Those other James brothers, Henry and William, had a sister. Alice James grew up in the same intellectually stimulating household and had uncommon abilities, as did her more famous brothers, but, as a woman, suffered from the dictates of an age that had no use for a superior feminine mind. So Alice took to her bed, and it is of the imaginative life that one finds in that comfortable cloister that Susan Sontag writes about in her only play, Alice in Bed, to be presented by the Washington University Performing Arts Department in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre Feb. 12-14 and 18-20. Along with the historical figure of Alice James, Sontag incorporates imagery from Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland -- another Alice who escapes social pressures to explore more fantastic realms. Leah Frattalone (pictured) plays Alice, with artist-in-residence Andrea Urice directing. Leland Orvis has designed a set inspired by Rene Magritte, which should make for a dreamy night of theater. Call 935-6543 or 534-1111 for tickets.
-- Eddie Silva
