HTY's ANIME ALICE to Honor Lewis Carroll Classic

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's classic story, Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) kicks off its 61st season with the World Premiere of anime alice and her adventures in wonderland, on stage August 14 - September 19.

Playwright Alvin Chan and the creative team behind HTY's recent hits A Korean Cinderella, Anime Momotaro and A Bollywood Robin Hood have created an original production inspired by traditional Japanese theatre and featuring live shamisen, taiko drumming and flute-all steeped in eye-popping anime-inspired staging techniques.

The play opens Friday, August 14 at 7 p.m. at Tenney Theatre on the grounds of The Cathedral of St. Andrew, and continues on Saturdays August 15, 22, 29, September 5, 12 and 19 at 4:30 p.m.; an ASL-interpreted/sensory-friendly performance is on Saturday August 29 at 2 p.m. Single tickets are $20 for adults (age 18-59), $15 for seniors (age 60+) and $10 for youth (age 2-17). The show is best enjoyed by audiences five years old and above. Tickets at www.htyweb.org or 839-9885. Parking is free in the Cathedral lot for all HTY Public Performances.

In this "Alice," our protagonist is apprehensive about her family's impending move to Japan - it's hard enough figuring out how to be a proper young girl in her own country! After discarding a challenging Japanese travel book in favor of a game of solitaire, she's paid a visit by a mysterious white rabbit. She follows him down the rabbit hole to a wild anime world filled with maddening characters. But here, the tea party devolves into a foodfight, then shifts to slo-motion, then reverses. The queen is obsessed with jan ken po (not croquet), and big cartoon emoticons and thought bubbles float overhead like the pages of a mad manga comic book come to life.

"No matter where home is, it's a crazy world out there," Playwright Chan says. "When our Alice falls down the rabbit hole, her life is literally turned upside down...but ultimately she learns resilience and self-reliance."

ANIME ALICE is performed by Alvin Chan, Maile Holck, Junior Tesoro and Christina Uyeno; musician is Patrick Oiye. Director is Eric Johnson; set, props and puppet designer is Tom Lee; costume, props and puppet designer is Lacy Rohlf; lighting and projection design is by Chesley Cannon; sound designer is Barett Hoover and additional music is by Max Louie.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth is Hawaii's non-profit professional theatre company providing theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of Hawaii's young people and families. Founded in 1955, HTY is recognized the world over as one of America's most honored theatres.