12
AUGUST 25 – SEPTEMBER 20 written and directed by David Catlin adapted from the stories of Lewis Carroll PLAY GUIDE

August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

  • Upload
    vodiep

  • View
    217

  • Download
    5

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

August 25 – september 20written and directed by David Catlinadapted from the stories of Lewis Carroll

PLAY GUIDE

Page 2: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

AboUt thE LookinggLass aLice PLAY GUIDE

This play guide is a resource designed to enhance your theatre experience. Its goal is twofold: to nurture the teaching and learning of theatre arts and to encourage essential questions that lead to enduring understandings of the play’s meaning and relevance. Inside you will find:

• Contextual and historical information including a list of characters, plot synopsis and information about the playwright.

• Evocative, thought provoking articles on topics surrounding the play, which are to incite conversation and analysis.

• Bridgework activities connecting themes and ideas from the play to your curriculum.

• Oral discussion and writing prompts encouraging your students to draw connections between the play and their own lives. These prompts can easily be adapted to fit most writing objectives.

We encourage you to adapt and extend the material in any way that best fits the needs of your community of learners. Please feel free to make copies of this guide, or you may download it from our website: www.actorstheatre.org/education_guides.htm. We hope this material, combined with our pre-show workshop, will give you the tools to make your time at Actors Theatre a valuable learning experience.

Lookingglass Alice student matinees and study guides address specific EduCAtiOnAl OBjECtivEs:

• Students will identify or describe the use of elements of drama in dramatic works.

• Students will identify or explain how drama/theatre fulfills a variety of purposes.

• Students will identify a variety of creative dramatics

Table of conTenTs3 Synopsis

4 Cast of Characters

5 About the Author

6-7 A peek through the looking-glass

8-9 Jabberwocks, borogoves and other fantastical nonsense

10-12 Bridgework, other reading and works cited

12 Writing portfolio

Actors Theatre EducationSteven Rahe, Education DirectorJacob Stoebel, Education CoordinatorJeffrey Mosser, Education FellowSarah Lunnie, Literary/Education AssociateRebecca Davis, Education InternCaitlin Puckett, Education Intern

Study guide compiled by Rosie Chevalier, Brett Janecek, Whitney Miller-Brengle, Steven Rahe and Jacob Stoebel

Page 3: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

synopsisGrowing up is hard to do. Few writers have captured this wild turmoil as lewis Carroll (Charles dodgson) did in the first appearance of his cherished adventures of Alice in 1865. Through a combination of circus techniques, onstage flight, stunts and imaginative wackiness, the Chicago-based lookingglass Theatre Company takes audiences through a Wonderland as they’ve never seen it before.

Bored and yearning for adventure, Alice sets off down the rabbit hole into a surreal world of talking animals and flamingo croquet, embarking on a voyage of self-discovery. Aided by Dodgson himself and her perpetually flustered White Rabbit guide, she stumbles into a universe fraught with perils and blooming with curiosities, where Queens bark death threats or speak in backward nonsense, where a Caterpillar asks a million senseless questions, but never provides any answers.

Determined to become a Queen herself, Alice makes her way across the chessboard, trying to make sense of the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse and the Cheshire Cat’s shaky, riddle-peppered advice. Encountering Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Humpty Dumpty, and even members of the stage crew, Alice learns about fear, attraction, death, and homesickness; her transition from the restless impatience of childhood to the uncertainty of adolescence sparks many doubts.

Where will Alice’s strange journey take her? After she sifts through the intrigue, will she like what she finds? And, as she asks the Cheshire Cat, “Once I’m a queen, where am I to go next?”

–Rosie Chevalier

the Chess-board — John tenniel Illustration to the second chapter of Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. Wood-engraving by the Dalziels.

Page 4: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

4

lookingglass alice characTersdOdGsOn – Charles Dodgson is the author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, who wrote under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. He is Alice’s guide in Lookingglass Alice.

