Play Review
‘Alice in Wonderland:
’A Curious Trip Through the London Underground

By K-K Bracken (December 7, 2006)

K-K Bracken is a member of the George Mason Cappies (Critics and Awards Program) Team. Critics attend plays at high schools around the area and submit reviews. A few are selected for publication in local newspapers. This one, a review of Stone Bridge High School’s “Alice in Wonderland,” was published in the Washington Post.

As the temperatures drop, the radios croon to us about winter wonderlands. But last night at Stonebridge High School, it was Alice's turn to venture into a Wonderland of her own. Except instead of Disney's standard of three-inch creatures like dormice and caterpillars, the audience was treated with twitchy, trippy street-performers that one might meet at 3 a.m. on the London underground.

"Alice in Wonderland" tells the story of the Victorian-era 11-year-old Alice, caught in a dream-world full of mad characters. Best known as the Disney movie classic of the same title, the play is based on two of Lewis Carroll's most famous books: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."

The general casting was superb; energy was always up, individual actors fully committed to their characters, and the ensemble worked marvelously together. One memorable trial scene, featuring almost the entire cast, had the jury jumping to its feet yelling the first part of "guilty!" in sync, and being cut off immediately by the Latino version of the Red Queen (Chelsea Sorenson) and the wonderfully wimpy King of Hearts (Garrett Brennan). Timing, both comedic and absurd, was fantastic.

Despite some sound problems, the technical aspect definitely added to the mood of the show. Whether it was the blue-washed lighting of Alice's sea of her own tears (courtesy of Daniel Hopkins and Jaclyn Windsor) or the original techno-compositions of Corey Pless, the Stone Bridge stage managed to hang onto its distinct, acidic quality.

As Alice, Jenny Abercrombie never missed a beat. Her accent, a throw-back to the Disney classic, did not once lose consistency. As the storyline became "curiouser and curiouser," Abercrombie managed to keep the plot anchored with her utterly believable naivete and beautiful diction.

It seemed there were as many quirky characters to play as capable actors to play them. Notably, Chris DuGuay brought to life the caffeine-crazed Mad Hatter and worked well with his tea party counterparts the March Hare and the Dormice (AJ Pendola and Austen Willis). Zach Kopciak, as the White Knight, had to sing and, more impressively, ride a bicycle that was far too short for his own legs (to great comedic effect). Kudos must also be given to the "Alice Squad," a set of seven dancing girls that was Alice's sinister inner-mindset.

The abundance of memorable characters in Carroll's classics was truly brought to life at Stone Bridge High School, even if they never did explain the difference between a raven and a writing desk.