Hiking with Atmos Theatre's Theatre in the Woods

Atmos Theatre, a volunteer-run theater company in San Francisco, has adapted Alice in Wonderland for its ninth season of “Theatre in the Woods.” It’s been happening every Saturday & Sunday in August and through September 19th in Woodside, California (a few [...]]]>

Hiking with Atmos Theatre's Theatre in the Woods

Atmos Theatre, a volunteer-run theater company in San Francisco, has adapted Alice in Wonderland for its ninth season of “Theatre in the Woods.” It’s been happening every Saturday & Sunday in August and through September 19th in Woodside, California (a few cities south of San Francisco.) “‘Alice in Wonderland’ is performed as part of a guided hike through our redwood-filled forest property.” It sounds beautiful but, unfortunately, the entire run is completely sold out!

The original adaptation is by Brian Markley and directed by Amy Clare Tasker.

Theatre in the Woods features two stages and a variety of performance spots along our trails. Our Main Stage, nestled with a beautiful backdrop of redwood trees behind it, features natural benches made out of redwood planks and stumps. Our Amphitheatre Stage at Harrington Creek features natural amphitheatre seating carved out of the hillside. We provide blankets on the earth benches for a perfect view of the forest stage opposite the creek. And the acoustics are fantastic!

Cracked comments:

We’re tempted to chalk this one up to a bad case of Engrish mistranslation from our friends across the Pacific. It’s easy to see how “Wonderland” could have been misread as “Waterland,” [...]]]> The internet humor depot, Cracked.com, yesterday posted a collection of “19 Unintentionally Terrifying Children’s Album Covers“, two of which were old Alice records:

Cracked comments:

We’re tempted to chalk this one up to a bad case of Engrish mistranslation from our friends across the Pacific. It’s easy to see how “Wonderland” could have been misread as “Waterland,” and the “Mad Hatter” may have been literally interpreted as “Angry Hat.”

In any case, how we are supposed to believe that they’re pouring a cup of tea underwater? How the hell are you going to drink it? Could they have made a more disturbing Alice in Wonderland cover?

I think all LCSNA members will know the answer to that last question.

UPDATE! Matt Crandall had a post on his Disney Alice blog last year featuring Alice in Waterland, with more pictures, and included a recording:

Thank you!

And secondly:

Illustration by Francis Carruthers Gould from "The Westminster Alice"

Two more curiosities from the generous house of Evertype Publishers:

The Westminster Alice, by Hector Hugh Munro (Saki), and illustrated by Francis Carruthers Gould, New Edition 2010. These political parody vignettes were first brought together in 1903 in the Westminster Popular, and then published again with forward and [...]]]>

Illustration by Francis Carruthers Gould from "The Westminster Alice"

Two more curiosities from the generous house of Evertype Publishers:

The Westminster Alice, by Hector Hugh Munro (Saki), and illustrated by Francis Carruthers Gould, New Edition 2010.
These political parody vignettes were first brought together in 1903 in the Westminster Popular, and then published again with forward and footnotes in 1927. This edition provides additional historical background and photographs of the Victorians lampooned.  Amazon.com, $12.95

New Adventures of Alice, by John Rae, New Edition 2010.
John Rae, author, illustrator and portraitist from New Jersey, really wished that Lewis Carroll had written a sequel to Through the Looking-Glass, so he wrote and illustrated one himself. Published first in 1917, these new adventures see Alice visit a number of Mother Goose characters. Amazon.com, $21.95

Check out this beautiful custom chess set, featured on the website English Russia. It seems to be a work in progress but, from the description, we gather that the grand scheme is for an ornately carved table concealing a glass chessboard and ivory pieces. Turning a handle shaped like a [...]]]>

Chess Table from English Russia

Check out this beautiful custom chess set, featured on the website English Russia. It seems to be a work in progress but, from the description, we gather that the grand scheme is for an ornately carved table concealing a glass chessboard and ivory pieces. Turning a handle shaped like a flamingo’s head will activate a mechanism that lifts the board out of the table and ready for play.

The work of an unnamed Ukrainian master ivory carver, each piece is a highly-detailed rendering of a Tenniel illustration – white players from Through the Looking-Glass and black players from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. See the website for pictures of the man at work and a longer description of the project. Let’s hope that pictures of the finished work make it online too.