AliCE – The heroine of our story, who desires to grow up and become a queen.

thE WhitE RABBit – The infamously always-late rabbit, a minion of the Red Queen.

thE ChEshiRE CAt – A reasonable voice in the world of madness, who teaches Alice the rules of the chessboard.

thE WhitE QuEEn – A several-centuries-old monarch of Wonderland who grows younger with time.

thE REd QuEEn – A giant queen who loves rules and shrinks as Alice grows older.

thE CAtERPillAR – Played by three actors, this bug spouts great wisdom and asks a million questions.

thE WhitE KniGht – A unicycle-riding knight who helps Alice move to the 8th square. tWEEdlEdEE And tWEEdlEdum – Two young twins who try to impress Alice with break dancing.

thE mAd hAttER – Famous for his big hat, he stages a never-ending tea party and chair dance.

thE mARCh hARE – The Mad Hatter’s crazy companion who is just as zany as the Mad Hatter.

thE dORmOusE – The Mad Hatter’s other friend who is more lethargic than the Hare and Hatter.

humPty dumPty – The infamous egg from the nursery rhyme, who explains the nonsense words of the Jaberwocky poem.

seTTing

Alice finds herself trapped on the other side of the Lookingglass, a world where the laws of physics don’t seem to apply and absurdity reigns supreme. Surprises lurk around every corner of this strange land.Illustration by John tenniel.

Page 5: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

5

abouT The auThor

“Take off your hat,” the King of Hearts orders the Mad Hatter during the trial scene in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. “It isn’t mine,” the Hatter replies. “I keep them to sell. I’ve none of my own. I’m a hatter.” Unlike his famously insane creation, Lewis Carroll was a man of many “hats:” author, poet, mathematician, photographer and all-around child at heart. Carroll was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, England. The third of eleven children, he spent much of his childhood inventing games and activities for his brothers and sisters. As a student, Dodgson excelled in math and after graduating from Oxford’s Christ Church College, he accepted a position as a mathematics lecturer with the school in 1856. He would later incorporate mathematical themes and references into his children’s stories, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Dodgson enjoyed the company of children and would often entertain Lorina, Edith, and Alice Liddell–-daughters of Christ Church College’s dean Henry Liddell—with stories he invented. As an adult, Alice Liddell recalled of her times with Mr. Dodgson: “He seemed to have an endless store of these fantastical tales, which he made up as he told them, drawing busily on a large sheet of paper all the time.” It was during a riverbank picnic with the children in 1862 that Dodgson told the story of Alice and her Wonderland adventures. The real-life Alice enjoyed this story so much she begged Dodgson to write it down for her. He later published the story as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll and followed it with a sequel in 1871, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Though Dodgson would continue to write other stories and poems, he never managed to recreate the success he achieved with Alice. A tale dreamt up to amuse three little girls on a sunny afternoon would become one of the most celebrated children’s stories of all time. Charles Dodgson died on January 14, 1898, but Alice lives on through her stories and through the many works of film, television, music and art that celebrate her adventures.

– Whitney Miller-Brengle

Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll

Page 6: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

6

a peek Through The looking-glasslookingglass Theatre Company is famous for using physical theatre and aerial/circus arts. in Lookingglass Alice, the artists incorporate various styles of contemporary dance, mime, clowning, puppetry and physical spectacle to create a storytelling aesthetic that has made the company famous. here is a look at what it takes to create the amazing feats, costumes and characters in the world of Lookingglass Alice.

creaTing characTerLookingglass Theatre partnered with the Actors Gymnasium to sculpt and create the physical movements of Wonderland. Choreographer Sylva Hernandez-DiStasi is an expert at using unicycling, juggling, stilt-walking and the tightrope—to name a few circus skills—to tell stories. To create the Caterpillar, she and director/adaptor David Catlin began with improvisation and a circus technique called adagio.

