"Inheriting Wonderland": After the Madness!

On Saturday, August 31st and Sunday, September 1st, Spec Labs’ original production, “Inheriting Wonderland” debuted live at the Theatre 68 Arts Complex in North Hollywood to smashing success! We held three sold out shows over the course of the weekend and haven’t stopped hearing the rave reviews from friends, family, and attendees who enjoyed the performance!

Our mixed-media theatrical production reimagined Lewis Caroll’s timeless tale of Alice in Wonderland. Our actors danced and sang original songs alongside a live band in performances filled with wondrous puppetry, film, and art projection. The original story, co-written by director, Cathy McAuley, and actor, Henry Dodds, depicts the beautiful complexity of growing up and parent/child dynamics. The musical follows a familiar Alice, with her head stuck up in the clouds, whose doting father is beginning to worry about her chaotic antics. An argument between father and daughter, and a mysterious white rabbit, send Alice tumbling into Wonderland where she meets a cast of colorful characters who each have something to teach her.

Photography by Annie Postlewaite (@photography_by_ann.ie)

Audience members opened the door to the Rosalie Theatre and immediately fell down the rabbit hole with Alice, greeted by all the most memorable iconographies of this oft dreamt of world: playing cards, roses, brightly colored, oversized plants, and all the fixings for the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The fantastical set and prop design, courtesy of Jim Landis, Christa Renfrew, and Grandis Creations, brought Wonderland front and center for all to see.

Photography by Annie Postlewaite (@photography_by_ann.ie)

When the lights dimmed, a live action film and music video featuring the original song, “Oh Alice,” directed, shot, and edited by our co-founder Jason Weissbrod, thrust us into Alice’s whimsical, musical world. “Oh Alice” is written by musician, Olivia Brazill, and produced by music director, Garth Herberg. The video also features an animation segment, courtesy of Spec Labs' student, Faith Butterfield. The “Oh, Alice” music video is now available to watch on our YouTube page! If you missed out on the show, or just want to relive the magic, check out “Oh, Alice” now at this link, or by watching the video below!

"Oh Alice" is just one of 11 original songs composed for the production. Song selections including, "Off with Her Head", "Rabbit Habit", and "Who Are You", also feature the musical and lyrical contributions of Spec Labs' Domonique Brown, Paul Christensen, and Atticus Jackson.

At the end of each show's one hour run, audiences were left with a warm, fuzzy glow, reflective of the final scene’s touching sentiments as father and daughter reunite. Immersive set design, outlandish costumes, and oversized performances brought the spectacle of Wonderland to life in such brilliant ways.

Photography by Annie Postlewaite (@photography_by_ann.ie)

The response to the show has been beyond even our wildest imaginations! We are so proud of our amazing cast and crew for all the hard work and dedication they put into the show. And a big thank you to everyone who attended; your support means everything to us!

We had such a blast putting on this show for you all and hope it won't be the last. Here's to Wonderland!

Photography by Annie Postlewaite (@photography_by_ann.ie)

"Inheriting Wonderland" was produced by Garth Herberg, Cathy McAuley, & Jason Weissbrod

Stage Direction by Cathy McAuley

A Spectrum Laboratory Production ©2024

Catch Spec Labs at the 2024 ReelAbilities Film Festival This May 4th and 5th!

This weekend on Saturday May 4th and Sunday May 5th, Spec Labs will be acting as an Educational Partner/Patron for the 6th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival!

The event is hosted by the City of Los Angeles Department on Disability, in partnership with Grand Performances, and will be taking place in Downtown Los Angeles at the California Plaza. The ReelAbilities Film Festival is “a two-day festival dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities.” The festival features a selection of new and classic films, panel conversations, and programming that focus on the diversity of our shared human experience.

Tickets to the event are FREE and available to reserve at this link!

Spec Labs co-founder, Jason Weissbrod, will be present at the festival as a speaker on the panel for “Removing Barriers, Tropes, and Stigmas: Discussing the Steps to Build an Inclusive Future in Film.” You can catch the lively conversation on Saturday, May 4th at 6 pm.

Spec Labs’ artists, Domonique Brown, Spencer Griffin, and Bryan Bateman will be performing a live music performance at the festival’s Family Fun Day on Sunday, May 5th. The Family Fun Day will be taking place from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, with our Spec Labs performers rocking out around 1 pm.

Following Sunday’s Family Fun Day events, the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge will be announcing the finalists for the 2024 submission cycle. We are so proud of “The Odd Taste,” our short film submission to this year’s challenge, and are crossing our fingers extra tight that we are part of the finalist announcement! Please continue watching, sharing, and showing love to “The Odd Taste,” which is available to watch on the Easterseals Disability Challenge YouTube page.

We are so excited to be part of the ReelAbilities Film Festival to help celebrate disability inclusion in film and to support all the amazing contributions autistic, neurodiverse, and disabled artists create to make the world a better place.

You can learn more about the details of this awesome event at ReelAbilities LA | Film Festival and on the ReelAbilities social pages.

We hope you’ll join us at the festival this weekend to support the Spec Labs community and beyond!

Reserve your tickets now!

Spec Labs & UCB Theatre Partner for their first ever Neurodiversity Improv Comedy Show! April 29th!

Spec Labs’ Improv & Sketch Comedy troupe will be hitting the stage on April 29th at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre in Hollywood! (https://ucbcomedy.com/)

In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, UCB is hosting its first Neurodiversity Community Night with Spec Labs where we can laugh, play, and connect! The event will feature an improv performance, a panel discussion, and one big JAM session with UCB performers and the Spec Labs Improv Players. Join us for lots of “Yes, and's", some side-splitting comedy, and a celebration of inclusion within the comedic arts!

The Upright Citizens Brigade is a comedy institution and training center famous for its live comedy showcases which have cultivated a space for established comedians and emerging talents to share their humor with the world. Spec Labs is honored to partner with UCB and demonstrate the comedic talent of our autistic and neurodivergent performers. This is a dream come true for Spec Labs Co-Founder and Improv Teacher, Jason Weissbrod. "When I first started our improv comedy class, this is what I dreamed of! Partnering with UCB, the improv training school I am an alumni of, makes my heart sing and am so excited to see where this partnership takes us!" Spec Labs is also going to be leading training workshops for UCB to educate their teachers on how to best advocate and support Neurodiverse students in the UCB classrooms. This is just the beginning of a very awesome collaboration between Spec Labs and UCB.

The Spec Labs Players rehearsing a sketch for their upcoming performance.

The show takes place on Monday, April 29th at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre located at 1925 N Bronson Ave Los Angeles, CA 90068. The fun kicks off at 6 pm! Make sure to grab a friend (or two, or four, or more!) and secure your spots for this hysterical and enlightening night of comedy and inclusion!

Tickets are $10 and available for purchase now at Shows - Upright Citizens Brigade (ucbcomedy.com).

We can’t wait to make you laugh with us!