AUCE IN WONDERLAND Adapted from the works of Lewis Carroll CAST OF CHARACTERS AUCE \v..l J ' MRS. MUMFORD, Alice's Governess .. TWEEDLEnEE .QUEEN-G~ DUCHI<SS ~ KNAVEOFHEARTS 1":j MAD HA'ITER 'B DORMOUSE ' • ACTI SCENE l:A ROOM IN ALICE'S HOUSE Rabbits Don't Carry Watches ................................ Mrs. Mumford & Alice Wonderland White Rabbit & Alice Journey To Wonderland The Company SCENE 2:V ARlO US LOCATIONS IN WONDERLAND WonderfuL .........•....•..................••.•..•.•..•.••.•..•.••••. Caterpillar Never Seen An Egg Like That Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Alice Lullaby Duchess, Queen. White Rabbit A Ball at the Palace Alice, Queen. White Rabbit. Knave, Caterpillar ACT II SCENE l:THE MAD HATTER'S GARDEN Four O'Cloclc Tea. ...............................................Mad Hatter & Dormouse Soon You'll See The Sun Alice, Caterpillar, Knave The Trial The Company SCENE 2:A ROOM IN ALICE'S HOUSE Watch.es (reprise) .................................................Alice Finale The Company ., THE UGHTS COME UP DOWNSTAGE AND WE SEE AUCE SEATED AT A DRESSING TABLE. TIIE MIRROR ON THE TABLE IS SHAPED VERY MUCH LIKE A LARGE HAND-MIRROR. AUCE IS A YOUNG GrRL SOMEWHERE BElWEEN THE AGES OF TEN AND TWELVE YEARS OLD AND IS DRESSED IN CLOTHES APPROPRIATE FOR A YOUNG GIRL UVING IN THE GENTRIDED ENGUSH COUNTRYSIDE OF THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY. UPSTAGE IN THE SHADOWS THERE ARE SHAPES WE CANNOT MAKE OUT Bur WllL LATER BE SEEN AS 1HE •MARKERS* OF •woNDERLAND.• WE HEAR VOICES UGHTLY CAlLING Our TO AUCE. SHE IS NOT SURE WHAT SHE IS HEARING. OFFSTAGE VOICE (singing) A1ice....Aiice AUCE What? Who called? OFFSTAGE VOICE (singing) THAT'S THE WAY, YOU SEE NEVER TO MISS•••• AUCE. I know rm atone, but.._ OFFSTAGE VOICE (singing) ROCKABYE AUCE ON THE TREE TOP AUCE Did someone catt1 Hello? MRS. MUMFORD (From offstage) Alice? Oh. Alice. (EOters) AUCE (Not noti.cing Mrs. Mumfotd) Is someone there? page! (MRS. MUMFORD IS AUCf:4S GOVERNESS. SHE IS KIND Btrr A BIT OVERBEARING. EVERYTHING ABOtrr HER APPEARANCE AND DEMEANOR SCREAMS OF ORDERLINESS.) MRS.M. Of cou:rne, someone is here, Alice. I am here. AUCE Oh. Mrs. Mumford. I thought I heard someone calling. MRS.M. You heard me calling. And...you didn't answer. ALICE But I thought I heard other things. MRS.M ALICE Yes. Singing and... MRS.M Daydreaming again. Alice? ALICE No, not daydreaming, Mm. Mumford. Although.•• MRS.M Yes, dear? Although what? ALICE Well. I was thinking about that rabbit. MRS.M What rabbit? page2 ALICE Oh. you remember. I told you. The rabbit with the watch. I followed him and I fell down that rabbit hole and... MRS.M Oh. Alice. You were daydreaming. ALICE No. Not daydreaming. Thinking. About the rabbit. MRS.M Alice. we both know that rabbits donot carry watches. ALICE Oh. but this one did. It was attached to a chain that attached to his. .