By: Katie Devoe
Totally Alice in Wonderland by Brainerd Duffield is a theatre adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tales Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The play follows Alice as she drifts to sleep in a chair and tumbles down a rabbit hole in her dreams. Throughout the play Alice explores an 80s themed Wonderland, encounters all the impossible people and creatures, and struggles to get home by going through the looking glass and crossing a giant magical chessboard to become a queen and free herself.
Ardrey Kell theatre students performed this adaptation for the public on December 3rd, 4th and 6th, 2014. There was also a shortened version of the production on December 5th for students on a field trip from Albemarle and Pineville Elementary Schools. I had the pleasure of viewing the second showing of Totally Alice in Wonderland on December 4th.
There were several standout performances. Alice was played by Lily Jordan, a strong lead who carried the role well. Jordan successfully expressed the excitement, confusion and curiosity of a girl magically dropped into Wonderland. Kaylan Cox brought a vivacious persona to the Queen of Hearts as she yelled “Off with their heads.” Frequently, the Queen of Hearts and Alice clashed over playing croquet and the stolen tarts, and the two actresses played off each other’s energy to comical effect. The Queen of Hearts was accompanied by Elijah Woods as the Executioner in several scenes. His Michael Jackson-inspired rendition added humor to the production as he chased the characters sentenced by the Queen. Alan Plunket fully captured the madness of the Mad Hatter by breaking out into Hammertime during the tea party and stealing tarts in his hat at the trial. Jackie Lloyd acted as the White Rabbit that guides Alice through Wonderland, and she delivered the lines of the rabbit with a cavalier attitude that was not characteristic for such a wise rabbit. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were played by the real twins Olivia and Lily Porter. They achieved the goofiness of their characters in a funny dance scene.
Every aspect of the auditorium was utilized for the production. Flashing lights accompanied by music were used to convey Alice’s uncertainty as she arrived in Wonderland. The rabbit hole Alice stepped out of was center stage in the base of a large rainbow tree. Large props and stacks of blocks that the cast climbed were used to emphasize Alice’s small size when she shrank from the “Drink Me” potion. The cast also involved the audience in the play as they ran through the rows to search for Alice. Unfortunately, there was no mirror used to show that Alice had passed through the looking glass, so it was hard for the audience to pick up on this transition when we returned from intermission.
The 80s throwback theme added further madness to the play by combining crazy styles with the impossibilities of Wonderland. The Cards wore black shirts, neon leggings, fanny packs, colorful shorts, teased hair and vibrant makeup that perfectly fit the 80’s theme. The Red Queen, Haley Carney, wore a red leotard, white sweater, white tights and her hair was in a curly ponytail with a tiara, giving her the look of an 80s fitness maven. The Mad Hatter’s outfit managed to combine his iconic hat with MC Hammer pants, and the two pieces worked together well. Alice’s blue dress and white apron were unremarkable compared to the 80s themed costumes the rest of the cast wore, emphasizing the contrast between Alice and her bizarre surroundings.
Wonderland was just a dream for everyone in the end. Alice left Wonderland and she was asleep in her comfy chair again. The cast and audience also had to leave behind the mysterious land and to return to their everyday lives. The whole play was wonderful and exhilarating gibberish.
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