DRAMATURGY
Rediscovering A Christmas Carol & Rediscovering Ourselves BY SHEILA HWANG, PH.D. DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, WEBSTER UNIVERSITY
Charles Dickens’ 1843 story, A Christmas Carol, has been beloved for generations. The story’s 6,000-copy first printing sold out in less than a week, it went through 13 additional printings in its first year, and it continues to be a mainstay of the holiday season, now not only as a story to be read but also as one that has been frequently adapted to be enjoyed both on screen and on stage.
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Th e Reper tory Theatr e of S t. L ou is
Many people embrace A Christmas Carol for its quintessential optimism: in this story even the most bitter, most mercenary person may overcome loneliness, isolation and cynicism to learn to celebrate the spirit of Christmas by embracing kindness and compassion. We as audience members delight in how Ebenezer Scrooge transforms almost magically from a curmudgeonly misanthrope grunting “Bah, Humbug!” to a
