A New Stage Adaptation of the Book by Lewis Carroll
Bringing high quality, affordable live theatre to the Front Range, the theatre program at Colorado State University presents a new stage adaption of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland by Dr. Eric Prince, running April 24 through May 4, Thursdays – Sundays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the University Theatre at the University Center for the Arts, located at 1400 Remington St.
A Mad Hatter’s Tea reception will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 before the matinee performance and is free and open to all ticket holders.
Tickets are $8 for CSU students, $8 for youth (under 18) and $18 for the public. Tickets are available at the University Center for the Arts (UCA) Ticket Office in the UCA Griffin Lobby, by phone at (970) 491-2787, or online at www.CSUArtsTickets.com. Due to popular demand, all performances are reserved seating. Advance purchase is recommended to avoid at-the-door fees.
Free Ticket Offers: CSU students get in free on Ticket Thursdays: April 24 and May 1. Sponsored by the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, members of the public get in free on Ticket Sundays: April 27 and May 4. Space is limited and tickets are available on a first come, first served basis at the Ticket Office at (970) 491-ARTS (2787).
“How can we do [Alice in Wonderland] for a mixed audience on a university campus, reaching out to every generation?”
This was the question Dr. Prince asked himself when he began the process of adapting Lewis Carroll’s original manuscript, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. According to Dr. Prince, this script is true to 90% of the original tale, using the same dialogue and nonsense lines written by Lewis Carroll.
“We’re trying to do this nice mixture of mid-19th century period and combine it with 21st century technology said Dr. Prince.
With music, film, sound design, and spectacular scenic design this production will appeal to all ages because it is a marriage between new theatre technology and period company.
Carroll’s wondrous tale of a young girl, Alice, falling down a rabbit hole and into an underground world peopled by strange, comical, absurd creatures and happenings continues to weave its magic spell to this day, captivating children and grown-ups alike.
With specially-composed original music by David Hörger and song lyrics by Prince, drawing on Victorian hymns, nursery rhyme, jazz and English folksong, it is all designed to create a dazzling, vibrant theatrical experience, one that will captivate seven-year-olds and seventy-year-olds alike and every age in between.
Dr. Prince coached all his actors to “think like Monty Python,” saying that British audiences are all fans of that type of outrageous and strange humor. It is his hope that the story of Alice in Wonderland will be revitalized and given a whole new flavor when audiences see the spectacular technical elements combined with the classic comedy and speech Lewis Carroll gave in the original story.
This performance has the complete package: creative modern design, theatrical spectacle, comedy, and the purity of the story.
“One of the things I wanted was to avoid doing another Walt Disney version, with all the cute cartooney bits,” noted Prince. “An adaptation straight out of the book will still entertain audiences of all ages.
With all the spectacular design and technical elements together with the funny and honest portrayal of the characters by the actors, Prince is certainly proud of his production, and looks forward to seeing Lewis Carroll’s story exposed in a whole new light to a new audience.
“It should really amaze people or even surprise them, because it won’t be what they expect when they go to see Alice in Wonderland.”
Do not miss this world premiere of a new stage adaptation of one of the most cherished, beguiling, and kaleidoscopic journeys in all literature.
Alice in Wonderland Performance Dates:
Nightly: April 24, 25, 26, 27; May 1, 2, 3, 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinees: April 26, 27; May 3, 4 at 2 p.m.
University Theatre, UCA
Sit in the CSU Theatre Tweet Seats:
Tired of being told to shut off your phone at the movie theatre and other events? CSU theatre is now offering “Tweet Seats” – select seats where you can live-tweet about the performance during the action! Be sure to use #CSUtheatre to let us know your thoughts, post photos, videos, comments right here and now.
For a full performance and event calendar, more information, and to sign up for a free event e-newsletter, visit www.UCA.colostate.edu.