Mushroom in Her Hands

by Anne Phelan

This is a loose adaptation of Lewis Carroll's "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland," decidedly not for children. The play begins with Alice Liddell playing with Charles Dodgson, and ends when Alice succeeds in getting into the garden. The twelve scenes explore aspects of Alice, and Dodgson's relationship with her through various character pairings and re-interpreted scenes (the Tea Party, the Caucus Race) from the...

This is a loose adaptation of Lewis Carroll's "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland," decidedly not for children. The play begins with Alice Liddell playing with Charles Dodgson, and ends when Alice succeeds in getting into the garden. The twelve scenes explore aspects of Alice, and Dodgson's relationship with her through various character pairings and re-interpreted scenes (the Tea Party, the Caucus Race) from the novel.
In her nytheatre.com review, Liz Kimberlin wrote: "Anne Phelan does her own decidedly adult but wistful take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...at its heart, this story is of a doomed non-romance and love mutually unrequited....The text sounds true and faithful to Lewis Carroll's story and the actors carry it off beautifully...it's a lovely, speculative story...."

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Mushroom in Her Hands

Recommended by

  • C. Denby Swanson: Mushroom in Her Hands by Anne Phelan
    “

    Anne Phelan's MUSHROOM IN HER HANDS is a wondrous, captivating odyssey through through the Wonderland of Lewis Carroll, but retold as Alice's journey through the confusing and frequently threatening landscape of womanhood. It is a perfect analogy - first we are small, then big, then small again. This moment of dialogue caught my breath -
    ALICE: I've never been complimented on my insides.
    MAD HATTER: Some man must have told you he loved your mind. Your eyes, at the very least.
    MARCH HARE: They all say that.
    The play is sheer theatrical delight from start to finish.

    Anne Phelan's MUSHROOM IN HER HANDS is a wondrous, captivating odyssey through through the Wonderland of Lewis Carroll, but retold as Alice's journey through the confusing and frequently threatening landscape of womanhood. It is a perfect analogy - first we are small, then big, then small again. This moment of dialogue caught my breath -
    ALICE: I've never been complimented on my insides.
    MAD HATTER: Some man must have told you he loved your mind. Your eyes, at the very least.
    MARCH HARE: They all say that.
    The play is sheer theatrical delight from start to finish.

    ”

Development History

  • Workshop, Milk Can Theatre Company, 2004

Production History

  • Professional, Milk Can Theatre Company, 2005

Awards

  • Seven Devils Playwriting Conference
    Seven Devils Playwriting Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2004