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For its 32^nd season finale, Theatre of Dare is taking a page – and several characters – from two classic children’s stories.

The local community theater troupe will open The Wizard of Wonderland, a family-friendly fantasy comedy, on April 28. As an added bonus, the cast and crew will host two ‘Whimsical Woodland Tea Parties’ for kids and adults before performances on April 29.

“The show is a fun, silly, fantastical mashup of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz with a whole array of larger-than-life characters,” says director Kelsey Thompson. “The cast is having a great time playing these literary giants, and we thought a tea party would be a great way to bring these classic characters face-to-face with the audience.”

The play unfolds when a lazy student puts off a book report and suddenly finds himself in a strange place somewhere between Oz and Wonderland. It then becomes the boy’s responsibility to unscramble the stories and steer the familiar characters to their ultimate destinations while avoiding the Wicked Witch and the Red Queen.

The tea parties at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on April 29 will feature all of these characters serving up a host of finger sandwiches, beverages and sweets from Outer Banks eatery Café Lachine. In addition, there will be a photo booth and costume contests for young and old, and the later tea party seating will also have “wine bubbles” for the adults. Each tea party will conclude with a performance of The Wizard of Wonderland. “It’s a great way to end an eclectic and successful season for us,” says Stuart Parks II, Theatre of Dare Board president who is also playing the Cowardly Lion in “Wizard.” “We feel as though we’ve had a wide-range of theatrical experiences this season, and to cap it off with a show that will have both kids and adults laughing in the aisles is the icing on the cake.”

The Wizard of Wonderland will take the stage for performances on April 28, May 5 and May 6 at 7:00 p.m., with matinees on April 30, May 6 and May 7 at 2 p.m. Performance-only tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

The Whimsical Woodland Tea Parties, which include a performance of The Wizard of Wonderland, will begin at 1 p.m. (Children’s Afternoon Tea) and 6 p.m. (Adults High Tea) April 29. Tea party tickets range from $25-$45, with options to purchase entire tables for six guests.

For more information, go to www.theatreofdareobx.com.

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