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The Play Guide for A Christmas Carol was created by:
Jenna Turk Artistic Associate With additional material by: Shari Wattling, Zachary Moull, and Dom Saliani
Want to get in touch? Send an email to jturk@theatrecalgary.com Connect with us on our Facebook page Tweet us @theatrecalgary #tcCarol Follow our Instagram @theatrecalgary
A Christmas Carol runs November 23rd to December 24th, 2017 For tickets, visit theatrecalgary.com or call 403-294-7447 Front cover art direction and graphic design by Punch & Judy Inc. Composite photo of Allison Lynch by David Cooper and Trudie Lee.
Table of Contents THE BASICS Cast and Creative Team Who’s Who? Setting and Story
1 3 4
EXPLORATIONS The Gift of “A Little Christmas Book” Meet the Artist: Actor Stephen Hair Terms to Know Mindfulness The Making of A Christmas Carol Dickens and the Theatre Meet the Artist: Designer Patrick Clark The Spirit of Giving
5 8 11 13 15 17 18 21
CONVERSATIONS Conversation Starters A Christmas Carol by the Numbers Movie Night: A Christmas Carol ‘Tis the Season Recommended Reads from Calgary Public Library
23 24 25 26
Sources
27
THE BASICS
-1-
Cast and Creative Team A CHRISTMAS CAROL by CHARLES DICKENS adapted by DENNIS GARNHUM Director Associate Director Set & Costume Design Lighting Design Composer Music & Vocal Director Sound Design Production Dramaturg Fight Director, Fight Captain Choreographer Skating Choreographers Dance Captain Assistant Fight Director Voice & Dialect Coach
DENNIS GARNHUM SIMON MALLETT PATRICK CLARK KEVIN LAMOTTE JEREMY SPENCER ALLISON LYNCH CHRIS JACKO SHARI WATTLING KARL H. SINE ANITA MIOTTI ANDREA ST. CYR, MONIQUE WASMANN JAMIE KONCHAK ZAKK MACDONALD JANE MACFARLANE
THE CAST
Solicitor, Dick Wilkins, Businessman Boy Ebenezer Belinda Cratchit Fred Ebenezer Scrooge Belle, Abigail Jacob Marley, Businessman Mrs. Cratchit Young Ebenezer Spirit of Christmas Past Ebenezer, Spirit of Christmas Future Voice of Charles Dickens Mr. Fezziwig, Businessman Mrs. Dilber Solicitor Spirit of Christmas Present Joy, Ignorance Bob Cratchit Fan Laundress, Mrs. Fezziwig Peter Cratchit Topper Martha Cratchit Tiny Tim Hope, Want
PRANEET AKILLA TYLER BIDYK ELEANOR BRAITENBACH BRADEN GRIFFITHS STEPHEN HAIR JOSIE JONES ROBERT KLEIN JAMIE KONCHAK FIONN LAIRD ALLISON LYNCH GRAHAM MOTHERSILL CHRISTOPHER NEWTON DECLAN O’REILLY JULIE ORTON HEATHER PATTENGALE GRAHAM PERCY MITRA POORANALINGAM KARL H. SINE JULIANNE SMITH ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI-TARHAN EVAN ANDERSEN STERNS MIKE TAN HAYLEE THOMPSON TIA ROSE WOODRUFF SIENA YEE
THE BASICS
-2-
Stage Manager PATTI NEICE Assistant Stage Manager RUBY DAWN EUSTAQUIO Assistant Stage Manager ASHLEY REES Head of Lighting Head of Sound RF Technician Head Stage Carpenter Head Dresser Head of Wigs Dresser Stage Hands Young Company Chaperone
CATHARINE CRUMB BRONWYN BOWLBY CHRIS JACKO SCOTT MORRIS RACHEL MICHELLE SHERIDAN BRENDA BOUTET MOLLIE ELIZA ROBERTSON MIKE BOOTH, TESS COWIE, ANDREW KERR RYAN WESLEY GRAY
Ebenezer Scrooge Understudy – HAYSAM KADRI FLYING EFFECTS PROVIDED BY ZFX INC. CAMERAS AND AUDIO/VISUAL RECORDING DEVICES ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE THEATRE. VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL has one 20-minute intermission.