• MRS.M Oh. Alice. Next you'll be telling me this furry little creatln'e was wearing a full dress suit. ALICE Oh. no. Not a. fuH dress suit. The chain was attached to a vest pocket. And I do believe he was wearing knickers. MRS.M Alice. who knows what is true and what isn't? (Alice looks puzzled) "I" know what is true and what isn't. A¢ rabbits ~ watches is not truth. it is daydreaming. ALICE But.• • MRS.M There are no 'buts.' .. (MUSIC VAMP HAS STARTED) page3 MRS. M (cont.) (speaks in time to the music) TALKING RABBITS? ALICE Yes. MRS.M DANCING CARDS? ALICE Yes. Yes. MRS.M AND A QUEEN PLAYING GAMES WITH A BIG PINK BIRD? ALICE, THA'rS THE MOST PREPOSTEROUS STORY I HAVE EVER HEARD. ALICE But, see. You do remember what I told you. MRS.M 011. yes. CATS - FAT AND GRINNING HARES IN JABOT MOCK TORnES TALKING NO, DEAR. NO! (sings) RABBITS HAVE NEVER HAD 'mE HABIT OF TELLING TIME AND IF YOU KNOW A RABBIT WHO THINKS HE HAS THE HABIT WEn BEI"I'ER HAVE A DOCTOR COME AND DOCTOR ON HIS MIND. UP IS UP, DOWN IS DOWN ONE IS SKY, ONE IS GROUND AND A VAlLEY CAN NEVER BE A HilL page4 ALL THESE SilLY Dll..LUSIONS ONLY LEAD TO FALSE CONCLUSIONS RABBITS DO~ CARRY WATCHES AND THEY NEVER WILL. RIGHT IS RIGHT. WRONG IS WRONG SHORT IS SHORT, LONG IS LONG THAT'S 1HE WAY IT MUST BE FROM NOW UNTIL SOMEONE BREAKS THE CONNECTION, Bur TILL THEN -NO CIRCUMSPECTION RABBITS DO~ CARRY WATCHES AND THEY NEVER WILL. IUST SUPPOSE WITHOtrr REASON THAT rnE FOUR YEARLY SEASONS STARTED SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH AND ALL AROUND ALL THE MON'IHS Otrr OF ORDER WHY, rnEYEARCOULDBESHORTER ITS THE KIND OF THING THAT MAKES A SANE SOCIETY UNSOUND. WEARING GLOVES ON YOUR TOES WEARING STOCKINGS ON YOUR NOSE CAN'T YOU SEE. DEAR. rs JUST NOT APROPOS YOU MUST LEARN, DEAR. TO FACE IT EVERYTHING IS WHERE YOU PLACE IT RABBITS DON'T CARRY WATCHES AUCE I KNOW OF THE FACI'S rVE HAD MY FlLL MRS.M YOU CAN'T CHANGE THEM JUST FOR THRILLS RABBITS DON'T CARRY WATCHES AND THEY NEVER EVER WILL AUCE I KNOW, THEY NEVER EVER WILL. (TilE MUSIC CONTINUES UNDER) pageS MRS.M Now, flnish brushing your hair, dear. It's almost time for lunch. ALICE Yes, Mrs. Mumford. MRS. MUMFORD And Alice...do.n't daud!e. (she leaves) ALICE (sings) JUST SUPPOSE- WITHOtrr REASON THAT THE FOUR YEARLY SEASONS STARTED SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH AND ALL AROUND (THE MUSIC CHANGES TO A QUICK. UGHT RUNNING SOUND) ALICE Oh. welL Maybe rabbits don't caxry watches.•. but, I know that I saw what I saw when I saw iL (THE WHITE RABBIT HURRIES IN FROM THE DARKNESS UPSTAGE. HE IS INDEED WEARING KNICKERS AND CARRIES A WATCIL) RABBIT Oh. my goodness. Oh. my goodness. rm late. So very late. Oh. my goodness. ALICE (Seeing the rabbit) Oh. my goodness! RAB~IT No. It i.s not 'your' goodness. It is 'my' goodness. (checks watch) Ohl My goodness. ALICE Why ••.it's your Isn't it? page6 RABBIT Well. the last time I looked. I was me. Goodness! Do you think it is possible that I am not still me? Maybe I should check. (He moves Alice aside and