On a Thursday afternoon during after school hours, within a spacious classroom on the first floor of Mineola High School, 26 students are all working toward a common goal and, in the process, enjoying themselves.

There are just over two weeks left before opening night of Mineola High School Department of Performing Arts' production of the drama Alice in Wonderland and the cast is performing the very last scene.

As a comfortable November breeze eases through the open windows, the play's director, Ed Murray, shouts out direction. "Hopefully, you memorized the scene. Let's see what happens," he says.

As they practice toasting Queen Alice's health, energy seems to emanate from the classroom. Although preparing to put on a play is hard work, the students are clearly having fun, which Murray says, is by design. Part of the fun stems from a sense of camaraderie the students feel. "A theater production is an ensemble working together for a common goal," the director said.

Alice in Wonderland will be one of the two major productions Mineola High School's Department of Performing and Fine Arts put on this year. They will also perform a musical in the spring. The drama will be performed on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. and then, for the first time, on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m.

Alice in Wonderland was chosen, in part, because the department wanted to put on a production with a literary theme. Because Alice in Wonderland appeals to a variety of age groups, the district incorporated the story into its English program. Therefore, by the time the play is performed, every student, from kindergarten to the 12th grade, will be exposed to it.

The production's producer, District Director of performing and fine arts, Rob Ratner, explains that the production of the play represents a fine tradition at Mineola High School. The students, Ratner said, are the ones responsible for putting the production on, from the acting to the technical aspects of the play, to the set construction and design. "We try to give kids a real life theater experience," said Ratner.

Some of the students in the play are involved in the Thespian Troupe, a sort of national honor society within the circles of theater, while others, by participating, will become closer to becoming members. Ratner, who has seen nearly 30 productions in his 14 years with the district, takes pride in the talent of the students coming together for the three days the production will unfold. "It is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences that a student can be involved in," he said. "Theater has so much to offer students."

Murray, an English teacher in Mineola High School, also expressed his pride at the hard work the students have put into the production. Working with such a talented bunch has also been fun for him.

The play gives students the opportunity to overcome any shyness they may have and it also provides a forum in which people of all types of personalities can be involved and enjoy the reward. "That's what makes it fun," Murray said. "Part of the goal is to show that theater is for everyone."

This Monday will start a week known in theater as "hell week." It will be the week which will conclude with opening night. Murray said his stress level is sure to go up. The process of preparing for the play, he said, is just as important as the actual production.

However, through all the rehearsals after school and the anxiety leading up to show time, when the curtain goes up it will all be worth it. "It not just fun, it's work but the reward is exciting," Murray said.

The students from Mineola High School involved in Alice in Wonderland are working toward putting together a production the entire school and community can be proud of. Their director wouldn't have it any other way. Now, they hope, as many people as possible will come and see it.