by Chelsea Jones

I drive past the Selma Arts Center almost every day on my way to work. And yet, I had never been inside. I had always been curious about the building with its imposing modern facade. Selma, CA is not the first city that pops into my head when I think of theater, art, and performance. And yet, here was the Center, and here was my chance to jump in, just like Alice down the rabbit hole. And how glad I am that I jumped.

Currently running at Selma Arts Center is a musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic book, but with a twist. Alice By Heart is about a different Alice, not the curious child of Victorian England, but an emotionally torn teen in World War Two-era London. Alice By Heart was written by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater (Spring Awakening) and premiered Off-Broadway in 2014. Selma Art Center’s production is directed by Claudio Laso and Toph Ortiz with vocal direction by Ke’Lea Flowers. With costume design by Levi Hill, and scenic design by Nicolette C. Andersen. If you have a spare weekend evening in the next month, this is not a play to be missed.

I attended the sixth performance of Alice By Heart on Saturday, February 22. Art inspired by the play made by local artists of all ages was hanging on the walls next to the snack bar, which sold snacks like water, soda, candy, and muffins before the show. I appreciated how helpful the staff were, even letting me know exactly when flashing lights and sirens would occur during the performance when I asked (the flyer for the show graciously had warned about it ahead of time). All of these small things added to the night and made me feel very welcome in Selma Art Center’s space.

The hall separating the lobby from the theater is posted with war effort posters, the painfully cheerful and very British “Keep Calm And Carry On” slogan, London Underground signs, and “Mind The Gap” notices, making one feel like they are leaving the modern world behind and entering not Wonderland, but an English World War Two-era bomb shelter née subway station. As you find your seat, there is a film projected on the wall–a montage that cuts between WWII Ally propaganda films and the 1915 Alice In Wonderland silent film (as a testament to the book’s popularity, this was not the first, but the *third* Alice film ever made: the first silent film based on Alice In Wonderland was released in 1903 and ran for a whopping twelve minutes). This juxtaposition of war and fantasy creates an uneasy and surreal atmosphere. Are we in a bomb shelter? Wonderland? Both? Somewhere between the two? This liminality is exactly where our musical takes place.

The play starts with Alice Spencer, her best friend Alfred, and a ragtag host of others sheltering in a London tube station during the 1941 bombings of England by Germany. Alfred has come down with tuberculosis, and Alice decides to read him their favorite book, Alice In Wonderland, one last time. However, when the doctor decides that Alfred must quarantine away from Alice and the others, strict Nurse Cross, played by Jaida Jolene, snatches the book away, leaving Alice with only a few torn-out pages and her memory. Determined, Alice decides she will simply recite the story to Alfred from memory, because, as she says, she “knows it by heart.”

The musical, which clocks at about 95 minutes, is fast-paced, moving dizzyingly through the colorful scenes and characters of Wonderland as Alfred tries in vain to stick to the original story, and Alice pleads to linger on each page, trying to milk the limited time she has left with her dear friend. The play references the book faithfully, but turns it on its head; no scene plays out quite like the book, despite Alice Spencer’s best intentions. I recommend going in to the play with a working knowledge of the original Alice In Wonderland book or movie. The musical is a delightful trip: compelling, funny, and heart-wrenching; but the context of the Wonderland scenes and the many specific references within do make it helpful to know the original to really get the full experience.

Kaci Clason as Alice Spencer shines in her role, tackling complex emotions as she cycles through the stages of grief. She approaches joy and silliness with the same amount of gumption, giggling through the smoke of the caterpillar’s hookah, or gazing lovingly at her dear friend Alfred. Her singing is spectacular and was a treat to listen to.

Another standout actress was Emily Swalef. Her soaring voice is also out of this world. Her sly and sultry approach to the Cheshire Cat was a subtle and coy take on the elusive character, and her loose and floaty second caterpillar (there are two caterpillars in this production, not one!) brought me right back to the hazy days of my hippy undergrad years.

I cannot overstate the acting and singing talent of the entire cast. Near the beginning of the production’s run, co-director Toph Ortiz stepped in as the caterpillar due to the original actor having an unexpected health issue. One would never know this from just watching him, as he played the part naturally. The sassy and totally camp dutchess, played by Everardo Guajardo, oozed with drama that could put Miss Piggy to shame. Dormouse Morgan Blackburn and Jabberwock Joseph Portela are both great physical actors, as can be seen in the Mad Hatter tea party scene and the Frankenstein-ish “Brilig Braelig” song. The choreography (by Glenda Stewart) and blocking of the whole musical is great. And if I wrote something for each and every person involved in the production, I would run out of space in this article!

While many know Alice In Wonderland as a children’s book, or children’s movie if you have seen the wonderful Disney adaptation, this play does come with a PG-13 rating. Death, war, some drug references, and lots of bawdy Shakespeare-esque humor fill the story from beginning to end, making the musical less suitable for younger audiences, but enjoyable for teens and adults.

If you love Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, you need to see this play. This is a different (dare I say “meta”) perspective of Wonderland, through the eyes of a teen with the realities of war and impending adulthood thrust upon them. Who knows what might happen when revisiting an old favorite book–the story might not be the same at all.

Alice By Heart is running until Saturday, March 8, and has performances every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Special events include a performance with a post-show talkback on Thursday, February 27, and an understudy performance on Saturday, March 1.

Buy tickets to Alice By Heart at ci.ovationtix.com/35468/production/1228110. You can also buy them at the door right before the play. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, students, and military, and $19 for children under the age of thirteen. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance. Seating is assigned, and disability accommodations are available.

Selma Arts Center is located at 1935 High Street in downtown Selma, CA. You can find more information about this play, tickets, and other events happening at the Selma Arts Center at selmaartscenter.com. You can also call their box office at (559) 891-2238.

If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and also on podbean.

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. You can also find more theatre coming up on KRL’s Local Theatre event page.

Chelsea Jones is a multimedia artist and musician from Kingsburg, CA. They have an MFA in Digital Arts and New Media from UC Santa Cruz. Chelsea has been published in Black Napkin Press, Abridged Magazine, Noctua Review, and others. More of their work can be found at chelseaevangelinej.wixsite.com/chelsea and chelseajones.bandcamp.com.