The cast includes, from left, Kat Moraros, Tyler Costigan, Zack Handlen, and Marie Stewart-Harmon. Submitted photo

The Mad Horse Theatre Company presents “Waiting for Alice,” running through February 27. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 and Sundays at 5. All shows will be performed without an intermission and are Pay-What-You-Decide. No charge reservations are strongly suggested. Directed by Chris DeFilipp, the play is appropriate for 12 and up. The content includes themes of grief and mental health.

What is an Alice? In the liminal space of the Mad Tea Party, the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse maintain their ceremony of stories, games, tea, and colorful chaos under the watchful eye of the Cheshire Cat as they prepare for Alice’s long-awaited arrival. “Waiting for Alice” is a physical, absurdist, and surreal ensemble-driven play that explores the ritual of a tight-knit community forever bound by circumstance.

Mad Horse Company Member Allison McCall originally wrote “Waiting for Alice” for PortFringe 2015. The initial idea came from a conversation with young actors during a rehearsal of Alice in Wonderland at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine. A virtual reading was presented by Mad Horse Theatre as part of their By Local series in 2021. The play delves into the urgency behind rituals and investigates Carroll’s Wonderland through an absurdist lens inspired by Beckett and Ionesco.

“There are so many stories with a purgatory-esque setting, but ‘Waiting for Godot’ stands out for two reasons: the characters love each other, and their situation is impacted by choice. So the main question became: WHY? Why are these characters here? Why do they make this choice? And why do we, as humans, create and practice rituals? Waiting for Alice is just one take on answering those questions. I hope that part of this experience is that the audience can decide some of those answers for themselves,” says Allison McCall.

Director Chris DeFilipp notes that this isn’t your typical Wonderland. “The more I work on this play, the more I see reflected in it our collective experience of this ongoing pandemic. Constantly searching for a return to “normalcy,” we soldier on determinedly, yet increasingly wearily. Two weeks became two months became two years and now we journey into an unknown eternity. Like these characters, we just want a respite, to know our world is safe.”

The cast includes: Mad Horse Company Member, Marie Stewart Harmon; former Mad Horse Company Member, Kat Moraros and guest artists, Zack Handlen and Tyler Costigan.

The production team includes: Mad Horse Company members Allison McCall (Playwright), Mark Rubin (Production Manager) and Jake Cote (Fight Coordinator) and Guest artists Chris DeFilipp (Director), Jenn London (Stage Manager), – Connor Perry (Set Design), Ryan McGowan (Composer, Sound Design), Anna Halloran (Costume Design), Blaise Garcia (Lighting Design), Hollie Pryor (Prop Design, Intimacy Consultant) and Erica Murphy (Movement Coordinator).

The safety of our audience, performers and support crew are of the utmost importance to us. At this time, Mad Horse requires masks inside the building for all audience members and staff. KN95, N95, KF94 masks or double-masking is strongly recommended. Proof of vaccination (boosters are required if last vaccination was over 6 months ago) and ID are required at the Box Office. The current show is recommended for ages 12 and up and these safety precautions apply to all attendees. All Mad Horse event personnel and artists follow these precautions. We are also reducing seating capacity and HEPA filters will run throughout the show. We continue to monitor the situation and any updates to these policies will be communicated to ticket holders. For more information, please refer to our website or contact us via email at madhorsetheatre@gmail.com.

We are now offering our entire season of productions as Pay-What-You-Decide (PWYD). That means every production, every performance, every person pays what you decide. Here’s how it works: Make a no-cost reservation. Come see the show. Make a payment as you leave the theater. We want to remove the financial barrier of seeing theater – particularly new theater work and open the doors to anyone interested in attending a show. Support the arts in Maine. Consider donating to Mad Horse Theatre Company and our virtual programming by visiting madhorse.com/contribute. To connect with Mad Horse Theatre Company visit our website (www.madhorse.com) or Facebook (Mad Horse Theatre Company), follow us on Instagram and Twitter @madhorsetheatre, or send an email to madhorseboxoffice@gmail.com.