If a show is a kingdom, there must be a ruler. Our director is the benevolent queen of Malice in Wonderland, guiding us with her imagination and expertise. Devanne Fredette, a multi-award-winning member of the MMP Hall of Fame, is a newly-crowned director as she takes her first steps with Malice in Wonderland. Here we interviewed this talented artist about her journey to directing, her vision for the play, and how it all crystalizes into a wonderful production.

THE QUEEN OF ARTS: The Making of Malice in Wonderland (Part 3)

MMP: Welcome back to the MMP blog, Devanne! It’s been a while since we had the pleasure of interviewing you. Your first interview was in 2017 as a voice actress for your 4^th MMP show, The Silent City. Now, we are talking to you about being the director for Malice in Wonderland, your—hold onto your crown—18^th Master Mystery Production. Wow! Could you give us an overview of your amazing stage career over the years?

Devanne: Wow, 18 shows? Time sure does fly. Yes, I have been a little performer/actor since I was little. My actual very first skit, I would call it, was a Christmas show. I was 9 at the time, and I remember being absolutely terrified but having the best time performing. (Not to mention I was the only actor fully memorized). From there as kids do they put on small little shows and skits for the holidays, and I would do them. It wasn’t until freshman year of high school that I would get involved with our local theaters. I want to say it was Burroughs’ A Piece of My Heart where I shadowed the stage manager and volunteered for the house crew. The performance of the actors was beautiful and only had me coming back with each show that I could: Les Misérables (I was in orchestra for this one), Almost, Maine (stage crew), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (my first Burroughs acting position/stage crew), and Julius Caesar (my final Burroughs acting position).

When I graduated, however, I had taken a break from theater trying to focus on college, but that very Halloween, I was invited to join as a scarer with RCTT/CLOTA Spookhouse back when it was in the Historic USO building. It was tough but encouraged me to get out of my shell and scare people where funnily enough I had met Master Mystery Productions founder, Daniel Stallings, though I think at the time he was just starting his debut of a theater company.

Speaking of Master Mystery Productions, a year later, in the summer of 2016, I would then go on to make my debut acting as Phoebe Walliscroft in The Last Garden Party. I have stayed on and off with MMP for 9 years now and 18 shows. I had made a few detours performing/assisting in tech with RCTT’s The Evil Dead and my debut on RCTT’s stage in No Exit. On the CLOTA stage, I made my acting debut in the full stage rendition of Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind and have been hopping around the theater scene ever since.

Devanne’s theatrical career at MMP.

MMP: What keeps you coming back to work at MMP?

Devanne: The support and the storytelling. So many of us made our professional theater debuts after high school. MMP was mine, and it’s how I made so many friends and found some family along the way and it just gets better and better with every show. I remember when there were five of us to put together the entire show. Now we have so many people coming in excited about theater, and it just makes my heart happy.

Storytelling–it’s an interesting view to see how each mystery comes about and how us as performers can make the script absolutely shine with the storytelling itself as a tool.

MMP: How did your involvement with Malice in Wonderland begin?

Devanne: Old memories. I believe it began around 2019, post-Mutiny on Sea Witch, where I had mentioned that I was a big fan of fairy tales. They have good lessons and good take-aways. What’s life without a little magic and madness, as our Wonderlandians would say?

The original concept, therefore, began as a request of an Alice in Wonderland-themed mystery show from Malice’s home and sponsor, Ann Rizzardini of Red Rock Books. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an important story to so many people. With that in mind and my expressed love of fairy tales, I was asked to write Malice. I then started writing Malice In Wonderland as a way of writing a script together with friends with a new concept.

Malice in Wonderland had originally been set to perform in 2020, but due to the lockdowns, I had put it down for a while. It wasn’t until 2023 that I felt the desire to finish it other than that gnawing feeling of finishing a story that every writer knows in the back of my head. It wasn’t until Janis Kunz had joined in on the writing department that I had my final push. We had been working for months on a script–now titled Heart and Soul: A Musical Journey–and our ideas mashed together pretty well, so we began to flesh out the rest of Malice in Wonderland’s story.

MMP: What made you want to direct? Do you have a favorite part of directing?

Devanne: I originally didn’t want to direct Malice. Mostly due to inexperience. Had this show performed in 2020, this would be a different story. However, I think what made me want to direct Malice specifically is the desire to want to direct the story and–not necessarily be in control–but influence the overall story that I had worked for more or less six years on. It has started with little things–just playing around with the tempo and timing of the script, an overall vision of what it could look like, and the fun writing the script and being able to just show off so many of my friends and possibilities of my friends’ talents. So when I was asked again if I would like to direct, I had to say yes.

Favorite part of directing is definitely the storytelling. It doesn’t help that I’m also the co-writer, but I enjoy the process of guiding a production to a conclusion that is both impactful and meaningful to the beautiful actors and the inspired audiences.

MMP: What ideas do you have for the show, and how are you making it distinct from other performances MMP has done at Red Rock Books?

Devanne: I am an artist. I love art. I live art. I think about how I would like to push the entire cast and crew to allow that creativity and artistry in. I believe Malice is probably going to be the wildest of shows. The stunning art made by everyone and that is just the tip of the iceberg. So aside from this show being my directorial debut. I believe this show is going to be distinct in that it will be a visual masterpiece put together by everyone in the MMP family.

MMP: What has been the most nerve-wracking part of working on Malice in Wonderland?

Devanne: Probably directing all of these amazing actors and crew. You all are such powerhouses, and I am incredibly thankful for you being a part of this show. Thank you so much for having the patience with this newbie director, and I hope as time goes that it will only get better and we will all be able to put on amazing shows to come. 

MMP: What has been your favorite part?

Devanne: The enthusiasm of everyone taking to their character. In both casts, I don’t think I’ve seen a more excited room perform the same jokes, tell the same story that has left me laughing for the past few years. It’s an amazing feeling, and I can’t wait for people to experience the unbridled joy that is Malice in Wonderland.

MMP: What are you most excited for audiences to take away from watching your production?

Devanne: I think I’m most excited for the allowance to be silly. To play. To dream. Malice in Wonderland just like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is meant to encourage the absurdness of curiosity. Told through metaphors, juxtaposition, allegories, riddles, and especially word play.

MMP: What are your future directing plans?

Devanne: As of right now, I have plans to return to CLOTA stage as Assistant Director for their fall production of R+J: Obsession. With plans to possibly direct my favorite fairy tale on stage–The Little Prince–within the next couple years with continued plans beyond that.

MMP: Tell us one last thing you want guests to expect from Malice in Wonderland.

Devanne: Trickery, silliness, passion, and the subtlest of details. Malice has a lot of hidden details. Make sure to comb through them carefully if you want to see them all.

MMP: Congratulations again, Devanne, on making your directorial debut with Malice in Wonderland! We look forward to seeing the show come to life.

Directing is a challenge, but Devanne’s experience, professionalism, artistic instincts, and passion for storytelling makes her an ideal candidate to lead the production of this whimsical tale. In just a few days, we open the rabbit hole to Wonderland to let our guests experience the magic and whimsy for themselves. Join us for the madness of Malice in Wonderland. After all, isn’t it time for tea?

Tickets are on sale at Red Rock Books. Don’t miss out!

–Master Mystery Productions