Anne Shirley Theatre Company is presenting an updated version of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale with a production of Alice by British playwright Laura Wade for six performances from November 17 to 26 at Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space.
First premiering at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2010, Wade’s modernized take is a mash-up of parts of Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from 1865 as well as its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass, while borrowing elements from The Wizard of Oz.
The dreamy Alice of the original story is recast as a modern-day teenager who, dealing with grief after a family tragedy involving her beloved brother, finds herself leaving her Sheffield home to enter a topsy-turvy world filled with surreal but familiar characters including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Hatter and the Hare, the Queen of Hearts, Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee, and more.
Anne Shirley Theatre Company is a student-run, not-for-profit theatre organization at Trent University aiming to provide opportunities for students to experience all aspects of theatre, both on and off the stage. Established in 2003, the theatre company’s name comes from the title character of its inaugural production Anne of Green Gables.
The company’s production of Alice, directed by Paige Nelson and Liam Hammond, features a diverse cast and crew including Ava Becker, Harper Caldwell, Tristan Cruise, Samantha Daly, Oskar Ferguson-Glaspell, Lela Fox-Doran, Tia James, Ashton Kelly, Anand Kumar, Chancellor McGuigan, Everett McIntyre, and Callum Sywyk.
“We believe there is a lack of inclusivity within the theatre industry that causes new and experienced artists alike to stop performing and lose the joy that being a part of a production brings, which is why we are excited to continue our work to make theatre accessible to all with our upcoming production of Alice,” reads a media release.
Alice runs from November 17 to 26 at Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space at Gzowski College at Trent University (1600 West Bank Drive), with evening performances at 7 p.m. on November 17 and 18 and November 24 to 26 and a 2 p.m. matinee performance on November 19.
Tickets can be purchased online at anneshirleytheatrecompany.com for $15 plus a fee and on the Trent University campus for $15 cash only on selected dates until November 23.
Pay-what-you-can days (minimum $5, cash only) take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, November 10th and Wednesday, November 15th outside the Wenjack Theatre.
