Lobster Alice

• Alice Horowitz
• John Finch
• Salvador Dalí
• Thorton
• The Caterpillar

Lobster Alice is set in 1946 at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where animator John Finch is assigned to supervise a short-term collaboration with Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. Finch, a reserved and conventional studio employee, is also developing the studio's adaptation Lewis Carroll’s novel Through the Looking-Glass, into a film entitled Alice in Wonderland. Finch harbors romantic feelings for his assistant, Alice Horowitz. Alice, meanwhile, is dissatisfied with the mundane realities of her job, and Finch's inability to express his feelings, and thus longs for a more passionate and adventurous life.

The arrival of Dalí disrupts the orderly routine of the studio. His flamboyant personality and commitment to surrealist principles challenge Finch's cautious approach to both art and relationships, while simultaneously captivating Alice. As Dalí develops increasingly fantastical ideas for the film, the boundaries between reality and imagination begin to blur, and the office setting transforms into a dreamlike landscape influenced by Dalí's imagery and illusions to Alice in Wonderland.

Amid these surreal episodes, tensions rise between Finch and Dalí, fueled by artistic disagreements and romantic jealousy. Alice is captivated by the painters inhibited worldview, inspiring her to reconsider her own desires. The appearance of o ghostly figure from Alice's past further complicates the emotional landscape, deepening the play's exploration of memory, loss, and ineffable longing. Ultimately, Dalí's visit provides a catalyst for change. Through their time with the painter, both Alice and Finch are forced to confront their unexpressed feelings for one another. The play concludes with a tentative reconciliation between the two, as they attempt to move beyond illusion and embrace of more tangible emotional connection.

Lobster Alice had it's World Premiere at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota in September 1999. Directed by Bain Boehlke, the cast featured Julie Briskman Hall, Bob Davis, Charles Schuminski, and Jamison Haase. The creative team included Boehlke (sets), Amelia Busse Breuer (costumes), Barry Browning (lighting) and C. Andrew Mayer (original music and sound).^[8]

Lobster Alice had it's New York premiere Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, running from November 17, 1999, through January 23, 2000. Directed by Maria Mileaf, the production featured Jessica Hecht, David Patrick Kelly, Derek Richardson, and Reg Rogers. The creative team included Neil Patel (sets), Ann Hould-Ward (costumes), Frances Aronson (lighting) David Van Tieghem (original music and sound), and Jan Hartley (projections).^[9]

Lobster Alice had it's West Coast premiere at Blank Theatre Company in Los Angeles, California, running from July 29, 1999, through September 3, 2006. Directed by Daniel Henning, the production featured Dorie Barton, Noah Wyle, Nicholas Brendon, and Michael Grant Terry. The creative team included Robert Prior (sets and costumes), Jaymi Lee Smith (lighting) Warren Davis (original music and sound), and Judi Lewin (hair and makeup).^[10]