By Jonathan Yukich

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ALICE@WONDERLAND

Based on the works of Lewis Carroll

Adapted for the stage by JONATHAN YUKICH CAST OF CHARACTERS (In Order of Speaking) # of lines

ALICE ...... 292

WHITE RABBIT ...... 40 QUEEN OF HEARTS ...... 58 CATERPILLAR ...... 21 FROG-NEWSIE ...... 23 FISH-NEWSIE ...... 19 *CHESHIRE CAT ...... 43 MAD HATTER ...... 63 MARCH HARE ...... 45 DORMOUSE ...... 20 TWEEDLEDUM ...... 37 TWEEDLEDEE ...... 32 HUMPTY-DUMPTY...... 45 KING OF HEARTS ...... 47 **CHORUS PARTS

ENSEMBLE ...... 7

DOOR #1...... 26 DOOR #2...... 17

DOOR #3...... 17

TINY DOOR ...... 32

CHORUS MEMBER #1 ...... 9

CHORUS MEMBER #2 ...... 9

CHORUS MEMBER #3 ...... 9

CHORUS MEMBER #4 ...... 9

LILY ...... 15

ROSE ...... 16

DAISY ...... 13

VIOLET ...... 11

QUEEN’S GUARD #1 ...... 2

QUEEN’S GUARD #2 ...... 2

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*The CHESHIRE CAT is played by two actors. **CHORUS PARTS require a minimum of four actors and can accommodate as many as 14 or more actors.

SET DESCRIPTION The show is played on a bare stage. Various props are brought on to

create a forest, a tea party, Humpty-Dumpty’s wall and a courtroom.

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES Action between scenes should flow continuously. Scene One—Alice on the Bank Scene Two—The Hall of Strange Doors Scene Three—Encounter with a Caterpillar Scene Four—Read All About It!

Scene Five—The Cheshire Cat Scene Six—A Mad Tea Party

Scene Seven—Tweedledum and Tweedledee Scene Eight—The Jabberwock!

Scene Nine—Humpty-Dumpty and His Wall Scene Ten—The Cheshire Cat Returns Scene Eleven—Garden of the Laughing Flowers Scene Twelve—The Queen of Hearts Scene Thirteen—Alice on Trial Scene Fourteen—Alice on the Bank

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ALICE@WONDERLAND

Scene One—Alice on the Bank 1 LIGHTS UP on ALICE speaking on her cell phone. ALICE: (Giddy.) It… has… everything! Blazing speed, unlimited text and talk! (Beat.) Well, sure it has apps. What’s the use of a smart

phone without apps?

5 WHITE RABBIT: (ENTERS and passes by in a frenzy.) Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I shall be late! ALICE: Ugh, hold on a sec. (To WHITE RABBIT, snarky.) Hey, can you pipe down? I’m on the phone—thanks. WHITE RABBIT: I’m late! I’m late! 10 ALICE: Seriously? Take it down a notch. (WHITE RABBIT rushes OFF. ALICE returns to her phone.) Hey, you still there? Great. Now, my

phone’s dead. Thanks a lot, rabbit! (Sighs and puts her phone

away.)

WHITE RABBIT: (ENTERS again, darting about. He pauses, checks his 15 pocket watch, demurs.) Oh, dear! Oh, dear! (Travels about the stage in a tizzy.) ALICE: (Follows him.) Hey, bunny! Do you know where I can recharge my phone? WHITE RABBIT: Oh, my ears and whiskers! How late it’s getting! 20 ALICE: Is there a café close by? Somewhere I could plug it in? What’s your rush, rabbit? (The weather becomes ominous. CHORUS ENSEMBLE ENTERS and begins to make sounds of rain and

thunder.) Lost in the woods—no phone, no GPS. This must be how the pioneers felt! And now—just fabulous!—it looks like rain. Oh, 25 what an ugly storm! (CHORUS ENSEMBLE grumbles at the insult as ALICE slogs through the storm, chasing after WHITE RABBIT.) Hey, bunny! I’m talking to you! Why don’t you slow down?! (At last, CHORUS shifts into a semi-circle formation, creating a rabbit hole, which WHITE RABBIT crosses into and briskly scampers OFF, out of 30 sight. ALICE stands before the rabbit hole, contemplating.) What’s this? CHORUS ENSEMBLE: What’s it look like? ALICE: A rabbit hole… CHORUS ENSEMBLE: (Muttering various ad libs.) Whiz kid. Genius. A 35 real Isaac Newton. Is it safe? (Then, together.) Safe enough. ALICE: I should Google it. CHORUS ENSEMBLE: No time! (CHORUS ENSEMBLE grabs ALICE and pulls her into the hole. They lift her up, spin her about, then place her on her feet. [If this is not possible, CHORUS ENSEMBLE can