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for a home.” -Edith Sitwell
THE BASICS
-3-
Who’s Who? Scrooge and his Household Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly man Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge’s maid The Laundress Fred’s Family and Friends Fred, Scrooge’s nephew Abigail, Fred’s wife Topper, Fred’s friend, who owes money to Scrooge Other unnamed friends of Fred and Abigail People from Scrooge’s Past Fan, Scrooge’s sister The Schoolmaster Young Marley, Jacob Marley as a young man Belle, Scrooge’s sweetheart Mr. Fezziwig, a kind-hearted spirits merchant who employs Scrooge Mrs. Fezziwig, his wife Dick Wilkins, Scrooge’s fellow clerk at Fezziwig’s The Cratchits Bob Cratchit, Ebenezer’s clerk Mrs. Cratchit, his wife Their children: Peter, Martha, Belinda, and Tiny Tim Townspeople Carollers, solicitors, street vendors, businessmen, etc. Ghosts and Spirits Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s late business partner Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future Ignorance and Want
THE BASICS
-4-
Setting and Story A Christmas Carol takes place in London, England, on Christmas Eve, 1843. The play begins with a memory – the funeral of Jacob Marley, where his partner Ebenezer Scrooge is the only mourner. Seven
years
later,
on
Christmas Eve, Scrooge is working in his office with his clerk Bob Cratchit when
two
arrive
asking
solicitors for
a
donation to help the poor and needy. Scrooge flatly refuses. He also declines
Frontispiece and title page of the first edition of A Christmas Carol, 1843
an invitation to celebrate the season with his nephew Fred. He does reluctantly agree to let Cratchit spend Christmas Day with his family, as long as he comes in early the next day. At home that evening, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley. The ghost informs Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits who will help him to avoid the terrible fate that Marley is suffering – wandering the earth bound by the “chains he forged in life.” The first spirit to appear, the Spirit of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge on a journey to see the places and people of his youth. Scrooge is reminded of the deep affection he felt for his sister Fan, the late mother of Fred. He visits his old employer Mr. Fezziwig and remembers the joy and happiness that the Fezziwigs spread at Christmas time. He also sees his former sweetheart, Belle, who broke up with him because of his singleminded pursuit of wealth.
THE BASICS
-5-
Next, the Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to see the celebrations happening all around him. They first visit the Cratchit home, where Scrooge learns that his clerk has a very sick son, Tiny Tim. Then Scrooge sees Fred, his wife Abigail, and their friends skating on a frozen river. As they play a guessing game, Scrooge learns what they really think of him. The Spirit of Christmas Future completes Scrooge’s education, showing him three businessmen callously discussing the recent death of an unnamed associate. Then, Scrooge sees his servants selling the belongings of someone who has recently died. Finally, Scrooge is transported to a graveyard, where he watches the Cratchit family mourning the death of Tiny Tim. The Spirit points to another tombstone. Scrooge approaches and discovers the grave bears his own name. Scrooge begs for the Spirit’s pity, and promises to keep the spirit of Christmas in his heart all the year. Scrooge wakes up in his bedroom on Christmas Day. Full of joy, he has a turkey delivered to the Cratchits for their dinner, and when he sees the family
in
the
town
square, he gives Cratchit a raise and tells him to take the next day off as well. Then he meets the two solicitors who had appeared in his office the
"The Last of the Spirits" by John Leech, from the 1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
previous day and apologizes for his behaviour by making a sizable donation to their cause. And lastly, finds Fred skating on the river and happily accepts his nephew’s earlier invitation to Christmas dinner.
EXPLORATIONS
-6-
The Gift of “A Little Christmas Book” Charles Dickens was one of the first literary stars to stake out a role as a public intellectual, seeking to shape Britain’s national conversation on social issues through his writings and speeches. “I have a great faith in the poor,” he once wrote. “I always
endeavour
present
them
in
to a
favourable light to the rich.” Born in 1812, Dickens grew
up
in
poverty
himself. As a child, he worked long hours in a London (shoe
boot-blacking polish)
factory
starting at the age of twelve, when his father was
sent
prison.
