New York Fringe Festival: @lice in www.onderland
Going wrong with Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland is hard to do, though putting the story to dance might be the best way to make the audience wish they hadnt fallen down the rabbit hole. Curiouser and curiouser, played through my mind as @lice in www.onderland began in a confusing manner, with most of the action occurring on a large screen behind a bewildered Alice who consulted her lap top. Actually, the concept of the performance is neat: Alice falls down into a cyber world where she has a Facebook-like profile and is confronted by sex-site flowers, an instant messaging Cheshire Cat and the digital chase for the roller skating White Rabbit. All the while the handful of dancers interpret different scenes. One of the best parts was the caterpillar duo that showed the grace and laziness of the multi-legged insect. Also, the Mad Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse trio turned out to be fun, especially the Dormouse who kept falling asleep as they danced. Perhaps the show would have been more successful if the performers were choreographed better or if they had practiced more. But then again, did we really need to redo Alices adventures in modern dance? We may all be mad here, but this is too much.
Additional show times are Aug. 19 at 5:15 and Aug. 22 at 9:45. Theatre 80, 80 St. Marks Place (btwn. 1st and 2nd Aves.) $15.