Lion Knight from English Russia

Walrus Pawn from English Russia

Frontispiece to Fit the Second, [...]]]> There’s a casting call up right now at Playbill.com for The Hunting of the Snark, a stage adaptation for the Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Fall Fest. The full listing gives a good feel for what the play might be like, so I’ll quote it at length:

Job Details
Title	The Hunting of the Snark
Category	Performer
Description	Frontispiece to Fit the Second, from Mahendra Singh's illustrations “The Hunting of the Snark” is a theatrical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s poem of the same name. This production is a part of Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Fall Fest. This is a wonderful whirlwind opportunity to collaborate with several emerging artists at a theater in mid-town! Rehearsals begin August 16th. Performances are September 16, 17, and 19. Times TBA. Looking for 12 actors of either gender and any ethnicity from ages 25-30. A plus if you play any unique instruments, can perform simple magic tricks, are great with sound effects, or have experience with simple dance/movement. CAST: The Bellman – Crazy for hunting the Snark Bonnets – A shy, clingy individual Barrister – Victim to Snark hallucination Broker – Fast-paced individual Butcher – Acts like a dunce, but it is revealed he knows everything about natural history Beaver – The Bellman’s sidekick. Knows what’s what before everyone else Baker – The person behind the proper method of hunting the Snark Banker – Brought on board at enormous expense Billiards-Maker – Sly, only wants to have fun, but quickly discovers how dangerous this is. **Simple magic tricks are a plus** Snark – Thinks that it’s in control of the show Creatures (3) – One of the creatures on the island. They set the mood and scene for much that happens on the island. **Seeking movers/dancers, individuals who can play unique instruments, and vocalists** Adapted by Katie Dickinson Directed by Nathan Gregorski Choreographed by Shannon McPhee

Thanks Mahendra Singh for the tip, and he adds: “maybe this will be our long-awaited Summer of Snark … have you gone down to Snark Island with some Boojums in your hair, etc etc.” There are also movies and new editions in the works. (Singh’s beautiful new illustrations for the Snark are being published by Melville House this November – pre-order it on Amazon here, and see examples on his blog here!)

No need to report every time a Jabberwocky word is used somewhere, but this was a good one. Alex Ross, The New Yorker’s classical music critic (and author of the excellent musical/political history of the 20th century The Rest Is Noise), in the middle of complaining about the flood of [...]]]>

Jabberwock puppet by Sarah Snowden

No need to report every time a Jabberwocky word is used somewhere, but this was a good one. Alex Ross, The New Yorker’s classical music critic (and author of the excellent musical/political history of the 20th century The Rest Is Noise), in the middle of complaining about the flood of anniversary-year Chopin recordings, describes a showy pianist’s contribution thus:

Lang Lang, the other big Chinese virtuoso, galumphs through the two piano concertos on [Deutsche Grammophon].

Whether Ross means it in the sense of moving “heavily or clumsily” (Wiktionary) or in the more Carrollian sense of triumphant galloping, is up for interpretation. LCSNA blog followers, keep watching for interesting modern uses of Carroll coinages!

Anturiaethau Alys yng Ngwlad Hud is newly typeset and contains Tenniel’s illustrations. It is available from Amazon.com for $15.95.

“Y ffordd acw,” ebe’r Gath gan chwifio’i phawen dde, “mae ’na Hetiwr yn byw; a’r ffordd acw,” gan chwifio’r [...]]]> Evertype has announced the publication of a new edition of Selyf Roberts’ 1982 Welsh translation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Anturiaethau Alys yng Ngwlad Hud is newly typeset and contains Tenniel’s illustrations. It is available from Amazon.com for $15.95.

“Y ffordd acw,” ebe’r Gath gan chwifio’i phawen dde, “mae ’na Hetiwr yn byw; a’r ffordd acw,” gan chwifio’r llall, “mae ’na Sgwarnog Fawrth yn byw. Ewch i ymweld â’r naill neu’r llall: mae’r ddau yn wallgof.”

“Ond does arna’ i ddim eisiau mynd i blith pobol wallgof,” ebe Alys.

“O, fedrwch chi ddim peidio,” meddai’r Gath, “rydyn ni i gyd yn wallgof yma. Rydw i’n wallgof. Rydych chi’n wallgof.”

Or, in other words….

“In that direction,” the Cat said, waving its right paw around, “lives a Hatter: and in that direction,” waving the other paw, “lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.”

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.

“Oh, you ca’n’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

Curiouser and Curiouser As an attorney, I think “Unusual Suspect,” by Jenny Woolf, did a good job of documenting the modern-day habit of judging or casting spurious allegations [...]]]> Jenny Woolf points us to a nice letter-to-the-editor in June 2010’s Smithsonian, in response to her April article about “Lewis Carroll’s Shifting Reputation.”

Curiouser and Curiouser
As an attorney, I think “Unusual Suspect,” by Jenny Woolf, did a good job of documenting the modern-day habit of judging or casting spurious allegations based on hearsay and innuendoes. I agree that the photographs taken by Charles Dodgson, a.k.a. Lewis Carroll, were in vogue in the Victorian society of his day and did not condemn him. All the “suspicions” about his behavior arose several decades after his demise, coming from pseudo-scholars looking to make a name or a quick profit. Dodgson, unfortunately, cannot defend himself, and to smear his reputation in such a manner is unpardonable.
Jason Levi
Northridge, California

Says Woolf, “I’m pleased an attorney thinks I give a balanced view.” Her Dodgson biography “The Mystery of Lewis Carroll” was released in 2010 and is reviewed in Knight Letter Number 84.