Archive: Arts & Entertainment

ITHACA, NY - We are all familiar with the wonderful characters from Lewis Carroll's classic tale Alice in Wonderland. In Andre Gregory's play, set to be staged at the Schwartz Center, the innocence is peeled back to reveal the characters' inner psyches and the disturbing shadows lurking there. A piece of pure theatre full of truth, fun and terror, Alice in Wonderland will be performed January 30-February 10 at the Cornell Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

Alice in Wonderland was created by The Manhattan Project under the direction of Andre Gregory. After three years of rehearsals, the play was an Off-Broadway hit, toured internationally, and earned Gregory an OBIE and Drama Desk Award. Gregory went on to star in the acclaimed art-house hit film My Dinner With Andre.

"Seeing this amazing ensemble as a young theatre student was easily the most inspirational event of my training. I knew then that this was the kind of theatre I wanted to make, " said Guest Director Norm Johnson, who is directing his first show at Cornell. Johnson is a movement and scene study professor at Ithaca College. He is excited to work on this project with video artist Rachel Katz to implement live videography into the show -- making Alice's world a little more "topsy turvey" than usual. Also contributing to the world of the play are Set Designer Christa Seekatz, Lighting Designer Daniel Hall, Costume Designer Lisa Boquist, and Sound Designer Warren Cross.

Sophomore theatre arts major Amanda Idoko will play the hapless Alice supported by the ensemble cast of Tyler Herman, Zach Mast, Natasha Pendleton, Ariel Reid, and Resident Professional Teaching Associate Jeff Guyton.

Evening performances of Alice in Wonderland are January 30-February 3 and February 6-9 at 7:30 PM. (Please note our new evening start time!) Three matinees will be offered at 2 pm on February 3, 9-10. A post-show discussion with actors and designers will be held February 7.