The Apex Peak Players held performances of the fall play, The Phantom Tollbooth, on October 26, 27, and 28. Based on a book by the same title, the play shares the story of a young boy named Milo who discovers a tollbooth in his room and drives his car through it to go on a fantastical adventure to the Land of Wisdom. I had the honor of attending the Friday evening performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The acting was wonderful, with actors demonstrating quick cue pick up, heightened emotions and projection skills. Many of the actors played several small roles so everyone could have enough stage time. Some stand-out performances included Aminah Al-Mesad as Milo, Georgia Howard as Tock, Asa Martin as Humbug, and Mary Martin as Spelling Bee. 

The costumes in this play were magnificent; they did a great job showing the character’s roles and personalities. The special effects were unique and added to the play, especially those of the Mathemagician using his staff to change what was on the screen to show his magical powers. 

The props were done well. I loved the car Milo and his crew drove around the stage as well as the actual tollbooth itself. There were quite a few jump scares in this play with actors revealed to be inside the tollbooth and hiding inside a chest of drawers. This demonstrated an effective use of props and set pieces rather than them being there solely to set the scene. 

The play was well-suited for children, being fantastical and imaginative so as to sustain their attention. It may have been a bit scary for younger viewers, but the sensory-friendly relaxed performance on Saturday, Oct. 28 was geared towards younger viewers and those with less experience attending plays. 

Seats were available on stage and in the auditorium. I had the opportunity to sit on the stage, which provided a unique experience of being closer to the actors. This also enabled audience participation. During the final scene where Milo, Tock, and Humbug are being pursued by demons with yellow eyes, the on-stage audience was able to shine colorful lights to guide the trio to safety. This was a wonderful way to increase engagement and allow the audience to be part of the story. 

The Phantom Tollbooth was another fantastic production by the Apex Peak Players. If you weren’t able to attend this performance, be sure to check out the spring musical, 9 to 5: The Musical, next semester.