What It’s About

We realized something with 2021’s Shockheaded Peter (winner of not one but two 2021 Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Awards): we missed devising new work. For our first 10 years, a mainstage slot was dedicated to a new show that brought together the embarrassment of talent the company has available. Jobsite Theater’s ALICE is a brand-new cabaret spectacle based on the writing of Lewis Carroll that fuses live music, visual art, puppetry, aerial and circus arts, and plenty of good ol’ fashioned theater magic in an evening audiences may not be able to simply categorize as a play, musical, or something altogether different, but that they will surely talk about for years to come.

Original music — ranging in style from weird polkas to the musical theater stylings of Kurt Weill — is being composed by our resident wizard Jeremy Douglass (with assistance from his daughter Juniper Douglass) with lyrics by Douglass, Lewis Carroll, Colleen Cherry, and Kasondra Rose. The live band features Douglass on keys with Mark Warren on strings and Elwood Bond on percussion.

Katrina Stevenson and Kasondra Rose team up to provide choreography and dazzling aerial lyra hoop sequences. Stevenson also serves as the show’s costumer.

The entire visual aesthetic of the show is based on the artwork of Jobsite Artistic Associate Spencer P. Meyers, who is also designing and building all of the puppets, ranging in size from tiny 1-person miniatures to enormous constructions operated by 4 performers.

Our ensemble features the multiple talents of Julia Rifino (Alice), Robert Spence Gabriel (Jabberwocky, Knave of Hearts), Colleen Cherry (Bandersnatch, Queen and King of Hearts), Donovan Whitney (Mad Hatter, White Knight, Caterpillar), Ryan Sturm (White Rabbit, March Hare, Mock Turtle), Katrina Stevenson (Cheshire Cat, Red Queen, Tweedledum), and Kasondra Rose (Dormouse, Tweedledee, White Queen).

While we do not like to make direct age recommendations because every family has different and tastes and sensibilities and every child is unique, we do hope this show will be fun for the young and young-at-heart. To ensure optimum enjoyment for all guests, we strongly recommend that children under the age of 5 not attend any theater show that is not specifically toddler-friendly.

PLEASE NOTE: this performance runs 85 minutes with no intermission and due to the immersive, environmental nature of the show we must ask that all audience members remain in their seats for the duration of the performance. Latecomers will be held outside through at least the opening number of the show and then seated at a time that is safe for them and our performers.