He
to
debtor’s rose
to
prominence as an author
Charles Dickens
in the late 1830s, with his early novels often exploring Britain’s treatment of its struggling underclass. Oliver Twist (1838), for example, condemns the brutality of the Poor Law and its workhouses, where the destitute were forced into prison-like conditions, and paints a sympathetic picture of the poor and their children. The autumn of 1843 was not a time of great cheer for Dickens. Already demoralized by a visit to one of London’s poorest schools, he travelled to Manchester in October to speak at a fundraiser for the Athenaeum, an
EXPLORATIONS
-7-
institution that provided education and recreation for the city’s enormous working class. The Athenaeum was in financial trouble after the economic recession of 1840–42, which had hit Manchester, a sprawling young city driven by the new factories of the Industrial Revolution, particularly hard. In the early 1840s, more than half of the children born in Manchester died before the age of five, and thousands of unemployed workers relied on the charity of soup kitchens every day. There was little room for Christmas in the industrial city, where factories ran round-the-clock on Christmas Day. But while walking the streets after his rousing speech, buoyed perhaps by the “bright eyes and beaming faces” of the working poor who had applauded his words, Dickens hit upon the idea for A Christmas Carol. On his return to London, Dickens threw himself headlong into the new project. He was so eager to finish the book in time for Christmas that he postponed meetings for several weeks, sending his regrets to his lawyer, for example, by explaining that he was “in the middle of a roaring Christmas scene.” Working from morning to evening, Dickens kept up his habit of walking the streets at night for inspiration. In a letter to a friend in Boston, he wrote that while he “walked about the black streets of London, fifteen and twenty miles many a night when all the sober folks had gone to bed,” he had “wept and laughed and wept again, and excited himself in a most extraordinary manner in the composition” of what he affectionately called “my little Christmas book.” When his publisher expressed doubts about the book, Dickens put his own finances on the line by proceeding with A Christmas Carol on a commission basis. Fortunately, this allowed him to control the book’s design. He contracted the artist John Leech to make illustrations and woodcuts, chose a festive red and gold cover, and set the price at a relatively affordable five shillings (a novel would sell for around 30 shillings at the time).
EXPLORATIONS
-8-
Dickens’ hard work meant that A Christmas Carol was ready just in time for Christmas. Six thousand copies were published on December 19, 1843 – and every single one had been sold by Christmas Day. Newspaper reviews praised the book’s Yuletide message of generosity and goodwill, as well as the power and economy of the tale. “Who can listen to objections regarding such a book as this?” wrote William Makepeace Thackeray, novelist
a
and
fellow one
of
Dickens’ foremost rivals. “It seems to me a national benefit, and to every man and woman who reads it, a personal kindness.” Indeed,
the
nation’s
response to the book was almost universally warm, with Dickens receiving scores
of
letters
from
readers who wanted to thank him for brightening their holiday season. One letter, from a prominent Scottish Dickens “fostered
judge, that more
told
he
had
kindly
feelings and prompted more
positive
acts
of
The festive red and gold cover of the 1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
beneficence” with his one small book than had all the sermons and publications of the previous year’s Christmas, combined. As for Dickens himself, he was so cheered that, at a Christmas party soon after Carol’s publication, he spent a full hour performing magic tricks for children – he reportedly made plum pudding appear from a top hat – and then danced late into the night.
EXPLORATIONS
-9-
Meet the Actor: Stephen Hair Undeniably loved and known as Calgary’s Scrooge, actor Stephen Hair has been playing Ebenezer for the last 24 years at Theatre Calgary. This past year, Artistic Associate Jenna Turk sat down with him to discuss his vast experience in the role and as the face of A Christmas Carol. What does Ebenezer mean to you? Stephen Hair: Well, it means Christmas. Not just to me, but to so many people who come and see us year after year and for people who come for the first time. And, you know I was in it for five years before I played Scrooge, so I got to watch other Scrooges before me. But getting to play it over 23 years, you get to actually find the heart and the soul of the human being. That’s what I’ve tried to do over the years. We’ve gone through so many different types of Scrooge. From farceScrooges to dark-dark-dark to somewhere in between. Inevitably you’re always trying to find the heart of the human being inside. That’s what I’m trying to do anyway. There is a lot more to it, for me as an actor, than just playing the role. It has become so much more, and I embrace
Stephen Hair as Ebenezer Scrooge in 2015 (photo by Trudie Lee)
that. I don’t try to fight it like I did for many years. For the first few years, it became a thing where people would introduce me and say, “This is Stephen Hair, he plays Scrooge.” Well, okay, for two months of the year I play Scrooge, but I have played nearly 300 other roles in my career! But people tend to forget that, so I fought that for a while. Then I thought, you know, it’s a wonderful privilege and a great gift for any actor and quite unprecedented within Canada, that’s for sure.
