Klaipėda Youth Theatre: “Being Alice” (dir. D. Girauldon)

If you asked a random passer-by, “What do you know about Lewis Carroll?”, you would very likely hear about a little girl, an always-late White Rabbit and a fantastic world. *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland*, originally titled *Alice’s Adventures Under Ground* by the author, is a compelling and inexhaustible work. It has been staged in many genres, including musicals, contemporary operas, ballets, films and plays. Behind these adaptations lie a myth, an author and a story that go far beyond a tale of a child’s dream. Oxford professor of logic L. Carroll created a world where nonsense and childhood intertwine, raising the question: what remains of Lewis for Alice?

In Klaipėda Youth Theatre’s production *BEING ALICE*, directed by Frenchman Didier Girauldon, the presentation is not limited to a retelling of the classic fairy tale. The aim is to explore this duality together with the audience: the dialogue between the author and his creation, between reality and imagination. What fascinates us in Lewis Carroll’s writing is his ability to reflect the dreamlike nature of existence, recalling Shakespeare’s famous phrase, “the stuff that dreams are made on.” This work reveals a subtle distance between words and the many meanings they can take on or be assigned, like a mask. This play of words and meanings uncovers our most intimate truths, which, like reflections in a mirror, can sometimes be cruel, but are always magnificent. It is a profound questioning of our essence: “to be or not to be” in the eyes of others.

*Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland*, *Through the Looking-Glass*, *The Hunting of the Snark*, excerpts from the author’s letters, as well as poetic, philosophical and theatrical texts: these are just some of the sources explored. Each actor becomes a narrator, character, singer, musician and puppeteer, immersing themselves in the story and bringing it to life. Every scene, every character and every spoken word opens a door to a world of secrets and magic. In joyful chaos, a moving cabinet of curiosities.