Utopia Theatre Project Presents the World Premiere of EVERY DAY ALICE

Utopia Theatre Project presents the world premiere of Anne Yumi Kobori's original play, Every Day Alice. Directed by Utopia's Artistic Director, Maryssa Wanlass, Every Day Alice reimagines familiar characters from Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan in a modern day setting and explores the themes of growing up, identity and the fine line between imagination and delusion.

Alice, a brilliant young writer, has been placed in a mental hospital due to nervous breakdowns from her overactive imagination. Her architect boyfriend, Peter, longs for adventure and a release from the responsibilities of adulthood. Their publisher/pianist friend, James, struggles to connect with his wife, Isabel, a mute professional dancer. Joining this foursome are Avshalom (a Freudian doctor), Hattie (a mad retired actress), Smythe (a drunk window-cleaner), and Queenie (a card sharp judge). Together, they navigate the blurred lines between mental health and artistic expression, as they discover what it truly means to grow up.

Every Day Alice, the featured play of Utopia's second season, was workshopped one evening last August in Redwood City as part of Dragon Productions Theatre Company's Monday Night Play Space series. Kobori began writing the play while she was a theater major at Santa Clara University.

Palo Alto Weekly (August 2018)

Alice's Adventures on Stage: Local Playwright Puts Beloved Childhood Characters in New Context

www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2018/08/01/alices-adventures-on-stage

Utopia Theatre Project, founded in 2014 by Bay Area actor Anne Yumi Kobori, uses new works and re-imagined classics to create experiential theater which inspires social change, human creativity, and actor-audience connection. Utopia supports emerging playwrights and directors in the development of new plays through staged readings, talk backs, and fully staged productions. The company incorporates dance, music, and visual media into its productions and encourages the expansion and diversification of theater audiences. A core value of Utopia is representation for minority voices. Kobori says, "I would especially like to create an opportunity for women and artists of color to have a voice and to have a platform to say what needs to be said."

Utopia's first season began with Chekhov's The Seagull; Kobori's new adaptation was a gender-neutral examination of Chekhov's classic characters. Following that, Stories from Silence: An American Dream Play, an evening of short plays focused on the #MeToo movement. Utopia wrapped up its first season with the world premiere of Seeds, a new play, written and directed by Kobori. Set in World War II, Seeds wove together the stories of women and men reckoning with wartime secrets. Utopia's second season began with a staged reading of the one-woman show, Natural Shocks, by America's most produced playwright, Lauren Gunderson. Next, Demos Kratos Theatro: Plays by and for the People was an evening of short plays investigating democratic engagement in a Saturday Night Live style review.

For more information listen www.utopiatheatreproject.com

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