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1 twirl ALICE to and fro.] CHORUS ENSEMBLE then splinters off and spaces out, as ALICE is propelled around the stage. She is in free fall, bouncing and ricocheting off one actor and toward another, like a pinball.) 5 ALICE: I seem to be falling… (CHORUS ENSEMBLE begins to softly chant “Down, down, down.”) In fact, I’m sure I’m falling… There

seems to be no end! (Shouts.) Echo!

CHORUS ENSEMBLE: Echo… echo… echo… echo… echo…

ALICE: Alice!

10 CHORUS ENSEMBLE: Alice… Alice… Alice… Alice… Alice…

ALICE: I must be getting somewhere near the center! That’s like 4,000 miles down! (CHORUS ENSEMBLE has resumed the “Down, down, down” chant.) I wonder if I’ll fall right through the earth! Then, I’d be really far from home, and I bet the reception is awful down here. 15 (Checks her phone.) What luck! No power and no service! Ugh! Verizon is the worst!

CHORUS ENSEMBLE: (Abruptly, turns out to AUDIENCE and proclaims

in full-voice.) When suddenly, thump! Thump!

ALICE: (Drops to her knees, awake and alert. Stillness at last.) Where 20 am I? Where have I landed? Is this New Zealand? Or Australia? CHORUS ENSEMBLE: (Announces to AUDIENCE.) The hall of strange doors. End of Scene One

Scene Two—The Hall of Strange Doors DOORS #1, #2 and #3 leave the CHORUS and transform into doors, becoming rigid and standing in a row. Each pulls out a doorknob and

25 holds it in their right hand. ALICE: Achoo! DOORS: Bless you. ALICE: Achoo! Achoo! DOORS: Bless you. Bless you.

30 ALICE: Thanks. Hey, doors aren’t supposed to talk. DOOR #1: And young girls… DOOR #2: …aren’t supposed to sneeze…

DOOR #3: …without covering their yappers.

ALICE: I must’ve caught cold in that ugly storm. Say, I wonder where

35 you doors might lead. (Tries to open each door, but the knobs won’t budge. After each attempt, the DOORS, in their distinct voices, announce the word “Locked.”) Then, how am I supposed to get out of here? (DOORS shrug and mumble uncertainties, as a key on a

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1 string is lowered from above. [See PRODUCTION NOTES.]) Where did this come from? Maybe this key will open one of you… (Starts to reach for the key, but stops when DOORS start talking.) DOOR #1: Not me. 5 DOOR #2: Not I. DOOR #3: Not us. ALICE: Well, then, I’ll just have to break one of you down. (DOORS are appalled and frightened at the prospect.)

DOOR #1: Awful girl!

10 DOOR #2: That would hurt!

DOOR #3: How unladylike! ALICE: Which one of you shall it be? (DOORS begin pleading their cases all at once.) DOOR #1: He’s best. 15 DOOR #2: No, she’s best. DOOR #3: I’m really much too sturdy. TINY DOOR: (Leaves the CHORUS and lines up with the other doors, also with a doorknob. TINY DOOR should play this from the knees, making TINY DOOR as small as possible. In a pitiable squeal.) What 20 about me?

ALICE: (Sees that a fourth door has appeared.) What about you?

TINY DOOR: It’s my secrets that the key unlocks.

DOORS: (Sigh with relief. Ad lib.) Thank heavens! That was close! This

girl’s cray-cray! (Etc.)

25 ALICE: But you’re such a tiny door… What secrets could you have?

TINY DOOR: Secrets of the other side.

ALICE: What will I find there?

