More alarming than a dysfunctional budget, as horrible as a never ending Town Meeting, a Jabberwock threatened the characters of “The Mad Tea Party” with scenarios tailor made for Wareham, not Wonderland.

On Friday night, town officials and community leaders performed to raise money for the Wareham Free Library before a crowd of approximately 80 people in Redmen Hall.

The Friends and Wareham Library Foundation, Inc. presented the fourth annual event, which was directed by Selectmen Chair Judith Whiteside this year. In the past, murder mystery plays were held, but this year Whiteside said she decided for a whimsical approach with the play.

Donning colorful costumes, the cast poked good-natured fun at their hometown by altering dialogue to be Wareham specific. Ad-libbed lines gave the performance a breezy, laid back feel.

Time, played by Noah Young, offered to cure the Mad Hatter at one point. The Hatter, played by Library Director Michael Carlozzi, responded: “You wish to release me from total madness, but you’d have a better chance of getting an override passed in this town.”

In the play, Time has forgiven the Mad Hatter for past offenses. The Hatter invites characters from “Alice in Wonderland” to a tea party to honor Time, but the Jabberwock intrudes and upsets the entire affair.

With help from Time, the group travels back in time again and again to attempt and stop the Jabberwock.

From off stage, the Jabberwock mocked the characters with lines such as: “Your Town Meeting will go on for weeks and weeks!” “Your budget will never work!” and “We’ll never plow your roads!”

In the end, the Jabberwock was captured and peace was restored.

The cast members were: Glenn Lawrence, who played White Rabbit; Michael Carlozzi, who played Mad Hatter; Jackson Gillman, who played March Hare; Rose Berry, who played Dormouse; Noah Young, who played Time; Michelle Montrond, who played Caterpillar; Mary Bruce, who played Duchess/Queen of Hearts; Peter Teitelbaum, who played Frog Footman; Kat Jones, who played Cheshire Cat One and Jabberwock; Zarrin Tasnim Ahmed, who played Cheshire Cat Two; Sandy Slavin, who played Tweedle Dee; Alan Slavin, who played Tweedle Dum; Peter Dunlop, who played Playing Card; and Pat Rummney, Jaime Garman, Peter Dunlop and Tricia Hackett, who played Momeranths.