It was Trevor Allen's dream, but it turned into an actor's nightmare — he takes a job at Disneyland, "the happiest place on earth," and ends up with one of the worst jobs on earth, spending the day in the 115-degree air inside a Pluto suit. Allen recounts his four years as a Disney employee in Working for the Mouse!, a solo work playing Nov. 22-Dec. at San Francisco's EXIT Cafe. And what a four-year stint it was. Through seven characters—including himself; "Donald Duck" as portrayed by the midget Gary, who calls Disneyland "Mouschwitz" and "Geppetto's Ghetto"; the beautiful object of his affections, Alice; and his jerky boss Jimmy—Allen relates his adventures as he moves up from Pluto to the "voice clearance"-ed part of the Mad Hatter (he can actually speak to park-goers). Along the way, he does drugs before riding the "Alice in Wonderland" ride, rescues his puking sidekick, the White Rabbit, and has a poignant encounter with a terminally ill child before the new management fires him.

Working for the Mouse!, produced by Impact Theatre, plays Berkeley's La Val's Subterranean through Nov. 16, then transfers to the EXIT Cafe. Tickets are $12. For reservations, call (510) 464-4468.

— By Christine Ehren