TINY DOOR: A most magnificent garden, full of white roses and tiger

lilies. It’s called Wonderland. (SOUND EFFECT: DANCE PARTY

30 MUSIC. EVERYONE dances wildly. [NOTE: Throughout the play,

whenever the word “Wonderland” is uttered, this party music blares

and EVERYONE onstage dances wild and furious. This lasts a few seconds, then the music cuts abruptly and the actors go right on with the scene.]) 35 ALICE: What just happened? TINY DOOR: What do you mean? ALICE: Everyone started carrying on for no reason. TINY DOOR: I didn’t notice. ALICE: You didn’t notice the music and dancing? 40 TINY DOOR: Oh, that. By decree of the queen—

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1 ALICE: By decree of the queen?! QUEEN OF HEARTS: (APPEARS in her own SPOTLIGHT.) By decree of the Queen—that is, by decree of me—whenever a particular word is mentioned, there shall be music and dancing! Anyone who 5 fails to obey this decree, who fails, at the utterance of the word, to heed the music and dance like a raving loon—it’s off with your

head! (SPOTLIGHT OUT.)

ALICE: That’s some stiff talk.

TINY DOOR: You’ll be stiff if you don’t obey it.

10 ALICE: What’s the word?

TINY DOOR: I’d rather not say.

ALICE: But you must have just said it. TINY DOOR: Shrewdly observed.

ALICE: Is it roses or lilies? 15 TINY DOOR: Apparently not. ALICE: What about white or tiger? TINY DOOR: If it were, I’d be dancing, wouldn’t I? ALICE: Then, the word must be… Wonderland? (MUSIC! DANCING!) TINY DOOR: So now you know. 20 ALICE: One word has all that power. TINY DOOR: Please don’t say it again. My knees are killing me. ALICE: Describe what Wonder—er… that place is like. TINY DOOR: It’s a land of nonsense and make-believe, of danger, beauty and imagination. 25 ALICE: And a place to charge my phone? TINY DOOR: I think it has a Starbucks now, yes. ALICE: Perfect. But how will I fit? I’m too big to go through your frame. (Another string is lowered from above. This one has a small bottle tied to the end and includes a note with the words DRINK ME in 30 large letters. ALICE takes the bottle and note.) What’s this? “Drink me.” DOOR #1: May be poison. DOOR #2: Could be poison. DOOR #3: Probably poison. 35 ALICE: It isn’t marked poison. TINY DOOR: If it was marked poison, no one would drink it. ALICE: Well, that would be the point, you see? TINY DOOR: There’s only one way to be sure. Down the hatch!

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1 ALICE: Here goes… (Drinks from the bottle.) There now. Tastes like Skittles! DOOR #1: Oh, I can’t bear to watch. ALICE: Relax. Nothing’s happening. 5 DOOR #2: (Astounded.) What do you mean nothing’s happening? You’re… you’re… ALICE: I’m what? DOOR #3: Vanishing! ALICE: My hands—they’re shrinking! And my feet—the size of dimes! 10 And my voice, too—it’s… (High-pitched.) I sound like a Christmas elf! What a curious feeling! DOOR #1: This isn’t pretty. DOOR #2: Shut up like a telescope. DOOR #3: Hardly a foot tall.

15 ALICE: What’ll I do now?!

TINY DOOR: Look on the bright side.

ALICE: What bright side? I’m ten inches high! TINY DOOR: Now, you’re the right size to go through me and enter the lovely garden. 20 ALICE: Yes! That’s right! I am! TINY DOOR: But you’ll need the key. ALICE: The key… (Turns for the key, but it has been raised, dangling just out of her reach.) No, no, don’t tell me! (Jumps for it, but is unable to grasp it.) Now, I’m too small to reach the key!

25 DOOR #1: That’s a pity.

DOOR #2: A crying shame. DOOR #3: One should plan ahead before shrinking. ALICE: I could just cry! TINY DOOR: Now, now, no use for that. Something will turn up. 30 ALICE: Like what? (A string is lowered with a small box tied to the end. The box is marked with the words EAT ME.) What’s this? DOOR #1: A balanced meal. DOOR #2: I bet it’s a pizza roll. DOOR #3: Or a hushpuppy. 35 ALICE: (Opens the box and removes a crumb of cake.) It’s cake. Should I eat it? TINY DOOR: That’s what it says. ALICE: The food here is very bossy. TINY DOOR: Don’t complain. There are starving children in the world.

