Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at SK High

November 19, 2010

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Dancing teardrops. Talking flowers. The white knight. The red queen. Discover the wonder of them all this November at Alice's Adventures in Wonderland presented by the Contemporary Theater Company and GEAR Productions.

The two South Kingstown theater troupes team up to produce an original adaptation of Alice in Wonderland by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, at the South Kingstown High School Auditorium. Combining elements from both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Dodgson's companion book, Through the Looking-Glass, this show weaves a unique path through a familiar story.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland features actors from the Adeline LaPlante Memorial Center, Ocean State Community Resources and Perspectives Corp. alongside performers from the Contemporary Theater Company and wider community. The LaPlante center, Ocean State Community Resources and Perspectives support people with physical or cognitive impairments.
“One thing that's amazing is the overwhelming community involvement,” said Beth Berry from GEAR Productions, who will adapt and direct the show. “Just the rehearsals have been a really rewarding experience.”
The show includes more than 70 people from communities across southern Rhode Island. Contemporary Theater Company favorite Ashley Macamaux stars as Alice.
Two years in the making, the idea for the partnership blossomed when Berry approached the Contemporary Theater Company about staging a show encompassing all members of the community. Moving the concept from drawing board to reality were grants awarded this spring by the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities at Rhode Island College and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.
“The Contemporary Theater Company and GEAR Productions are a perfect match,” said Christopher Simpson, artistic director of the Contemporary Theater Company. “Both companies strive to integrate the arts into the community and together we can provide a professional experience for the broadest possible array of performers.”
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland shows Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at the South Kingstown High School Auditorium, 215 Columbia St., Wakefield. Tickets are $5visit www.TheContemporaryTheater.com or call 218-0282.