Cappies Review: Dominion’s Production of ‘Go Ask Alice’

Review by Eni Oyeleye, Westfield High School

Commitment to character, appropriate handling of mature content, and impeccable diction all contributed to the profound effect of Dominion High School’s production of the difficult to tackle Go Ask Alice. This gripping piece explores the themes of drug abuse, mental illness, and family predicaments through the lens of a teenage girl named Alice.

Originally a book written in 1971 by “Anonymous”, who was later revealed to be Beatrice Sparks, “Go Ask Alice” was also adapted into a TV Movie in 1973. Dominion High School presented the play adaption written by Frank Siras.

Every lead and supporting actor excelled in their commitment to characterization. The audience could tell that acting choices were well thought out. The play is a tough challenge to take on, and Dominion High School did a laudable job. It would have been easy for the cast to drown in a sea of such weighty issues, but the production successfully stayed afloat. Another commendable aspect was the steady pacing of the show. Given that the show was set in largely the same room, the pacing could have lagged, but did not.

Ashlyn Rock faced the arduous task of playing a character with as much emotional depth as Alice, and she did so admirably. Alice had to form relationships with most of the other people in the cast, and she forged these relationships effectively. After a first act that is significantly calmer for her character, Ashlyn did a great job taking the audience through her rocky journey in the second act. In addition, Alice was in an intoxicated state much of the show, and the contrast between this and her sober state was clearly defined.

Annie Begley and Geoffrey Macrae portrayed Alice’s Mother and Father, respectively. As some of the only adult characters in the show, they were entirely believable as people of a different age than themselves. Geoffrey created a lovable, if somewhat quirky character, who provided moments of comedic relief, but also matched the more intense moments with appropriate emotion. Annie had all the characteristics of a loving, caring mother. One of her stand out moments was her heart-breaking reaction to her daughter’s still, lifeless body at the conclusion of the show. One notable fact was that both Begley and Macrae also portrayed other characters. They managed to create completely different characterizations with different speech patterns and mannerisms.

Despite some minor technical hiccups: some sound cues were off just a bit and the costumes were not period in some instances, the small cast of 16 was clearly dedicated to the production, and their hard work certainly paid off.

Written in the 1970s, through Go Ask Alice we recognize how certain issues- drug addiction, depression, family struggles, and coming of age - are a timeless reminder of how imperfect we are as humans. And yet there is something beautiful and perfect in that imperfection. Dominion High School’s production of Go Ask Alice left a sizable impression on the audience, as it would 30 years ago, as well as 30 years from now.