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1 ALICE: I’ll eat it. If it makes me larger, I can reach the key. If it makes me smaller, I’ll creep under the door. Either way I’ll get into the garden. (DOORS mutter their approval at her reasoning.) Let’s hope it’s gluten-free. (Eats the cake. Waits.) Which way? Which way? It

5 seems I’m remaining the same size.

TINY DOOR: This is what generally happens when one eats cake.

DOOR #1: Wait a moment!

DOOR #2: Her face is fattening!

DOOR #3: Her thighs are bulging!

10 ALICE: Curiouser and curiouser!

TINY DOOR: By George, she’s swelling!

ALICE: Oh dear! I’m growing so tall! My toes—they’re moving so far

from my fingers! I’ll never touch them again! And my voice—it’s… (Deep-voiced.) I sound like my father! Oh, what an awful way for a girl 15 to go through life! Ten feet tall and the voice of a longshoreman! I’ll never get through the door now, and I can just forget about prom! WHITE RABBIT: (ENTERS, ever in a scurry.) Oh, the Duchess! Won’t she be savage if I’ve kept her waiting! ALICE: You again! (WHITE RABBIT sees “giant” ALICE and screams 20 girlishly and rushes OFF.) Rabbit, wait! (He’s gone.) What a weird little bunny! Things are too strange here. From one moment to the next, you can never be sure— DOOR #1: Who you are. DOOR #2: Where you’re going. 25 DOOR #3: How you’ll get there. TINY DOOR: Or who you’ll meet along the way. ALICE: (Notices that TINY DOOR has now stood up and is a normal size, as is she now. Back to normal voice.) How did you do that? TINY DOOR: Do what exactly? 30 ALICE: We’re suddenly the same size. You’ve grown. TINY DOOR: Or maybe you’ve shrunk. ALICE: But you used to be tiny. TINY DOOR: And you were once a giant. ALICE: But now we’re both normal. 35 TINY DOOR: There’s no such thing as normal, my dear. Not in your world, nor in mine. It’s all about where you’re standing, and how closely you’re paying attention. The key, if you please? (ALICE takes the key, which she can now reach. She hands it to TINY DOOR, who

“opens” to let ALICE through.) You may pass. (The DOORS become 40 sentimental with their goodbyes.)

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1 DOOR #1: Bye, young lady. DOOR #2: Thanks for not breaking us down. DOOR #3: Don’t forget to write. DOOR #1: We love you. 5 DOOR #2: We don’t love her. DOOR #3: We’ve known her five minutes. DOOR #1: Sorry. DOOR #2: You always gush. DOOR #3: So embarrassing.

10 TINY DOOR: Forgive them. They haven’t been opened in centuries.

ALICE: I guess I’m off, then. To this place—what is it you call it? Wonderland? (MUSIC! DANCING! CHORUS and DOORS take this opportunity to dance OFF, leaving ALICE alone in Wonderland. At MUSIC OUT, CATERPILLAR APPEARS smoking a hookah.[See 15 PRODUCTION NOTES.]) End of Scene Two

Scene Three—Encounter with a Caterpillar

ALICE halts abruptly when she notices CATERPILLAR. CATERPILLAR: Who are you? ALICE: I was told there’d be a garden. CATERPILLAR: A garden? 20 ALICE: And a Starbucks. CATERPILLAR: Explain yourself! ALICE: A caterpillar smoking a hookah. What a status update you would make! CATERPILLAR: I said explain yourself! 25 ALICE: I’ve been so many sizes today, I wouldn’t know where to begin. You really shouldn’t smoke, you know.

CATERPILLAR: It soothes me.

ALICE: Studies show that smoking actually causes more stress than

it relieves.

30 CATERPILLAR: Are you a doctor?

ALICE: I read about it online.

CATERPILLAR: Then spare me.

ALICE: But you’re not even out of the larvae stage. You’re still a

teenager, like me.

