alice... Alice... ALICE!

After being closed for 18 months, the Irondale Ensemble Project is back with our production of alice . . . Alice . . . ALICE!, first produced in 2010. This is a truly immersive experience down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, set throughout the historic 19th century Irondale space.

Exploring the nooks, crannies, recesses, and lofts of the space that the public rarely sees, an intimate audience of thirty will be led in and out of ever-changing rooms by Alice, a confused but eager soul who is the tour guide of the colorful adventure. Part naivety for children of all ages, part political farce, and sophisticated social commentary, the evening-length work is seasoned with pure silliness, and a serious message, examining the problems of the world through the lens of a fast-paced chase in an upside world of mayhem and madness.

Venerable and enchanting, the play incorporates elements of invention, film, and magic with a myriad of styles careening from vaudeville sketches to Pinteresque darkness, to a mad tea party of beer- and vodka-swilling hooligans and a Stalinesque show trial in a haunting tableau spotlighting a hooded, helpless defendant.

“After a year and a half sitting behind our screens, we invite the community to run up and down the stairs of Irondale being entertained, bewildered, and challenged. Let it be a mirror reflecting the madness of everything surrounding us, but more importantly, a reminder that we can stay sane in the midst of it all if we keep trucking . . . and don’t take anything more seriously than it merits!” Jim Niesen

Directed by Jim Niesen

Designed by Ken Rothchild

Music direction by Sam Day Harmet

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