AdAGiO – acrobatic balancing between two or more people where one person provides a base to hold their partner whom creates a top or fly to make a balanced human pyramid.

the Caterpillar questions Alice

The company tried different ways to create a Caterpillar and to capture the idea that it had hundreds of arms and legs. You can imagine the different ideas that everyone shared, some more feasible than others. After much experimentation, three actors learned to move together as one character, alternating and switching between supporting (base) and rising (fly).

Although these actors are so graceful that their movements look easy, the performers have had years of specialized training. This choreography takes hundreds of hours of rehearsal to master in performance. The actor who played Alice in Chicago in 2008

notes, “At the very least, learning physical skills takes a much longer rehearsal period than learning blocking (the planned movement on the stage) and lines, and much more repetition. It requires that those involved in the creation and performance have a background in both areas.”

Even though the training and rehearsal has safely prepared the actors, each performance is still an incredible challenge.

This isn’t so Easy

three actors waddle together as the Caterpillar in front of Alice

Actor Jesse Perez tells us,

“The caterpillar and the mad tea party are the two hardest scenes for me. Not only because they are the two most physical scenes, but because your focus has to be at its highest point. There is no room for error. There is no resting….”

As you can imagine, coordinating single movements with three people takes a lot of balance, coordination, strength and endurance. Even with all the training, and rehearsal, the actors still need to keep themselves in tip top shape.

Juggling several balloons during Alice’s coronation scene

Anthony Fleming III performed in Lookingglass Alice in Chicago in 2008. He articulates how much time and energy he spent tuning and keeping his body in-shape for the role:

Linds

ey N

oel W

hitin

g, M

itche

ll Fa

in, A

deoy

e an

d Ke

vin

Dou

glas

s

Linds

ey N

oel W

hitin

g, M

itche

ll Fa

in, A

deoy

e an

d Ke

vin

Dou

glas

sC

ast o

f Loo

king

glas

s A

lice

Page 7: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

7

“Every free moment I have, at home and at rehearsal, I fill with a push-up. Alice is by far the most physically challenging show I have ever done. So I have to keep in the best shape I can to endure the run, to minimize the inevitable bumps and bruises that come with the show. I work out at a gym at least five days a week and at home I do more stretching and core work. I try to eat right and take a vitamin or seventeen!”

Alice flies through the air in a tangle of rope

In fact, there is no resting for most of the actors, but particularly for Lindsey Noel Whiting, who plays Alice in Actors Theatre’s production. If you pay close attention, you will notice that director/adaptor David Catlin seamlessly and strategically staged moments where Alice can drink water throughout the show. At one point during the process, the actor decided that she needed replenishment after a series of demanding aerial tricks. Without a moment to drink that fit within the context of the story, Catlin added a “Drink Me” bit so Alice could replenish. Watch for the bottle that demands that Alice gulp the contents after she falls through the rabbit hole. Of course the bottle scene adds fun to the story, but it was added for practical reasons.

designing for dreams

While building the show, the costume designer and director/adaptor improvised along with the actors. Typically, a costume designer is hired to conceive and realize the design on a show

by herself. In the case of Lookingglass Alice, costume designer Mara Blumenfeld hired a team (Alison Siple, Lijana Wallenda-Hernandez, Morgan Conery, Sage Reed, Pamela Meiners, Lise Stec, Katie Stack and Dawn Dudley) to collaboratively create and construct the designs, special costume elements, and wigs. Rather than dictate the design, Blumenfeld charged her team to brainstorm ideas while she served as a “den mother, curator or editor” who ultimately selected the elements to create a unifying concept. She admits that she thought the process would be easy with so many people helping on the design—yet, the opposite was true.

the red Queen spanks a hedgehog with a pink flamingo

Blumenfeld became responsible for a mammoth flow of creative juices and energy, which she corralled and focused. So when you see the transformation of the Red Queen, remember that eight people worked to come up with the idea for the costume. Then a team of five actors and the director/adaptor worked together to create the character and the playful, theatrical magic that infuses Lookingglass Alice.

–Brett Janecek

if you are interested in learning more about lookingglass Theatre Company, check out their website (www.lookingglasstheatre.org). it’s full of videos, interview, production photographs and more!

