PLAYGORE

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things: of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--and of how John Huntington has taken off his straw hat and put on his Easter bonnet, and made the change very successfully. "Alice in Wonderland" is, as always, very pleasant nonsense.

Alice: Dear, dear! How queer everything is today! And yesterday things went on just as usual.

Humpty-Dumpty: Some people have no more sense than a baby!

The Duchess: And the moral of that is: A little fantasy is a wonderful thing, and Lewis Carroll shouldn't turn over of the grave one little bit. Take care of the sense and the sounds will take care of themselves.

Alice: I don't know quite what you're talking about, but things do seem so terribly mixed up. You belong in "Through the Looking-Glass," Humpty-Dumpty. We should give this ting a fair trial, though.

Dormouse: (awakening, briefly) Yes, a fair trial, a fair trial, a fair. . .

The Mad Hatter: But it's time for tea--see? Just 4 o'clock.

The Duchess: Oh bother! Go summon a jury--a prejudiced one, mind you.

The White Rabbit: I have the list of jurors: Tweedledum and Tweedledee, The White Knight. . .

Alice: (interrupting ) But they're all in "Through the Looking Glass." Oh, dear! Why can't people be reasonable?

The March Hare: But its more fun this way, or am I out of character?

Cheshire Cat: There, there, my dear, you go right ahead and try to make sense out of nonsense, if you really think it is.

Alice: Well, I must confess I'm prejudiced, but I did like all the music and costumes and scenery and the music and costumes and scenery and the oafish magic. Sometimes it almost sounded like Gilbert Sullivan, though I don't know what on earth it was satirizing.

The Red Queen: (sharply interrupting) Speak when you're spoken to. What are you talking about, anyway?

Alice: About nonsense, I suppose.

The Red Queen: You may call it "nonsense" if you like, but I've heard nonsense compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary!

Alice: Then perhaps I'm talking about the most satisfying stage version of "Alice in Wonderland" that I have ever seen, and I have lived for many more years than you might suppose.

The Red Queen: Sentence first, verdict afterwards!

Alice: Oh, dear! Everything is so confusing. But if the sentence must come first, I should sentence it to a very happy run on Broadway.

The Red Queen: But what about the Knave of Hearts? What are you talking about? jgt