Theatre South Playhouse to perform "Alice by Heart"

Theatre South Playhouse is ready to debut its newest musical this weekend.

“Alice by Heart” takes place in 1941. Alice Spencer and her best friend, Alfred, take refuge in a London Underground tube station following the London Blitz, when Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy bombed London for 56 consecutive days during World War II. 

Alice and Alfred escape the war by journeying through the “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” book. 

Performances will take place Thursday, Jan. 15, through Sunday, Jan. 18, at the theater located in The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips. 

After three months of rehearsals, Director Monica Quinn said she couldn’t be prouder of the work cast members put in to make this a success. 

With a cast ranging from 14 to 21 years old, Quinn said they identify with the story. 

“We just came out of a pandemic not too long ago,” she said. “They had to grieve the loss of their childhood but move forward. … They had to find joy, find their purpose and be able to move on.” 

Despite minimalistic sets and basic costumes, audience members still can expect to travel through real world and fiction as the ensemble brings bigger-than-life characters to the stage.

From professional actors to conservatory students, this play offers a challenge because of all the textures — from sound to language to theme and atmosphere, Quinn said. 

“The people who were cast were coming into the room with the expectation that we are working together as an ensemble,” she said. “There are no small roles in this show. Everybody has a standout moment.” 

As a nonprofit with a limited budget, Quinn said actors can take their performances to the next level without the need of props and sets. 

“What stood out to us is the ensemble work collaboration,” Quinn said. “This show only works when the group works. We wanted a black canvas so the ensemble could bring the world to life — Wonderland, the bunker, the in-between spaces where memory lives. The most important element here isn’t scenery — it’s people.”

Some of the cast members also will have the opportunity to surprise the audience with “special skills” that Quinn said normal singers, dancers and actors wouldn’t have. 

She said through this musical, she hopes people leave feeling less alone in what they carry. 

“I hope it opens up real conversation — about grief, about mental health and about how we keep going,” she said. “This show says you can be heartbroken and still be brave. Both can be true.” 

And Quinn said it was the perfect time to showcase this musical. 

“We are in a very heavy world right now, and our political climate is entrenched,” she said. “The economy is not great, people spend most of their lives working, which is not necessarily a good work-life balance. And we never know, honestly, what’s happening with our neighbor. We never know what’s happening with the people around us, and to anyone facing grief at this time or a loss, I hope they can come to this show and I hope they can find an outlet. I hope  they can find some peace and find some ways to cope. I hope that they’re taken out of their reality for a little while and are able to be cathartic through these characters. … And if that translates to someone having healing, then that is everything.”