Kevi

n D

ougl

ass,

Lin

dsey

Noe

l Whi

ting,

Mitc

hell

Fain

Linds

ey N

oel W

hitin

g

Page 8: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

8

do you know what a “slithy tove” is? how about a “mome rath?” Could you define the words brillig, gyre, or mimsy? if these and other words from the poem “jabberwocky” have you confused, you’re in good company. Alice couldn’t decipher the poem either; after reading “jabberwocky” she declares, “it seems very pretty…but it’s rather hard to understand!” (Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There). luckily for Alice (and us), that wise egg humpty dumpty can explain some of the poem’s tricky words. Brillig, according to humpty, means “four o’clock in the afternoon,” while slithy means “lithe and slimy.” toves are an odd combination of badgers, lizards, and corkscrews. no wonder Alice was confused.

Of course, there are no such things as toves or raths. The hideous monster of the poem’s title, the Jabberwock, doesn’t haunt any forest around here. These creatures and the words used to describe them are the inventions of author Lewis Carroll. All nonsense and rubbish, right? Not quite. Carroll’s poems are known as literary nonsense. While actual nonsense is simply random noise or words strung together without meaning (for example, “dog purple

Jabberwocks, borogoves and oTher fanTasTical nonsense

“tWAs brILLIG, AND thE sLIthY tovEsDID GYrE AND GIMbLE IN thE WAbE:ALL MIMsY WErE thE boroGovEs,AND thE MoME rAths oUtGrAbE.”

-Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There1

Illustration by John tenniel.

Page 9: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

9

singing little it” is nonsense) literary nonsense tells a story, complete with characters and a plot. With a little perseverance, we come to understand that “Jabberwocky” is the story of a brave young boy who returns home to his overjoyed father after slaying the horrible Jabberwock. This young man is a fearless hero, much like the knights of King Arthur’s table. Carroll simply uses imaginary words to tell the boy’s story. What’s important to remember, though, is that while Carroll’s words are imaginary, the “rules” of this world never change, allowing us to understand the poem once we know the definitions of the words. The Jabberwock isn’t a monster in one stanza and a friendly little pet in the next; he’s the poem’s villain from beginning to end. Throughout the poem, brillig will always mean 4 o’clock and the toves will always “gyre,” or spin round and round. Nonsense poems and stories challenge us to not only imagine a world where Jabberwocks and toves exist, but to have fun with words as well.

Carroll wasn’t the only author to create his own nonsense language. Remember the Grinch, the Lorax, and the Sneetches? Theodor Geisel, more famously known as Dr. Seuss, has delighted children for decades with stories full of words like wocket, diffendoofer, and gluppity-glup. Though most of the words in Dr. Seuss’ books are of his own invention, his stories are easy to understand once we allow ourselves to imagine that the Lorax’s truffula trees are as real as the trees in our own backyards, and that we might stumble upon wockets and diffendoofers in our own houses. Like Carroll before him, Dr. Seuss used nonsensical words to create whole worlds of adventure.

Today Lewis Carroll and Dr. Seuss are known worldwide for their use of nonsense in children’s literature, but nonsense language can be found in other works and art forms as well. Many of the slang words and phrases we have now were created or made famous by rap and hip-hop artists. Just a few years ago, rap star Snoop Dogg added “izzle” to the ends of words in his songs, and the trend became wildly popular, appearing in films, television shows, and commercials. He’s not the only one who enjoys creating his own language. Had a really great time at a party? You could say it was “wonderfullissimaester.” On the other hand, if you had a terrible time, you might call that party a “disasterbacle.” These are just some examples of the fabtastic words found at unwords.com, an online dictionary dedicated to nonsense words and phrases. While the creators behind this website and rap artists like Snoop may have little else in common with Lewis Carroll, they follow Carroll’s lead in demonstrating just how fun playing with words can be. Still afraid of the big bad Jabberwock and his bewildering verses? Nonsense!