35 CATERPILLAR: Waiting to become a butterfly.

ALICE: Smoking can stunt your growth.

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1 CATERPILLAR: Then, I suppose I’ll remain a caterpillar forever. ALICE: That’s too bad. Everyone should grow up at some point. CATERPILLAR: And how do you plan to grow up? Into a butterfly? ALICE: Well, being a girl, I’ll soon grow into a woman. 5 CATERPILLAR: Does a woman have wings? ALICE: No, a woman looks very much like I do, except more developed in places. CATERPILLAR: Please, there are things a caterpillar doesn’t need to know. 10 ALICE: Sorry. TMI. CATERPILLAR: TMI? ALICE: Too much information. CATERPILLAR: Why not simply say, “too much information”? ALICE: It’s an abbreviation. 15 CATERPILLAR: You’ve wasted my time. A caterpillar’s life isn’t long. ALICE: Abbreviations are meant to save time. CATERPILLAR: But if you have to explain them, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. ALICE: I think we should agree to disagree. 20 CATERPILLAR: I think we should agree that I’m right and you’re wrong. ALICE: It’s probably best that I get going. CATERPILLAR: I don’t like you. ALICE: I don’t particularly like you. CATERPILLAR: You’re being snippy now. 25 ALICE: Can you point me toward the garden? CATERPILLAR: If I knew where the garden was, I would have eaten it by now. (FROG-NEWSIE and FISH-NEWSIE ENTER peddling dueling newspapers, as the CATERPILLAR moves OFF.) End of Scene Three

Scene Four—Read All About It! FROG-NEWSIE: Read all about it! 30 FISH-NEWSIE: Hot off the presses! FROG-NEWSIE: Queen to play croquet! FISH-NEWSIE: Queen invites Duchess for game of croquet! FROG-NEWSIE: Get your Daily Toad! FISH-NEWSIE: Get your Trout Tribune! 35 FROG-NEWSIE: Extra! Extra! FISH-NEWSIE: Breaking news!

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1 FROG-NEWSIE: Croquet today! FISH-NEWSIE: In the garden! FROG-NEWSIE: Details inside! FISH-NEWSIE: Extra! Extra! 5 ALICE: In the garden! I’ll take one of those! FROG-NEWSIE: One of which, kitten face? FISH-NEWSIE: Clearly, she wants a Trout Tribune. FROG-NEWSIE: I think she’d prefer a Daily Toad. FISH-NEWSIE: Would you rather have a paper that gives you the news, 10 or one that gives you warts? FROG-NEWSIE: For the last time, frogs don’t cause warts! FISH-NEWSIE: Which’ll it be, sweetkins? ALICE: Well, what’s the difference between the two papers? FROG-NEWSIE: One’s written by a frog. 15 FISH-NEWSIE: The other’s written by a fish. ALICE: Those aren’t really selling points. FROG-NEWSIE: What’re you trying to say? FISH-NEWSIE: You being a bigmouth?

ALICE: Tell you what—just give me one of each.

20 FROG-NEWSIE: Hey, hey, you got it! That’ll be two flies.

ALICE: Two flies?

FROG-NEWSIE: Costs two flies a copy. ALICE: But I don’t have two flies.(To FISH-NEWSIE.) How much for

yours?

25 FISH-NEWSIE: Two worms, but I’ll come down to a worm and a half.

FROG-NEWSIE: I’ll match his price.

ALICE: I’m afraid I don’t have any flies or any worms.

FROG-NEWSIE: What do you got?

ALICE: I’m afraid I’ve nothing to offer you. 30 FROG-NEWSIE: So long, popsicle. You’re out of luck. FISH-NEWSIE: See you later, bright eyes. ALICE: Wait. The garden where the queen’s croquet match is to take place, I must find it. It’s one of the reasons I’ve come to Wonderland. (MUSIC! DANCING!)

