This show follow the Stykes Upon Thump, Repatory Theater and thier "15th" fairwell performance of thier signature show, A Christmas Carol.  But I assure you, this ain't your normal Christmas Carol. The "Company" was once a fine repeatory company, whose costumes, now a bit run down, were once the finest. Their  traveling set, once quite versatile and fitting to the peice, now shakes and rattels with every entrance.  Its played by seven actors who do ALL of the characters in the classic tale... Though they still give it there best, you can tell they are a little tired of it all.  The company Diva decides she dosn't want to go on that night and is sure the company will cancel when she calls in sick.  Ever the troupers, the understudy is given the smallest role and everyone else moves up on place in the show. Problems begin when the understudy only knows one line and must hide her script everywhere from in her muff to the christmas pudding bowl.  Then the diva decides to come back and claim her place on the stage with the show already in progress. But the gal who moved up dosesnt want to give it up, so you wind up with battleing mrs Cratchets, cat fights over costumes, battered christmas pasts and all sorts of mayhem.. as the pace of the show increases and along with both ladies trying to take out the other, people start showing up with less and less of the correct costumes during the changes... (which happen fast!)   in one scene, Bob Cratchet says "Excuse me" as i leaving for the bathroom, goes out one door and comes in another as one of the gentleman soliciting scrooge for the poor... I have done this show twice, and hope to do it again soon.. it is a huge hoot to do and great audince pleaser.

Anyways, it is called "Greetings!" by Tom Dudzick.  It's a great read and should be read more than once to find the true meaning of the show.  It does deal with religious text, but is not the over all theme of the show.

This show has been a hit the many places I have seen it or produced it. 

Check out Inspecting Carol.  We produced it two months ago and it was a great hit.  It's relatively new (early '90's) written by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan and Seattle Rep. Theatre.  It's a cast of 12.  It's like the movie "Waiting for Guffman" combined with Noises Off and A Christmas Carol.

 

A theatre group is in jeopardy of losing their grant from the NEA, so the NEA is sending an inspector to view their next play.  The theatre group is a small equity company and pay their actors.  They are so low on funds, they can only afford to pay for four days of rehearsal.  But, not a problem because they are producing the same play they always do - A Christmas Carol, with most of the same cast they've used the past twelve years, including the same big kid that plays Tiny Tim.  The actors that plays Cratchit is seeing a chiroprator because he has to carry Tiny on his shoulders.  A guy shows up at the theatre and the company thinks it's the NEA inspector.  The company finds out this guy always wanted to be an actor, so they put him in the play.  It turns out this guy is the world's worst actor ever and you come to find out later in the play - he's not the guy from the NEA.  The real lady from the NEA shows up in act II.

 

I'ts just a hoot.  Give it a serious look.

Later,

John