Play Suggestions: A Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4904
Printed Date: 11/24/24 at 9:56pm
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Topic: A Christmas Carol

Posted By: tech_director
Subject: A Christmas Carol
Date Posted: 12/21/10 at 8:57pm

We are in the final stages of planning our 2011-2012 Season and we are looking into different versions of A Christmas Carol for our 2011 Holiday Show.

I am very intrested in the Barbra Field adaptation performed by The Guthrie and KC Rep every year. The Guthrie has recently switched to a shorter version which is available, but I am looking for the full length version. Anyone know who publishes this version?

And if any of you are in the KC area I strongly recommend going to see this newly revamped production at the Rep, BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks,

Matt

Replies:

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 12/21/10 at 9:21pm

Check out;- http://www.doollee.com/plays/plays-c.html - http://www.doollee.com/plays/plays-c.html

There are heaps of 'ACC' plays listed there - happy hunting!

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: bnk01
Date Posted: 12/26/10 at 12:37pm

If I see one more Christmas Carol, I'm gonna puke. There are dozens of great christmas shows, why does everyone do this one over and over?

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 12/26/10 at 4:16pm

It dosent happen that often here!

My mob has just done 'A Christmas Carol' which finished on the 18th December?

But the show is rarely done here.

There again Pantos are also a rare thing, although two traditional [Pohmy] ones have just been produced recently.

So it looks like they are coming back into vogue again.

Normally most ameatre groups pull the pin, during the christmas summer holiday period, by going black & fire back up in late January.

So Christmas is not on the boards of most comeatre seasons.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: tech_director
Date Posted: 12/26/10 at 8:18pm

It's a show we haven't produced since 1992. After HEAPS of other Christmas shows, it's about time we revisit this one. We are considering making it a annual production depending on how it sells.

Despite the fact that it has been rewritten countless times and has been done by every theater in the world multipule times, it's a classic, it tells a beautiful story, and people love making it apart of their holiday season. Besides that, it's an almost for sure sell out, which doesn't hurt the idea, either.

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:16am

Saw a really interesting production locally this year called "A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley". Adapted from Dickens by Israel Horowitz. Available through Dramatists Play Service. It's the classic tale, but with Jacob Marley as the narrator. In fact, as the title suggests, Scrooge and Marley are essentially equal roles. It's great, especially if you have two strong actors. You might take a look at it.

I also directed a production a couple of years ago called "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" by Tom Mula; also through Dramatists Play Service. It's a one-man show that's also available as a four-man version, which I chopped a little further into a seven-man show - three women and four men acting all of the parts. The twist in this show is that Marley arrives in the afterworld and is given one shot at personal redemption; he has to return to earth and redeem his old partner, Ebenezer Scrooge. All of the ghosts that visit Scrooge are actually one - Jacob Marley. The end is wonderful, as Jacob Marley finds a new eternal calling - redeeming lost souls. I highly recommend this one.

Posted By: peacfrog50
Date Posted: 12/29/10 at 4:09pm

Our group just wrapped on teh comedy "A Christmas Carol...More or Less" a two person version of the classic tale, its quite funny!!! need 2 really stong actors to pull it off

Posted By: SpenceKenzer
Date Posted: 2/01/11 at 3:01pm

Our CT is celebrating its 85th season by doing a "greatest hits" season -- that is, we're re-mounting plays that we've had good/great success with in the recent past.

A Christmas Carol is the play we have produced most often over the last 85 years. (5 years in a row 1968 thru 1972; once in 2002).

I read TWENTY different stage adaptations of the thing (17 from the usual recognized publishers; 3 unpublished versions). CRITERIA = full-length (not one-act) and NON-musical. Most of them were the same-old-same-old plus or minus a line/scene here or there. Only TWO of these stage adaptations stood out from the pack, because of a freshness of the take the author chose.

A Christmas Carol adapted by Michael Paller, published by Samuel French. In which it is Christmas Eve 1843, and Charles Dickens is having people over for a dinner party; when they ask him to tell them all a Christmas story he refuses, bustles them all up into the 3rd floor attic (where his trunks of theatrical costumes, etc. are stored), and he gets them to act out all the parts in his brand new story. 10 actors (including 2 children) playing 40+ parts. Unit set (the attic). Costumes ranged from full to just bits. We loved this one.

Scrooge by Warren Graves, published by Playwrights Guild of Canada. Very small cast, unit set (more or less), a nearly complete re-write, faithful to the original story & characters but approached anew. Unexpectedly engaging. Adapted from a Canadian TV special in 1978, I think. We didn't do this one, but it would have been our next choice.

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Saludos, my dahlinks, and you know who you are ... !