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Mad About Alice

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Contributed by: Karen Linamen on 3/29/2008

In this alternative version of Alice in Wonderland, characters take on new dimensions that even the wildly imaginative Lewis Carroll never dreamed of.

Imaginebelly dancingflowers, a seductive caterpillar and a commanding red knight with a soft side concerned with pajamas and lullabies. The black-light-enhanced croquet game with glow-in-the-dark pink flamingos adds a nice surreal touch as well.

Of course, the most intriguing aspect of this play,co-writtenby director Cyndi Parr and Tammy Smith, is the inclusion of not one but THREE Alices. The production seems to ask the question, "Who is Alice REALLY?" Queen Alice is power-hungry and manipulative. Mad Alice isdeliriouslyand deliciously insane (she makes the Looking Glass residents seem normal by comparison) and Childlike Alice is naive, always managing to offend those around her by putting her foot in her mouth. Watching the story unfold through the experiences of these three very different Alices could be confusing, but somehow manages to work to enhance the madcap fun of the story.

Virtually no set pieces or props mean that the talent of the actors and their colorful, imaginative costuming are highlighted. The small intimate environment means there's not a bad seat in the house. Indeed, the actors take over the establishment, their "backstage" comprised by the bathrooms, an office and the edges of the single large room that makes up the Hookah Lounge. And hopefully you won't have to use the restroom during the 85 minute performance--if you do, you'll have to walk through the performance and dodge the actors to get to the bathroom.

But don't let theabsenceof traditional "stage" trappings fool you. This is a fun evening made possible by a very talented cast, writers and director. But there's only one more night to catch the performance: Saturday March 29th at 9 p.m.

After that, you'll have to settle for re-reading the book.

The Moody Touring Mystery Theatre is presenting this production, and I highly recommend it. It is being performed at The 40 Thieves Hookah Lounge (located at 1524 N. Academy just North of Palmer Park). Tickets can be purchased online at 40thievesonline.com for $10, or $12 at the door. All patrons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFO

Karen Linamen

Colorado Springs , CO

Karen Linamen has posted 6 stories and 0 comments since joining on 3/28/2008. Karen Linamen 's average story rating is 0.

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