STRONG CAST SHINES IN RAGE’S ALICE

STRONG CAST SHINES IN  RAGE’S ALICE

F. J. Hartland  

          Rage of the Stage Players along with director/playwright James Michael Shoberg give Pittsburghers a new (and grimy) twist on Lewis Caroll’s  Through the Looking Glass and Alice in Wonderland with Alice’s Adventures in “Wonderland” running through May 30 at the Brew House on the South Side.

            Make no mistake…this is NOT children’s theatre.  Leave the kids at home.  Repeat: leave the kids at home.

            Shoberg has transplanted the story to the slimy underbelly of a major metropolitan area, replete with pimps, addicts, prostitutes and the homeless. Alice is a Catholic school girl, accidentally thrust into this world of madness and perversion while on an innocent field trip to the museum.  And for the most part—these transformations all work.

            The script is supported by a very strong cast, who add the necessary humor and/or terror to each vignette.  It’s difficult to shine in such a powerful ensemble—but some manage to do just that. 

           Joanna Lowe nearly steals the show as the schizophrenic Mad Hattie, throwing a tea party that I will not soon forget.  I thought she was brilliant in Rage of the Stage’s Villains, but she manages to out-do even that performance.

            Chucky Hendershot is not only diabolical as The “White” Rabbit (a.k.a. “Bunny Boy”), but does it while skateboarding—no easy feat!  David Gallagher is terrifying as the strung-out and very bi-polar Chester.  As the Queen of Hearts Carrie L. Shoberg is the ultimate dominatrix, a kitten-with-a-whip.

              Sean Michael Gallagher as Nathan, the pimp, and Gordon Anthony Palagi as Five of Hearts share a powerful scene that shows the futility of having real emotions in the harsh unfeeling world of this play.

            Sets are simple, so it’s up to the costumes and make-up to create spectacle.  And they do.  The team of creative artists (Valerie Porter, Carrie L. Shoberg, James Michael Shoberg and Chucky Hendershot) has done a remarkable job, resulting in colorful, eye-catching  costumes and some very impressive make-up effects. 

           The production is not perfect.  The script could use some tightening; lengthy set changes slow the pace of the show; one or two of the actors need to speak up.  The character of Alice is never really developed, which makes it difficult to feel for her plight.  But overall, Rage of the Stage Players has a successful and imaginative production on its hands.

            Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland continues through May 30.  For tickets,  call 412-851-0922.

This entry was posted on 24. May 2009 at 17:14 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

| Print