In the theater, things aren't always what they appear to be. In Wonderland, things aren't always what they appear to be.

In the real world, things aren't always what they appear to be.

"I think one of the themes addresses childhood wonder and how fleeting that it is," said Josh Martin, the director of Garden Spot Performing Arts' (GSPA) upcoming performance of "Alice in Wonderland." "The idea is that young people experience magic in ways that you lose as you get older. You encounter these magical things, and, over time, you come to understand them. Alice encounters all these mysterious characters. I think it's important to learn and understand other people and other ways of life."

GSPA will present its rendition of "Alice in Wonderland" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Nov. 22, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, inside Garden Spot High School's Stan Deen Auditorium, 669 E. Main St., New Holland. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the days of the shows or by calling 717-354-1584.

The 75-minute adaptation of Lewis Carroll's timeless classic will be performed in two acts divided by an intermission.

"The audience is super important," said Martin. "For us, we need to find joy in the process; everything should be fun. Ultimately, we are preparing this for an audience. Our goal for the show is to introduce it to a young audience and introduce them to theater. For the actors who work hard for six to eight weeks on this, it's gratifying when the hard work is rewarded with laughter and appreciation. What the audience can expect is a fast-moving production for kids. Hopefully, they will walk away saying, 'That was a fun night in New Holland.'"

The presentation of "Alice in Wonderland" requires 75 engaged students to pull off, a cast of 30 on stage and 45 crew members working backstage on sets, lighting, makeup, sound and costumes. Of the 30 cast members, about half are Garden Spot middle-schoolers.

The cast features freshman Annie Basehore as Alice, senior Otto Loose as Cheshire Cat, junior Kayla Gitke as White Rabbit, senior Camdyn Smith as Caterpillar, junior Innocynce (Gracie) Bowman as Dutchess, junior Hannah Steinmetz as Humpty Dumpty, senior Jack Harner as Mad Hatter, junior Claire Werner as March Hare, sixth-grader Ava Reese as Dormouse, senior Jenna Zueno as Queen of Hearts, seventh-grader Liam Gill as King of Hearts, sophomore Alejandro Ramirez as Tweedledee and sophomore Andre Ramirez as Tweedledum.

"GSPA is more than a theater program to me; it's a family and it's a community that grows with every performance we do together," said Jenna. "I'm enjoying getting to know all of the new people in GSPA this year and seeing genuine passion in these kids for theater. ( 'Alice in Wonderland') is a fast-paced show with a lot of one-liners and puns, which make it difficult, as there's very little logic to the show. But I think the audience will love the quirky characters and the morals behind the story."

"We really do pull from a pretty broad cross-section of the student population," said Martin. "We have kids who play sports, we have kids who are in FFA, and for some of these kids, they don't do anything else. I think the reason it appeals to so many kids is that we come together for a finite period, we come together and then we dissipate. We are very open to kids who want to try it. They get to interact with peers they may not see during a normal school day."

The hard work required to present "Alice in Wonderland" began on Sept. 25 with auditions, and sign-ups for stage crew were conducted a week after the cast was announced. The initial rehearsal was held in the early days of October, and since then the cast and crew have been rehearsing two or three nights a week to fine-tune all the moving pieces.

"This is an extension of the students' education," said Martin. "It's a necessary part of learning as a young person. You learn teamwork, you learn to collaborate, and you learn to think on your own and problem-solve together. They must be focused on their roles, no matter what that is. It's a great learning tool. These are absolutely valuable life lessons we're trying to communicate."

When the curtain goes up and the stage lights come on, that's the time for these prepared thespians to shine.

"The performance itself is fleeting compared to the hours and hours of preparation that goes into it," said Martin. "I want this to be genuinely good and something (the students are) genuinely proud of, so they feel an actual sense of accomplishment. At the end of this, I always hope that they've made friends and that they're leaving with a sense of genuine pride. I think that can go far in creating self-esteem."