NoExit Company Member Alyson Mull gives the 411 on The Phantom Tollbooth

Up next for NoExit:

The Phantom Tollbooth

April 22-24 and April 30th at Earth House

The cast has been hard at work under the direction of Company Member Alyson Mull creating a world adapted from Norton Juster's book. You might remember Alyson's previous directorial work with NoExit, Brave New World. Alyson was recently persuaded to answer a few questions about her work with NoExit. Stay tuned for more updates on the show!

What about the book made you want to turn it into a performance?
I like working with pieces that have larger ensembles. This book is overflowing with characters who all belong to one wacky world and share a common goal: bring back Rhyme and Reason to the land. Unlike my last adaptation, Brave New World, the atmosphere created in The Phantom Tollbooth is crazy, kooky, and at times ludicrous. I liked the challenge of molding these characters to be over-the-top yet still relatable. However, I really clutched onto this book when I decided to approach it from the angle of Milo as an adult. The stakes were raised, and the message became exponentially stronger.

Was this a childhood favorite?
No, but it was my brother's!

This is the second adaptation from literature you've done with NoExit. What's up with that?
I enjoy working with literature because it is not just dialogue. It's messy. Books allow you to dive into them and swim around in their words and extract something very personal from them. Through my own adaptations, I'm able to give back what I grabbed onto. There's a freedom in working with literature. I am fortunate to be working with a fellow company member and friend, Georgeanna Smith, whose writing I absolutely admire. For The Phantom Tollbooth, I told her my thoughts for the performance and asked her to rewrite the first part of the book before Milo enters the tollbooth. It has given the play an entirely new breath.

There are 3 siblings in the cast. Who is your favorite?
Eenie meenie miney moe... Joel.

What part of the production are you most excited for as director?
I'm excited to work with a quirky script. This isn't something I have much experience with as a director. As a director and a performer, I've mostly concentrated on more dramatic performance, but I'm hoping this script will give a new life to my rehearsal process.