ALICE IN WONDERLAND - PLAYSCRIPT - MAY 2010 - ACT 1

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

PLAYSCRIPT - MAY 2010

ACT 1

Alice in Wonderland, how do you get to Wonderland?

Over the hill or underland, or just behind the tree?

When clouds go rolling by, they roll away and leave the sky.

Where is the land beyond the eye, the people can not see,where can it be?

Where do stars go, where is the grass that´s blue?

They must be somewhere in the sunny afternoon.

Alice in Wonderland, where is the path to Wonderland?

Over the hill or here or there, I wonder where.

ACT 1

Alice and her sister are in a garden. Her sister is teaching Alice history and she is reading aloud from a very big and old book. Alice is playing with her cat.They are both sitting under a tree.

SISTER: (Reading ) Christopher Columbus' voyages across the Atlantic Ocean began a European effort at exploration and colonization …(looking at Alice because of the noise she was making)… Alice..!

ALICE: Hmmm…? I´m listening. (and she continues playing with her cat, giggling).

SISTER: …of the Western Hemisphere. While history places great significance on his first voyage of 1492 …(Alice is making noise again)… he did not actually reach the South American mainland until …(looking angrily and impatiently at Alice) Alice,! Will you kindly pay attention to your history lesson?

ALICE: I´m sorry, but what is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?

SISTER: My dear child, there are a great many good books in this world without pictures.

ALICE: In this world perhaps. But in my world, the books would be nothing but pictures (looking up at the sky and imagining herself in another world).

SISTER: Your world? What nonsense are you saying my child?

ALICE: Nonsense?

SISTER: Yes, nonsense, and now Alice, I want you to pay attention to your History lesson. This is very important for your future! (and she continues reading aloud to her sister) his third voyage in 1498. Instead, he made landfall on an island in the Bahamas Archipelago that he named San Salvador while trying to find a sea route to India, hence the indigenous inhabitants being called "Indians". Likewise, he was not the earliest...

ALICE: (while her sister is reading, Alice starts to talk to her cat…) That´s it Dinah! (very excited) If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn´t (giggling excitedly)…And the other way round, what it is, it wouldn´t be, and what it wouldn´t be, it would. You see?

DINAH: Meow!

ALICE: In my world, you wouldn´t say meow, you would say ‘Yes, miss Alice!’

DINAH: Meow!

ALICE: Oh, but you would! You would be just like people, Dinah, and all the other animals too. Why, in my world… Cats and rabbits would live in beautiful little houses, and be dressed in shoes and hats and trousers. … because my world would be a wonderland…

(A rabbit with a waistcoat appears)

DINAH: meow, meow, meow!

ALICE: Oh Dinah! It´s just a rabbit with a waistcoat…

(The rabbit takes a watch out of his waistcoat pocket and looks at it)

ALICE: and a watch!

WHITE RABBIT: Oh my fur and whiskers! I´m late, I´m late, I´m late! (and hurries on)

ALICE: (standing up) Now this is curious! What could a rabbit be late for? ...Please sir!

WHITE RABBIT: I´m late, I´m late, for a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye, hello! I´m late, I´m late, I´m late!

ALICE: It must be awfully important, like a party or something! Mister Rabbit! Wait!

She runs across the field after him, and fortunately was just in time to see him pop down a large rabbit-hole.

WHITE RABBIT: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, I’m overdue. I’m really in a stew. No time to say goodbye or hello! I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!

ALICE: (standing in front of the rabbit hole) My, what a peculiar place to have a party!

DINAH: Meow!

ALICE: (trying to get into the hole) You know, Dinah, we really shouldn’t...uhh...uhh...be doing this... After all, we haven’t been invited! And curiosity often leads to troubl – l – l – e – e – e! (she falls into the whole) Goodbye, Dinah! Goodbye! ... Oh!

END OF ACT 1