Alice, a new play by Kim Hines based on Whoopi Goldberg's children's book, will be the inaugural production of the new Family Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The show, like the 320-seat theatre, will open on December 9th; Alice will run through January 2nd, 2006.
Alice is a reimagining of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland with a young African-American heroine. "So you think being rich will get you a giant house, fun times, and lots
of great friends? Smart and sassy young Alice believes it will, so when
she wins a mysterious sweepstakes, there's no time to lose to claim her
prize! With her two best friends in tow--a white rabbit who's, well,
kind of invisible, and a card-playing nerd who has a thing for
hats--Alice heads into the topsy-turvy neon wonderland of the Big City
in a race against the clock," states press notes. The show is presented as part of the Imagination Celebration series, which has been entertaining families at the famed performing arts complex for 30 years. Brave No World, Citizen 13559: The Journal of Ben Uchida, and Walking the Winds: Arabian Tales are other upcoming Imagination Celebration shows.
The new theatre occupies the space formerly used by the American Film Institute. "Arts education can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of
children and adults. The Family Theater provides a new home for
world-class family theater performances for Washington, the surrounding
communities, and visitors to our nation's capital," stated Kennedy Center chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman.