Alice in Wonderland Comes to Cherokee, NC
3.16.2022
On April 1st, Mountainside Theatre will host the world premiere of Alice in Wonderland written by The Guinn Twins, Darby and Jake Guinn. The production is an original work by Havoc Movement Company, and is directed by Jason Paul Tate, a long-time veteran of outdoor drama.
Unlike the traditional story by Lewis Carroll, in this production, Alice is a Cherokee local, and it depicts her days on the mountain in Cherokee, NC.
Alice is played by Bailey Frankenberg, who is a Choctaw and a Cherokee Nation citizen, and who audiences may recognize as Lucy from Dracula: The Failings of Men, which will be back at the Mountainside Theatre in October.
Bailey is an NYC-based actor and movement artist who has previously appeared in The Lost Colony.
As Alice, she grows bored with her book, and runs away from her sister to chase a strange white rabbit, who leads her to a strange new world.
In Wonderland, Alice encounters the customary characters—but with an Appalachian twist!
Making Alice Uniquely Cherokee
The Havoc team recruited two accomplished local Cherokee writers, Annette Clapsaddle and Jonah Lossiah to join the project as script editors and advisors to help incorporate authentic Cherokee elements to the show, including some Cherokee language.
They also decided to swap out many of the animals in Lewis Carroll's story with local equivalents.
“It made more sense to change the birds in the Caucus Race chapter, for instance, into local birds with Cherokee stories like the turkey, goose, hummingbird, and kingfisher. The Mock Turtle became the Box Turtle, and all of those changes have allowed us to really make the jokes our own,” shared a representative from the Havoc Movement Company team.
Another difference the team has been working on is figuring out what sort of game Alice and the Queen play instead of croquet. To find that one out, you'll have to come and see the show!
Time:
7-9 pm
Dates:
April 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 & 30
Location:
Mountainside Theatre
688 Drama Road
Cherokee, NC 28719
Phone: 828.497.2111
Tickets
VIP Seats: $45.00 (includes gift bag)
Adults: $30.00
Children: $15.00
School Groups (all ages): $10.00
Purchase here:
https://cherokeehistorical.org/alice-in-wonderland/
1-866-554-4557
School and other Groups:
828-497-2111
Contacts:
Chelsey Moore, Cherokee Historical, chelsey@cherokeeadventure.com
Darby Guinn, HAVOC Movement Company, darbyguinn@havocmovement.com
www.CherokeeHistorical.org