EXPLORATIONS
- 10 -
Theatre Calgary has been fundraising for the Food Bank with A Christmas Carol’s Toonies for Turkeys program for over twenty years now. Can you tell me how that got started? SH: I think it was my third year playing Scrooge, in 1997, and the cast had always done little collections backstage, or bought food for the Food Bank, or we bought blankets for Mustard Seed. And one day, Lindsay Burns (an actor) said, “Do you think Theatre Calgary would let us do a fundraiser for the Food Bank at the end of the show?” So, I went to Theatre Calgary and said, “What do you think?” And they said, “Sure! Have a go.” And I thought, maybe, we’d collect $500 – and, of course, this was way, way back. And that first year we tried it, we raised over $1500 the first night! And it sort of went from there. And we’ve been up and down through many recessions, and busts and booms, but somehow our incredible Calgary audiences keep giving. We’ll see what happens this year; it’s a very tough time to be asking people for money, really hard, but they will come through. I know they will. In A Christmas Carol, we see Ebenezer transform from a crabby miser to a generous soul; do you believe people can really change? SH: Oh, I know they can, because they’ve come up and told me so. I had one fellow, he must have been early-forties I guess, and he asked to come backstage. And he was kind of in tears a little bit, and his wife said, “He didn’t really know the story, so we thought we’d come and see it.” So he said that as the play started, he suddenly realized that Scrooge’s journey was his journey. So, he was a little taken aback, and he said that at the end of Act One he was crying. He said, “I couldn’t go outside. I was just a mess.” So when it all changed, when Scrooge sees the light (because it is a journey from dark to light – that’s what it is really about), he said, “I knew then, and found myself laughing along with everybody else.” And he said, “I just want you to know that it’s changed my life.” I don’t necessarily think it’s that major of a change for a lot of people, maybe not as dramatic as what happens to Scrooge, but little changes can
EXPLORATIONS
- 11 -
happen along the way. And they lead to it – there’s a ripple effect to everything we do.
A Christmas Carol features so much music; do you have a favourite carol? And why? SH: In this show, there’s one I had never heard before. It’s called “Still, Still, Still.” And it’s at the end of the play when they sing it, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Beautiful. The snow comes down and the kids are skating, and Scrooge is happy. He’s finding all the joy around him. It gives me tingles every time. It’s quite magical, and very, very uplifting.
The cast of A Christmas Carol 2015
(photo by Trudie Lee)
“One kind word can warm three winter months.” -A Japanese Proverb
EXPLORATIONS
- 12 -
Terms to Know Christmas Carols: Carols are traditionally associated with Christmas. By definition, however, a carol is a song of joy and praise, often with a religious theme or lesson. The Christmas tradition of caroling, or going door to door and singing for the occupants, was established during the Middle Ages. Many of the carols that are popular today were written in the 1800s. Wassail: The first carol sung by the play’s carollers includes the line: “Here we come a-wassailing.” Wassail is a drink consisting of ale or wine sweetened with sugar and spices. The word derives from the Norse ves heill, which means “be of good health.” Wassailing comes from the old English tradition of visiting houses with a wassail bowl and singing songs that wished good fortune upon the household. Money words: “Bob” is slang for a shilling. In the British currency system at the time, there was 12 pence to a shilling, and 20 shillings to a pound. A pound can also be called a “quid.” Bob Cratchit earns 15 shillings a week. This is considerably less than the average salary for a clerk at the time, which was around 25 shillings a week. Bedlam: At the beginning of the play, Scrooge states that Bob Cratchit should be sent to “Bedlam.” In London at the time, there was an insane asylum at the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem. “Bedlam” was a commonly used contraction for Bethlehem and this hospital. As a result, the word “bedlam” has entered our vocabulary and refers to a state of utter confusion and chaos. Workhouses and the Poor Law: Scrooge suggests to the solicitors that a solution for the misery of poor people is to send them to prison or the workhouses. During Dickens’ time, the British Poor Law forced poor people to enter a workhouse, where they would be provided with food and shelter as payment for menial work. To discourage people from
EXPLORATIONS
- 13 -
taking advantage of the workhouses, the authorities ensured conditions were terribly unpleasant.
