Alice in Wonderland

adapted by Jason Alberty from the original story by Lewis Carroll
performed at Theatre Cedar Rapids
May 6th

Jason Alberty's adaptation of Alice is a study in the imagination.  The concept was truly exceptional, a group of actors helping Alice take a fantastical journey through wonderland.  However the way he forces the use of one's imagination in the first act felt...well...forced. 

Opening the play with the stage manager's voice on the speakers calling "five minutes to places" certainly creates a connection of being part of the action.  The actors' use of addressing the audience and the spare set/costuming fed into this feeling of being a part of creation.
From there things go a bit jabber-wonky though.  The pacing is uneven, lingering too long in some scenes and moving too quickly through others.  I also found the Actor #1/Charles Dodgson character confusing.  While Alice frequently broke character to her Actress #1 self, Charles remained firmly in his 1862 persona even when acknowledging that it was the 21st century.  As a result their conversing didn't feel genuine.

The second act is where things finally pay off in the storytelling.  Back from intermission the set is suddenly elaborate, the costumes complete, and everything is very much more "real."  Alice finds herself on trial for lying to the Queen of Hearts; Alice's defense being that telling a story for the purpose of entertainment is not the same as lying for the purpose of deceit.

Again the pacing is uneven though, as the first act is an hour and the second act is a whole 15 minutes long.  Overall the show was conceptually strong, but only averagely constructed.  The performances were good with the material given.