Published: July 03, 2008 03:40 pm            

Stronger visuals needed in ‘Alice’s Adventures’

TERRE HAUTE — Throughout the years, catching a summer production at Indiana State University’s Crossroads Theatre (and formerly Summerstage) meant navigating the rough relationships in “On Golden Pond,” sympathizing with spousal abuse in “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” or squaring off with death in “Our Town.”

But rarely, if ever, has the summer slate catered to those in the community who might like to introduce to young potential audience members the simple nuances of live theater performed by professional actors.

For those parents who’ve been anxiously awaiting such an opportunity, your time has come. Crossroads Repertory Theatre’s production of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is a retelling of the classic tale that was adapted by Debora Lynn Frockt and originally produced by Seattle Children’s Theatre. Because it was tested and tried by children for children, it’s an imaginative script that gives directors, actors and designers lots of room to create.

That’s the good news.

Where Director Lew Hackleman seems to have missed the mark here is in creating the spectacle that is inherent to the story of Alice that we all know and love. Because Lewis Carroll’s story is light on plot, Walt Disney knew enough to employ Technicolor technology to create strong visuals. And he supplemented them with a musical score that included unforgettable songs like White Rabbit’s “I’m Late.”

But that was in 1951. Today’s young demographic is a video game playing, motion control welding crew with over-stimulated senses. Their eyes are accustomed to what should have been wildly flamboyant costuming, colorful eye-popping sets and lots of quick action.

Thanks to a series of engaging and evenly spaced individual performances, the talented human components of this romp through a Saturday morning cartoon save their show from falling down the rabbit hole. But despite the pleasures of their performances, the piece fails in its effort to redefine the fictional world that so enraptured young audiences more than 50 years ago.

Granted, this is a tall order in a repertory theater setting where set pieces revolve nightly. But the less-is-more solution from scenic designer Linda Janosko — the highlight of which is a waist-high, v-shaped wall that shields the not-so-grand entrances of the Chesshire Cat and the Caterpillar — is simply not enough.

While costume designer Clair Hummel does her best to help the actors move quickly and efficiently through the myriad of characters the cast portrays during the 1 hour and 15 minute performance, efficiency should have given way to spectacle a bit more often along the way.

It was as though the actors knew they had to over compensate, and for the most part, their efforts paid off. Standout performances came from Mark Douglas-Jones as the head-offing queen and his/her sidekick, Brandon Wentz, as the Peter Lorre-esque hunchback. And Thiel Munro garnered show-stopping applause in his role as the Chesshire Cat. Amy Attaway was suitably endearing and annoying as Alice, and Andy Rabensteine made an art of the nose twitch as the painter turned White Rabbit.

The production, that at its conclusion Wednesday was good enough to raise audience members to their feet, is just that — good enough. But if Crossroads wants to continue the apparent push to fill seats with younger sets of eyes, it’s going to have to give those eyes something more enticing to study.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” continues with performances in the ISU New Theater at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. The production moves to the Fairbanks Park amphitheater in Terre Haute on July 15 for a 7 p.m. performance. Telephone the ISU ticket office at (812) 237-3333 for more information.

        

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