35 FROG-NEWSIE: Quickest way is through the woods there. FISH-NEWSIE: Straight shot. FROG-NEWSIE: But be careful… FISH-NEWSIE: There are some strange characters in those woods. ALICE: Stranger than a frog and fish selling newspapers? 9 For preview only

1 FROG-NEWSIE: Yup. (They start to leave, their voices trailing off.) FISH-NEWSIE: Read all about it! FROG-NEWSIE: Hot off the presses! FISH-NEWSIE: Get your Trout Tribune! 5 FROG-NEWSIE: Get your Daily Toad! FROG-NEWSIE/FISH-NEWSIE: Queen to play croquet!!! (They’re OUT.) ALICE: Print is so dead. Hey, wait, come back! Which way through the woods? (Begins to chase after them but is run over head-on by WHITE RABBIT, who ENTERS in high gear, as always.) Crazy rabbit! 10 WHITE RABBIT: I’m late! I’m late! ALICE: That’s no reason to run me over! WHITE RABBIT: The queen’s to play croquet! She’s to play croquet! ALICE: I know already. Chill. Aren’t you going to help me up? WHITE RABBIT: (Checks his pocket watch.) No time! No time! 15 ALICE: Then, at least let me follow you to the garden. WHITE RABBIT: You wouldn’t be able to keep up. I’m terribly tardy as it is! ALICE: You know, maybe you should take Xanax. My mom says— WHITE RABBIT: No time for pharmaceuticals! I’m off! I’m off! I’m off 20 to the queen’s croquet! (Races AWAY.) ALICE: Hang on a sec! Rabbit! (Thinks about running after him, but he is too fast. She walks ahead. As she does, trees and shrubs are brought ON, transforming the stage into the woods.) End of Scene Four Scene Five—The Cheshire Cat Within these woods, CHESHIRE CAT APPEARS, grinning widely at ALICE. 25 CHESHIRE CAT should be played by two actors, costumed identically. When one appears, the other disappears behind strategically placed trees and shrubs—two actors as one cat. This will help capture the

elusive, vanishing quality of the cat. As the CHESHIRE CAT should be continuously disappearing and reappearing elsewhere, the lines 30 should be divided up between the two CAT actors based on how the scene is staged. ALICE: (To herself.) Now what? A cat? (To CHESHIRE CAT.) Here, puss, puss. What are you doing out in these woods? CHESHIRE CAT: I should ask you the same thing. 35 ALICE: Oh, you can speak. CHESHIRE CAT: This is news to you? ALICE: My cat Dinah, she can’t speak. CHESHIRE CAT: I’ll wager that she can, but chooses not to. 10 End of script sample. PRODUCTION NOTES PROPERTIES ONSTAGE Scene Five: Trees, shrubs Scene Six: Table, four chairs, teapot, teacups Scene Seven: Tree Scene Nine: Humpty Dumpty’s wall Scene Thirteen: Two thrones, witness stand, benches PROPERTIES BROUGHT ON Scene One: Cell phone (ALICE) Pocket watch (WHITE RABBIT) Scene Two: Doorknob (DOORS #1-3, TINY DOOR) Key on a string, bottle on string with “Drink Me” note attached, small box on string with cake and note that reads “Eat Me” (STAGE CREW or CHORUS MEMBER) Scene Three: Hookah pipe (CATERPILLAR) Scene Four: Newspapers in satchel (FROG-NEWSIE, FISH-NEWSIE) Pocket watch (WHITE RABBIT) Scene Six: Pocket watch (MAD HATTER) Scene Seven: Umbrella (TWEEDLEDUM) Scene Nine: Cell phone (ALICE) Egg (STAGE CREW or CHORUS) Scene Eleven: Flamingo-shaped croquet mallet (KING OF HEARTS, QUEEN OF HEARTS) Scene Thirteen: Doorknob (DOOR #1) Trumpet, scroll (WHITE RABBIT) Teacup, biscuit (MAD HATTER) Scene Fourteen: Cell phone (ALICE) SOUND EFFECTS Dance party music, laughter and clanking dishes, swooshing of great wings, booming squawk, dramatic music, ominous music sting, trumpet fanfare (live or pre-recorded), cell phone ring

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LIGHTING Using SPOTLIGHTS allows characters to “APPEAR” instead of being seen walking on. With two actors playing CHESHIRE CAT, spotlights can also be used to create the illusion of the cat appearing and reappearing on different sides of the stage.