“Ignorance and Want” by John Leech, from the 1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
Ignorance and Want: Just before the Spirit of Christmas Present departs, he shows Scrooge two miserable children and calls them Ignorance and Want. This scene, like so many others in Dickens’ works, emphasizes his deep concern for the plight of the hundreds of thousands of English children living in poverty. Dickens believed that the only way to break the cycle of poverty was through education. The Spirit warns Scrooge that "This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased." Very little schooling was available for poor children in Dickens’ day, and there was no public education system in England until 1870 – almost thirty years after A Christmas Carol.
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,
and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” -Laura Ingalls Wilder
EXPLORATIONS
- 14 -
Mindfulness The holidays can sometimes (often times) feel like a burden: Have you started your shopping yet? Gotten the perfect family portrait for the cards? Planned a Michelin star-worthy gluten-free vegan-friendly in-lawpleasing turkey dinner?? It can be difficult to find oneself fully in the present moment, as so often we are caught up in our own ghosts of Christmas Past and Future. But it is important to remember the true spirit of the season and to be generous with each other and ourselves.
Ebenezer hugs Tiny Tim in Theatre Calgary’s
A Christmas Carol
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, Present, and the Future." –Ebenezer Scrooge
A great way of staying in the present is learning to be more mindful. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the immediate moment and letting go of any judgements. The following loving-kindness exercise offers good tidings to you and your kin. Good tidings for Christmas and a happy New Year!
EXPLORATIONS
- 15 -
A LOVING-KINDNESS EXERCISE AT THE THEATRE Inspired by a guided meditation created by Dr. Emma Sappällä, Director of Science at Stanford University’s Centre for Compassion and Altruism Education and Research.
Sit comfortably. Relax your whole body. Take a deep breath in. And out. Picture someone who loves you. Perhaps it’s your mum or dad, sister or brother, a dear friend. Someone who wishes you happiness, well-being, and good health Bask in their well-wishes. You are loved. Now bring your awareness to the person to your right. You may know them. You may not. Just like you, this person wishes to be happy. Send this person your love. Repeat the following, silently: May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain. May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain. May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain. Now focus your attention on the person to your left. Again, you may not know them. You may. Send them your love and warmth. Just like you this person wishes to have a good life. Repeat the phrases. Bring your awareness now to the space you’re in. The whole theatre. All of these people, all of these actors and ushers, and theatergoers, all of them – just like you – hope to be happy, healthy, and light. Share your warm wishes to them: Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health. Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health. Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health. Take a deep breath in, and let it out. Take another deep breath and then let it go. Notice your state of mind. How do you feel? Enjoy the show!
EXPLORATIONS
- 16 -
The Making of A Christmas Carol: Adapter and Director Dennis Garnhum Why did you decide to write your own adaptation of A Christmas Carol? Dennis Garnhum: I thought long and hard about this production of A Christmas Carol – who should adapt it and who should direct it. It dawned on me, after a bit of soulsearching, that given my history with it, I have a lot of knowledge that I could bring forward. The way I think about adapting – because I’m a director – is that I am directing the book. That’s how I phrase it. So I go back to the source – which is not me, it’s Charles Dickens – and I ask myself, “how would I direct
that
scene?”
I
always find that there is great joy in adapting. You can find a nugget of an idea that’s in there and you think,
“OK,
Dennis Garnhum
we’re
going to run with that.” This production is my imagination running with ideas that Charles Dickens inspired.