–Whitney Miller Brengle

Illustration by John tenniel.

Page 10: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

10

pre-show discussion

1 From Lewis Carroll’s original novels to Walt Disney’s animated film, there are many different versions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking- Glass. What versions are you most familiar with? Based on your previous knowledge of Alice stories, what do you think the play Lookingglass Alice will be like?

2 What does being an adult mean to you? At what point do children become “grown-ups?” Are there certain events or experiences every child must go through in order to become an adult?

posT-show discussion

1 Why do you think the playwright chose to include Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) as a character in the play? What purpose does he serve? What is the relevance of his interactions with Alice?

2 Tumblers, trapeze artists, actors on stilts–…Lookingglass Alice features many elements usually found in a circus. Why do you think the Lookingglass Theatre Company chose to perform the play in this style? Besides simply being fun to watch, what do circus elements add to the story?

3 The stage manager is responsible for making sure things run smoothly during a play. Though the stage manager usually remains behind the scenes, in Lookingglass Alice she is one of the characters. What was the purpose of including the Stage Manager’s voice in the play? What does she contribute to the story?

aT your desk

Create a nonsense story or Poem“Jabberwocky,” the poem Alice reads to Humpty Dumpty, contains many imaginary words invented by Lewis Carroll such as Jabberwock, borogoves, galumphing, and frabjous. Create your own list of nonsense words. Be sure to include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in your list. Pay attention to the connection between the sound of the word and what it means (for instance, “Jabberwock” sounds pointed and menacing). Next, use your nonsense words to tell a short story. Read your story out loud to your classmates and see if they can figure out what it’s about.

King or Queen for a dayThe Red Queen likes to give orders and make up rules, such as “say ‘how do you do’ and curtsy twice.” If you should break any of her rules, well, off with your head! If you were Queen (or King) for a day, what would your rules be? Make a list of these rules, and remember they can be as crazy as you want—you’re royalty after all! Along with the list of rules of your kingdom, make a list of punishments for breaking them.

Alice ArtworkPick your favorite scene from Lookingglass Alice and create a poster depicting that scene. Include as many details about the actors, props and set that you can remember.

on your feeT

Character WalkChoose a character from Lookingglass Alice and make a list of that character’s physical characteristics and mannerisms. Keeping your list in mind, create a “walk” for this character: move around the room as he or she would. For example, how would you walk if you were the Caterpillar? Are there any hand gestures or facial expressions you would use? See if you can guess which characters your classmates are portraying based on their walks.

Create a GameFrom croquet with flamingo mallets (and a queen who always wins) to the Mad Hatter’s impossible riddles to Alice’s experiences as a life-size chess piece, many types of nonsensical games are featured in Lookingglass Alice. In groups of 3 or 4, have students create their own games. What are the rules? What must players do to win? Are there any props or game pieces used? Once each group is finished, have students play each other’s games.

Production PortfoliosLookingglass Alice is a production that features many different special effects and magic, such as actors flying above stage, shoes falling from the sky, a “sea of tears,” and a Red Queen, to name a few. In small groups, discuss the different special effects you saw and how you think the production team created these effects. What types of equipment, music, props, and costume pieces were used? Next, choose another story from classical literature that could incorporate special effects on stage. Assign roles in your group such as Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Props Master, and Costume Designer, and have each person discuss what he/she would contribute to your production. Present your designs to the class, using sketches and sound examples to illustrate your ideas.

cross-curricular connecTions

history/social studiesCompare 18th-century views on childhood to the beliefs held in the Victorian era. What changed about people’s concepts of childhood? How are these changes in beliefs reflected in Lewis Carroll’s books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass?

Foreign languages“Jabberwocky” is famous around the world, but translating it into other languages was no easy task due to the nonsense words that make up the majority of the poem. Research how translators

bridgework

Page 11: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

11

have overcome the “Jabberwocky” obstacle. If you are studying a particular foreign language, try to find a version of “Jabberwocky” in that language and compare it to the English version. Can you think of any other poems or stories that might be particularly difficult to translate into another language?