At the beginning of each scene, the scene title can be projected on a flat. Projections can also include an illustration from the book or an original interpretation. COSTUME SUGGESTIONS Characters are familiar enough where each production can decide on costumes based on their individual budget constraints. ALICE should wear a modern spin on the classic look.

ANIMAL characters can be in full costumes or simply with representational touches such as ears and a tail for DORMOUSE, etc.

TWEEDLEDUM and TWEEDLEDEE should have matching schoolboy costumes.

QUEEN wears a Queen of Hearts card costume, as should the other “hearts” (KING, GUARDS). KING and QUEEN have crowns. QUEEN also wears spectacles and might carry a scepter of some sort. CHESHIRE CAT needs to be played by two actors, so they should be indistinguishable, perhaps with a mask that highlights the “grin.” FLOWERS should dress like their actual flower if not double or triple casted with other chorus parts. If using extensive double or triple casting, actors playing the CHORUS PARTS could wear solid colors to which they add simple adornments for each role, e.g., pedal headpieces for the flowers, vests decorated with hearts for the guards, etc. FLEXIBLE CASTING Most characters, other than ALICE, QUEEN and KING can be played as either male or female. For a smaller cast, FISH-NEWSIE and FROG-NEWSIE can be doubled with the two CHESHIRE CATS. The role of DORMOUSE can be doubled with HUMPTY-DUMPTY, and CATERPILLAR with the KING. For a larger cast, feel free to add more doors, flowers, chorus members and guards as desired. These roles can be non-speaking or lines can be redistributed. The CHORUS PARTS allow for even more flexibility in both the size and gender balance of the cast.

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LOWERING ITEMS FROM ABOVE If it is not possible to have items lowered from above the stage in

Scene Two, another option is to have a fishing pole lower items from offstage. For a humorous touch, an onstage CHORUS MEMBER could even hold the fishing pole. The egg in Scene Nine can be lobbed on from offstage.

THE HOOKAH

In keeping with Lewis Carroll’s original work (and even how Disney chose to portray the character), the CATERPILLAR in this adaptation smokes a hookah. If a real hookah is unobtainable or not desired for your production, something vaguely resembling a hookah can be made fairly easily using a two-liter pop bottle and some hosing material. HUMPTY-DUMPTY’S WALL The wall should be built on a wagon which can be rolled IN with Humpty- Dumpty already sitting on it. CHORUS MEMBERS can help roll it in, if needed. The wall does not need to be very high, but should conceal a matt or foam pad behind it to soften the actor’s fall. ORIGINAL PRODUCTION Alice@Wonderland was originally commissioned by St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island, where it premiered in November of 2012. The original production was directed by Noah Tuleja. The lighting and set designer was Ted Sturtevant; the costumes were designed by Rebecca Stewart. Heath E. Capello served as assistant director and

Rebecca G. Howe was the stage manager. The original cast is listed below:

ALICE ...... Bethany Fowler

WHITE RABBIT ...... Norah Hogan

QUEEN OF HEARTS ...... Kate Hamrick

CATERPILLAR & KING ...... John DeLuca

FROG & CHESHIRE CAT ...... Nicole E. Young

FISH & CHESHIRE CAT ...... Sydney Jarrett

MAD HATTER ...... Charlotte Dulay

MARCH HARE ...... Joseph Grimeh

DORMOUSE & HUMPTY-DUMPTY ...... Lisbeily Mena

TWEEDLEDUM ...... Ito Orobator

TWEEDLEDEE ...... Caroline Dunn-Packer

CHORUS ...... T. Reid Burns, Sophie DenUyl, Dominique Samuel and Ziye Hu

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We encourage you to read the entire script before making your final decision.

You may order a paper preview copy or gain instant access to the complete script online through our E-view program. We invite you to learn more and create an account at www.pioneerdrama.com/E-view.

Thank you for your interest in our plays and musicals. If you’d like advice on other plays or musicals to read, our customer service representatives are happy to assist you when you call 800.333.7262 during normal business hours.

www.pioneerdrama.com 800.333.7262 Outside of North America 303.779.4035 Fax 303.779.4315 PO Box 4267 Englewood, CO 80155-4267

We’re here to help!