EXPLORATIONS
- 17 -
How is this version of A Christmas Carol different from previous Theatre Calgary productions? DG: This Carol is different in many, many ways. It’s larger, if that’s possible! Physically, it’s a big, BIG production. The adaptation is more truthful to Dickens’ original story than before. There’s also singing – we sing eleven Christmas carols – and I’ve set the entire production in what I call a “winter wonderland.” The whole set projects the idea that Scrooge is in a frozen world. So it’s much more like a fantasy, similar to a ballet, or a children’s story. Compared to previous productions, it is visually much more colourful. The previous production, which was very important to me, was more about poverty and bleakness. This one is much more about children and joy. Given that I am a father now, I see things through those eyes. Now that you are a father, do you look forward to Christmas more than you did before? DG: Absolutely! Every Christmas with a child is extraordinary. I mean, a child gives you that gift for Christmas. I can’t wait. I really can’t wait.
Dennis Garnhum and the cast rehearsing on stage (photo by Shari Wattling)
EXPLORATIONS
- 18 -
Dickens and the Theatre As a boy, Dickens’ first love was the theatre. Like many children, he enjoyed play acting and together with his friends formed a small dramatic company. The story is told that sometime in the 1830s he was to audition at Covent Garden Theatre, but that he was prevented from doing so because of an illness. Had he attended that audition, who knows what
might
have
happened with his life and career? Dickens wrote about acting in his novels; in Nicholas Nickleby, for example, he lovingly tells the tale of the Crummles’ travelling theatre troupe. And
"Dickens' Dream" by painter Robert William Buss (1875)
while travelling across North America in 1842, Dickens directed and performed in an amateur theatre production while staying in Montreal. A Christmas Carol was adapted for the stage almost immediately after publication. Three productions opened in February, 1844, with one by Edward Stirling sanctioned by Dickens. By the end of the month, eight rival theatrical productions of A Christmas Carol were playing in London. Stirling's production also played New York City's Park Theater during the Christmas season of 1844 and was revived in London the same year. Since then, A Christmas Carol has been seen in hundreds of stage productions around the world – including seven different adaptations appearing at Theatre Calgary over 30 years.
EXPLORATIONS
- 19 -
A World of Ice An Interview with Designer Patrick Clark Award-winning set and costume designer Patrick Clark hails from New Brunswick. He has been involved with theatre and teaching his craft in schools for the past thirty years. His designs have graced the stages of the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Guthrie Theatre, Neptune Theatre and countless other venues in almost every Canadian province. At Theatre Calgary, he has most Patrick Clark recently designed the set and costumes for The Audience, Pride and Prejudice, and Anne of Green Gables. Can you tell us a bit about your designs for this production and what we can expect? Patrick Clark: The thing about this story is that there are many locations to represent, but it all starts with what I call a basic set, or world that we created. When Dennis Garnhum and I first talked about the play, he shared that he had an image of this one scene where the actors are able to skate and I said that is not just about snow – that’s ice. So out of that idea, and after much discussion about ice and cold and Scrooge’s heart being thawed, we came up with the basic imagery for the production. We created an ice world. It is very abstract in that kind of sense. And within Scrooge’s world, everything has been touched by the cold like the beds, the tables, the chairs. The ice on the floor grows upwards into things.
