"Alice in Wonderland"

Theatre review
"Alice in Wonderland" at Cornell University Schwartz Center
The Ithaca Journal
February 7, 2008
735 words
"‘Alice in Wonderland' captures absurdity of tale"

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‘Alice in Wonderland' captures absurdity of tale
By Mark Tedeschi
Special to The Journal

A few short decades ago, American culture was rife with daring, high-profile explorations of jarring unease, commonly drawn out of the artistic consciousness by the conflict in Vietnam. The present Iraq War seems to remind us of that strange but human hunger for absurdity, that need to bulldoze convention just to make a point.

The inescapable comparison of today's sociopolitical climate to yesterday's brings with it, at least in Ithaca, a desire to pay homage to the theatrical creations of the ‘60s and ‘70s. This past summer, the Hangar Theatre staged the classic “Hair”; this month, Cornell's Schwartz Center presents an equally delightful and free-associative celebration of commentary disguised as nonsense in “Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.”

Based on Carroll's children's book, this production, directed by Norm Johnson, revives Andre Gregory's 1970 collaboration with his 10-person NYU theatre group, The Manhattan Project. Gregory had dissociated himself from mainstream theater in favor of avant-garde projects, and Cornell's version of his version of “Alice” adds its own flourishes while respecting his vision as well as, in portions, the original text.

The main story elements of “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” are present (the mad tea party, the croquet match, etc.), as well as a few from “Through the Looking-Glass” (Humpty Dumpty's speech, the White Knight's antics). Much of the dialogue, though, is digressive and full of juicy puns and semantic dissection, so it can be befuddling to track what's happening when a scene transition first occurs.

Amanda Idoko leads the diverse ensemble as a naïve but vocal Alice; the rest of the actors (Jeffrey Guyton, Tyler Herman, Zach Mast, Natasha Pendleton, and Ariel Reid) each have a chance to shine - and do so with passion and joyful commitment, apparent in their intense physicality throughout - as one of several characters in the odyssean narrative. All the players draw upon improvisational roots for the high-spirited and often absurd pantomime involved in much of the action.

Johnson, a first-time Cornell director, hurls the cast in all directions (including upward) and even moves the mobile elements of Christa Seekatz's sparse but highly practical set design about the stage as well. The characters, clad in patchwork pants and long-tailed velvet jackets, like period clothing with a clownish twist (Lisa Boquist, costume design), swing inflatable carnival-prize gavels and cart around a staircase-cum-closet for silly but hands-on effect.

The most striking element of this “Alice” is the partially live, partially prerecorded videography by video artist Rachel Katz. A few TV screens and a projector adorn the walls; during important scenes, Katz either ventures out with a camera to show the cinematic point of view of someone inside the onstage chaos (a rare treat for an audience), or she plays a clip with forced perspective or special video effects to add a (sometimes psychedelic) visual punch to an especially weird occurrence. Most of the sound effects (Warren Cross, sound design) are provided by the cast's blowing kazoos and voicing other vocal tricks.

“Alice” is a pleasure for anyone, not just Theatre of the Absurd aficionados. Probably the only time the action slows is during the White Knight's Dylan-esque performance of a song that he wrote, but he warns at first that it'll be long-- and even while he sings, the glaze of comedy shines as he treks through a range of convincing emotion while spouting an assemblage of ludicrous lyrics.

That dedication to stream-of-consciousness storytelling is where comparison to “Hair” shows up (besides that they both speak an appreciation of “long, beautiful hair”); the lack of control felt in a wartime era mirrors the unstoppable bending of reality that Johnson found in Gregory's interpretation of Alice's illogicality. But political suggestion is where the comparisons end; the only time “Alice” gets directly political is during the “caucus race” (purportedly the best means of drying off): A few of the characters imitate the current presidential hopefuls but avoid decrying anyone.

Just as there's no telling whether Carroll's nonsensical story was at all influenced by drugs or a psychologically troubled subtext, we'll never know what he would have thought of this type of rendition of his work--though Gregory and Johnson certainly hold true to the deliberate absurdity of Alice's tale. And as this production proves, there will always be some thoughtful counsel found in other characters' responses to Alice's naivete. “I can't believe that!” she declares. The advice she's given? “Take a deep breath and try again.”

“Alice in Wonderland” runs through Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Cornell Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. Call 254-ARTS for more information.