alice...Alice...ALICE!

Alice…Alice…ALICE!

You know a story is dark and twisted when even Disney's animated version resembles a bad acid trip. Such is the case with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a nightmarish fable of innocence lost, populated by a cast of characters as sinister as they are eccentric. (Need further proof that Alice is weird? Tim Burton's take is slated to open in March.)

Of course that vibe of Victorian doom is precisely what inspired the Irondale Ensemble Project—whose past productions have included plays by the likes of Bertolt Brecht and Dario Fo—to mount its own partially improvised theatrical interpretation. "Whenever I tell people who know our work that Alice is our next project, their reaction is invariably, ‘Oh, what a perfect piece for you,'" says director Jim Neeson, who recalls being both horrified and fascinated by Lewis Carroll's book as a child.

For that reason, Irondale is recommending Alice for ages ten and up. Still, Neeson thinks younger kids may be entertained by the show. The unconventional music choices (such as "Please Please Me" and "Love Shack") will likely tickle youngsters, as will the "physical" staging, which promises to utilize the entire theater space. The "environmental" production requires audiences to follow the cast all over the Irondale Center (similar to Hansel and Gretel, which recently played at the New Victory). Thus the evening performances can accommodate only ten viewers. If your kids prefer not to run around (for once), they should attend a Saturday matinee on February 6 or 20, when Irondale's resident teen ensemble will mount a variation of the show without stepping off the stage. Down the rabbit hole we go…—Jacqueline Burt Wang

alice...alice...ALICE! plays at the Irondale Center Jan 27–Feb 20. Tickets: $10-$50.

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