ArtSalvador Dali, the famous surrealist painter, created twelve paintings featuring characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Find examples of other surrealistic works of art, either online or in art books. What are some of the shared characteristics of surrealistic paintings? Considering what you learn about surrealism from your research, why do you think Lewis Carroll’s books were a good source of inspiration for Dali?

Next, create your own portrait of a character from either Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass. You can try your hand at surrealist painting or pick another artistic style. Share your completed portrait with the class and explain the choices you made (colors, symbols, etc).

“A mad tea party” by salvador Dali

if you liked lookingglass alice, check ouT…books: Along with the actual Alice books, this list features stories inspired by or similar to Alice’s adventures.

The Annotated Alice, by Lewis Carroll; illustrations by Sir John Tenniel

Lewis Carroll in Wonderland: The Life and Times of Alice and Her Creator, by Stephanie Lovett Stoffel

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

Finnigan’s Wake, by James Joyce

Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

film:Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1972) dir. William Sterling

Labyrinth (1986), dir. Jim Henson

on The web:www.ActorsTheatre.org, Actors Theatre of Louisville’s website

www.lookingglasstheatre.org, the Lookingglass Theatre Company’s website

arT:Works of art featuring Alice and her Wonderland friends

The Alice in Wonderland statue located in New York City’s Central Park(http://www.centralpark.com/pages/attractions/alice-in-wonderland.html)

Salvador Dali’s illustrations based on Lewis Carroll’s two Alice novels(http://www.lockportstreetgallery.com/AinW.htm)

Page 12: August 25 – september 20 - Actors Theatre of Louisville · PDF fileAugust 25 – september 20 ... the White Knight’s odd rhetoric, the mystique of the Mad Hatter, March Hare,

12

work ciTed“ArtAntica.” Lookingglass Theatre Company. 24 July 2009 lookingglasstheatre.org/content/explore/emagazine

Blumenfeld, Mara. Personal interview. 10 July 2009.

Bonawandt, Christian. “The Hunting of the Snark’: Nonsense Literature At Its Best.”

Suite101.com. 15 May 2001. Web. 29 June 2009 www.suite101.com/article.cfm/classic_literature/69223

Caitlin, David. Personal interview. 2 June 2009.

Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There. London: MacMillan & Co., 1872.

“Lewis Carroll.” Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009.

Web. 24 June 2009 www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/97087/Lewis-Carroll

“Lewis Carroll Biography.” Biography.com. Biography. Web. 24 June 2009 www.biography.com/articles/Lewis-Carroll-9239598

Merriman, C.D. “Lewis Carroll.” The Literature Network. Web. 24 June 2009 www.online-literature.com/carroll

wriTing porTfolio

personal:

Children have particularly active imaginations. Wheth-er it involves imaginary people, places, situations or entire mythical lands, children seem to be capable of creating anything inside their own head. In the form of a personal memoir, recall from your childhood the people and places your imagination created. What did you spend your time doing? Describe with as much detail as possible.

liTerary:

Alice meets many characters in her journey through the looking-glass and into Wonderland who she consid-ers strange. But have you wondered what those same characters thought of Alice? Choose a character from the play and write a journal entry from their prospec-tive describing their first encounter with Alice. What did they think of her? Did this character find Alice as strange as she found them? Also remember to consider the character you are writing for. How would the Mad Hatter’s writing style differ from the Red Queen’s?

TransiTive:

Write a review of Actors Theatre’s Lookingglass Alice. Describe what it was like to watch the play, but be sure to write about more than just a synopsis. Think about how the play tells its story. Make the experience of watching the play come alive for your reader by writ-ing about three of the play’s many elements, includ-ing costumes, lights, props, and music as well as the actors’ performances and the director’s staging. As a review writer it is not your job to give your opinion of a production but rather give your audience enough in-formation to decide for themselves if the play is worth seeing.