BWW Reviews: Jump Down the Rabbit Hole With LOOKINGGLASS ALICE

The beauty of "Lookingglass Alice," currently playing at Lookingglass Theatre in another revival of their hit production of years past, is that it all at once stretches your mind while forcing you to escape the traditional conventions of reason and logic that have been so etched into our brains. With all of the wordplay and Lewis Carroll logic, it is nearly impossible to catch every hilarious and clever witticism or internalize every nugget of brilliant wisdom that is relayed during the 90-some minutes of show time. Yet, when you let your mind go and begin to accept this Wonderland for the world it is, you will find that you begin to understand the message better than before.

Besides the beautiful dialogue, Lookingglass Theatre puts every bit of storytelling magic to use. Their signature gymnastics are at their best in this production and, depending on so many things to make everything tick along as it should, it's amazing how perfectly the stunts, movements, and acrobatics go off without a hitch. A testament to the crew, certainly, as well as the brilliant cast who not only impress you with their physical feats, but who also make you laugh hardily one moment and cause tears to well in your eyes another. There are not many in this world who would be able to fill the roles required in "Lookingglass Alice" so fully, and this brilliant cast of six (five players appear each show, with Lindsey Noel Whiting and Lauren Hirte sharing the role of Alice at different performances) are to be marveled at.

What is showcased so perfectly by the cast is the idea of theatre being a collaborative art; an idea that is never better on display than in this production. From direction (David Catlin), to the script (also David Catlin), to the music, to the set (Daniel Ostling), to the costumes (Mara Blumenfeld and associate, Alison Siple), to the lights (Christine A. Binder), to the movement, to the individual nuances of each actor, and so on and so forth, it becomes impossible to imagine the show without each and every cog of this theatrical machine. To imagine the creation of this show becomes of a game of chicken vs. the egg and begs the question: What came first? For, how could Catlin have written the piece without knowing the brilliant movement that would play so heavily into telling the story? And, how could the movement have been created without knowing which costumes, rigging, and sets would be in place? And, how could the costumes, rigging, and sets have been created without knowing what was needed from the script? And, how could the script have been written without knowing what costumes, rigging, and sets would be possible? Everyone involved plays an integral part and aids in the success of every other theatrical aspect. It's this symbiosis of stagecraft that gives "Lookingglass Alice" the ability to create theatrical moments that bind the audience together; moments when you can feel everyone in the room sharing a single experience together.

And, when I say everyone, I truly mean everyone. I saw the same look of glee on an older man sitting in the audience as I did on a young child at the opening performance Saturday afternoon. With different levels of comprehension, adults and children may certainly take away different things from the show, but, when Alice is swinging on a rope high above the audience, music swelling, each person in the audience, no matter the age, is sure to experience a feeling that can't be described; a feeling that is singular to theatre.

It's for this reason that "Lookingglass Alice" is a gift to the theatre world. A shining example of the possibilities of live storytelling and more than enough reason for this theatre company to continue bringing it back to their stage. So, give yourself over, whether you're 5 or 105, whether it's your first outing or fifth, and jump headfirst into that rabbit hole with Alice.

"Lookingglass Alice" is currently playing at Lookingglass Theatre, inside the Water Tower Water Works at 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson, through February 15th, 2015. Tickets are $45 - $85 with a limited number of student tickets available the day of the show for $20. Tickets can be purchased at www.lookingglasstheatre.org or by calling the box office at (312) 337-0665.

Photos Courtesy of: Liz Lauren

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