ALICE IN INFORMATIONLAND Comes to Lehigh University's Linderman Library

Touchstone Theatre will present Alice in Informationland – a new, interactive show created by Touchstone Ensemble Members Jp Jordan, Christopher Shorr, and Matt Prideaux, in conversation with Lehigh University Libraries staff. In this immersive performance, audience members take on the role of Alice, who has been summoned to be judged in front of the Queen's Court. To get there, they must navigate through the perilous digital landscape of Informationland and collect evidence to prove their innocence, or guilt. This original performance takes place on October 8, 2025 from 7-9pm in the Linderman Library on Lehigh University's campus.

Commissioned by The Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries to help encourage conversation around the ethical use of AI, the performance reimagines Lewis Carroll's fantastical stories as a deep dive into a digital rabbit hole. Audience members will make their way through the looking glass and into the world of (mis)information, encountering AI-inspired challenges that evoke contemporary issues around data ethics, algorithmic bias, and human-machine interaction. Exploring the intersectionality of artificial intelligence and performance, this extremely interactive production seeks to engage its audience in dialogue around technology's evolving role in society, while celebrating the power of imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration in navigating this new digital landscape.

Boaz Nadav Manes, Lehigh's University Librarian, reflected, “Artificial intelligence holds the power to transform entirely how we create and engage with information. We envision our libraries as places of wonder and beauty, where curiosity encounters knowledge, guided by technology along the path to discovery. We are delighted to collaborate with Touchstone Theatre in shaping this unique immersive experience, exploring how AI may reframe our understanding of the world.” Alice in Informationland's audience will partake in a “choose-your-own” style adventure through the Linderman Library, encountering familiar (and perhaps not-so-familiar) characters and scenes along the way. Audience members should prepare to spend about 30-45 minutes to experience the full performance, and can arrive at any point between 7 and 8:30pm. This walk-through experience is designed for folks of all ages; no tickets necessary, but all guests must check in at the library's front desk upon arrival. Come embrace chaos at the Tea Party, pass secret messages in The Game, glitch out with The Cheshire Cat, and most importantly prepare evidence to present to the Queen of Hearts! “We designed the show, from the ground up, to live and breathe inside the Linderman Library,” says Matt Prideaux, director of the project. “We wanted to bring art to Lehigh students, and our larger community, in a way they might not have experienced before, and fill an already beautiful library with our own unique touch of magic. We hope that our audience leaves with a newfound appreciation for this historic fount of knowledge in their own backyard, as well as a deeper love for the amazing work that librarians (and theatre-makers) do.” Before or after the performance, attendees are invited to check out Informationland: The Past and Future of Libraries, now on view in Linderman Library. Inspired by Alice in Informationland, this new Special Collections exhibit traces libraries' role from clay tablets to AI, showcasing how librarians have preserved knowledge, guided discovery, and built community across centuries. Explore rare government records, Lehigh archives, and media formats old and new. Visit through December, or continue your journey online with storymaps and timelines celebrating the ingenuity of libraries and the people behind them. Alice is Informationland is generously sponsored by The Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries. Touchstone's season is sponsored by Astound Broadband. UnBound Year-Round Gold Sponsors are Air Products and Donald B. & Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation. Print sponsorship is provided by Working Dog Press and media sponsorship is provided by Lehigh Valley with Love and WDIY. Touchstone is also generously supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, as well as many local businesses, foundations, and individuals.

Alice in Informationland takes place on October 8, 2025 at 7pm at Lehigh University's Linderman Library. No tickets necessary, but there is a limited capacity of 200. For more information about the event, please visit www.touchstone.org.