Brooklynites can take a trip down the rabbit hole with the weird and whimsical characters from Alice in Wonderland, as Fort Greene’s Irondale theater has launched an intimate and immersive new show, Alice…Alice…ALICE!
The creative take on Lewis Carroll’s classic, which runs until Nov. 20, will see an audience of 30 theater goers guided in-and-out of ever-changing spaces in an unconventional and unique experience filled with punch lines and profound political commentary.
The venerable and charming work is directed by Jim Niesen, and encompasses elements of fiction, film, and magic with a myriad of styles — vaudeville sketches and picturesque darkness, a wacky tea party with beer and vodka-loving hooligans, and a Stalinesque show trial in a haunting tableau spotlighting a hooded, helpless defendant.
Niesen sees the show, which was first produced in 2010, as a satirical take on the “madness” surrounding each of us in modern times — from COVID-19 to vast conspiracy theories tearing through the country, said Nielson.
“Let it be a mirror reflecting the madness of everything surrounding us,” he said. “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.”
The show also serves as the ideal palate cleanser after a long period of isolation, Nielsen added.
“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,” he said.
This marks the first time Irondale, an artistically ambitious think-tank for cutting edge theater, has opened their doors to the public after more than sixteen months of COVID-related closures.
Because the show is so immersive, audience members will get to run around the space, chasing Alica, and exploring the nooks and crannies, niches, and lofts of the space rarely seen by the public.
Alice…Alice…ALICE! at Irondale theater. [85 S. Oxford St. in Fort Greene. (718) 488-9233. www.irondale.org] Until Nov. 20. Thursday-Saturday at 7 pm. Sunday at 5 pm. $30.
