Alice by Heart,” presented by the Strathcona Alumni, is a show to see and a show always to remember. From directing to tech to acting, everyone in the production team had a part to play, and they played it with all of their hearts.