checks himself in the mirror... from several angles.) Well. everything looks as though it's still where it should be. So, I guess rm still me. Why would you think otherwise? ALICE You don't remember me? You don't know who I am? RABBIT Young lady, with all that I have on my mind. I sometimes have difficulty remembering who •r am. ALICE rm Alice. RABBIT Glad to meet you. Alex. ALICE No. Not Alex. That is short for Alexander. My name is A - lice. Alice. RABBIT Glad to meet you Alice Alice• . ALICE Oh. no. lust one. RABBIT lust one what? ALICE lust one Alice RABBIT I know that. page7 AUCE But I think you misunderstood. You said... RABBIT Oh, my goodness. I'm late. ALICE Oh, youre always late. RABBIT That is not a very nice thing to say. It's true. but it's not nice to say it Now, I must go. AUCE Mister Rabbit, are you by any chance on your way to Wonderland? RABBIT On my way to where? AUCE You know. That place where I was before. RABBIT How should I know where you were before? I'm not a psychic. I'm a rabbit A very late rabbit AUCE May l go with you? RABBIT Well. l don't see howl could stop you. But if you want to come, you mtist hu:ay. You see, I'm... AUCE Yes, I know. Youre late. Don't worry. pageS (she sings) riL BE CLOSE ON YOUR HEELS DOESNT MATTER WHERE YOU GO OVER HILL, OVER DALE NEVER FEAR. YOU'LL KNOW RABBIT Know what? AUCE I'M CLOSE BEHIND AND THERE rM SURE TO STAY UNTIL I FlND TIIE WAY RABBIT The way? To where? AUCE TIIE WAY TO THE PLACE tHAT I LONG TO SEE AGAIN Tim WAY TO WONDERLAND RABBIT Alice. we really must go. MUSTN'T STOP, MUSTN'T WAIT OR YOU SEE, I'lL BE LATE THO I'M NOT SURE WHAT rM SURE rVE GOT SOME PLANS SO, LETS BE OW TO- WONDERLAND. PARDON ME, MUSTN'T STAY GOTTOBEONMYWAY WE'RE OFF TO KEEP A DATE wrm SOMETHING GRAND WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO WONDERLAND THRU THE LOOKING GLASS OVER MAGIC PASS BY ENCHANTED GARDENS WE WILL 00 pago9 RABBIT ALICE HOW WELL I KNOW COME ALONG COME ALONG MUSTN'T WAIT MUSTN'T WAIT OR YOU SEE ORYOUSEE WE'LL BE LATE WELL BELATE TIME IS WASTING, COME AND TAKE MY HAND HERE, TAKE MY HAND TOGETHER WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO WONDERLAND (MUSIC CONTINUES UNDER) ALICE Oh. Mister Rabbit. There is one thing. Do we have to go down that awful hole again? RABBIT Awful hole? ALICE Well. no disrespect intended. but the fall down the rabbit hole jostled me terribly the last time. RABBIT Well. as a matter of fact. I planned on taking the mirror• . ALICE Taking the mirror? RABBIT Yes. I thought we might take the shortcut. Thru the looking glass. page 10 (AS HE SINGS THE RABBIT LIFrS THE MIRROR FROM IT'S PLACE ON THE DRESSER) RABBIT ALICE THRU THE LOOKING GLASS LOOKING THRU THE LOOKING GLASSES OVER MAGIC PASS I CAN SEE THE MAGIC PASSES BY ENCHANTED GARDENS WE WILL GO IWANTTOGO TOGETHER COME ALONG, MUSTN'T WAIT OR YOU SEE WE'LL BE LATE TIME IS WASTING COME AND TAKE MY HAND WERE ON OUR WAY TO WONDERLAND ON OUR WAY TO WONDERLAND.