EXPLORATIONS
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From there, another idea or image I had is when the Spirit of Christmas Past takes Scrooge on his first journey. I said, “Let’s really fly them.” So we designed a little window and the window flies. As the window flies up, the little village that Scrooge remembers from his childhood will move across the stage, all lit up as it goes by. His school and the other buildings are not life-size but rather smaller replicas of real buildings. So it will be like seeing this tiny town from high up above. There’s also the Spirit of Christmas Present who arrives in what I call a “steampunk jalopy.” As for costumes, we are up to about 80. This is because of the colour spectrum – the stage is quite bright and blue and icy and the costumes have to match that kind of striking color. The effect will be almost like going to see the ballet – it’s that kind of brightness. What aspect of this project did you find the most fun to work on? PC: One of the best aspects of this production is working with Dennis because he is very open to anything and he will push it further. He’s been great. It can be a challenge with A Christmas Carol as everyone already knows what the story is. However, because of Dennis’ new take and ideas, he has allowed me to look at it with a fresh eye and yet respect the story. The set is very modern in a way, and yet, within it, the old story is still there and the people are dressed in a period way. It’s still Victorian and it still has traditional elements that you will recognize. But it is the twentyfirst century, and we kind of changed it a little bit to give it a fresh life. Where did you get the inspiration for your designs? Did you go back to the source – Dickens? PC: Oh yes, you have to read the story again. As always, whenever you re-read a story, you find something new and you suddenly hear a line and you say “I never thought of that.” And I also went back to the original John Leech engravings – the illustrations in the original book. It’s fascinating to see that even in the
EXPLORATIONS
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first engravings – for example in his drawings of Fezziwig – they are not really “period” in any kind of way. Everything has a general “ye old good old days” look because he wasn’t slavishly trying to be exact to the clothing of the day. It’s nice because you can look at that and say, “If he can do that, I can do that.” I can have a silhouette that’s fun but give it some colour, give it some punch. I also wanted a kind of a modern take on the overall look and we’ve tried to make this production quite kidfriendly. There’s lots of pyro. There are bright colours. It would be safe to say that with this production, we’ve gone from a darker version of the story to a brighter version. They’re both equally valid. They’re just different interpretations. What effect do you hope the sets and costumes will have for the audience? PC: Well first of all, I hope that they’re entertained. No matter what, that’s always the prime consideration. We want them to feel the kind of sentimentality and the humour that’s in Dickens. Also, there is the darkness that’s always in Dickens as well. He wrote dark stories. However, they do have a happy ending 90 percent of the time, which is why we love his work. When the audience sees the sets, they’ll see that they’re not what one would expect, but still within the realm of the story. For instance, they’ll see these little villages and they’re perfect little reproductions of the nineteenth century and yet they are within this blue void that’s almost like the stars at times. I think the lighting is also very different in this show – more theatrical, less literal. I hope audiences will come out of the theatre saying, “Wow! That wasn’t like any A Christmas Carol I have ever seen.”
“In seed-time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” -William Blake
EXPLORATIONS
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The Spirit of Giving The true lesson learned by Ebenezer in A Christmas Carol is that the Christmas spirit should be carried throughout all the days of the year. With the Fezziwigs and Ebenezer’s nephew Fred leading by example, it seems a life of generosity and celebration is a life well lived. Theatre Calgary could not agree more! Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol has been partnering with the Calgary Food Bank for over twenty years. Our Toonies for Turkeys fundraising campaign began in 1997 when an actor in the company, Lindsay Burns, had the thoughtful idea to collect money for the Food Bank after the show. It’s these acts of kindness that James McAra, CEO of the Calgary Food Bank, appreciates most. “Toonies for Turkeys connects the spirit of our community and our daily challenges. The awareness, the understanding, the focus on building the future all come from Theatre Calgary’s Toonies for Turkeys initiative.
People can have a holiday feast, break bread
together, and more than just turkey.
It is about the gift of holiday
celebration and the warmth of sharing. It is the quintessential reminder that our community can care all year long.” The first year of the campaign, it was only done at a select few performances, but since then Toonies for Turkeys has grown to become an integral part of the annual A Christmas Carol experience. To date, Theatre Calgary staff, volunteers, and you – our audience – have helped raise more than 1.8 million dollars. Despite the recent financial downturn, James McAra says people are still giving, “Calgarians understand generosity. We have firsthand experience of the tragedies wrought from economic, environmental and community crisis. People give time, talent and more in proportion to their condition. Calgarians get it.” Every $2 donated allows the Calgary Food Bank to distribute $10 worth of food. After each performance, our patrons are invited to donate whatever they can to help those less fortunate in our community. Actors, still in costume and armed with baskets, fill the lobbies, and without fail our patrons open
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their hearts and their pocketbooks. Some long-time subscribers even come to the show with cheques in hand! For this, we are incredibly appreciative.
CALGARY FOOD BANK In 2016, the Food Bank served more than 170,000 people – 4 in 10 of whom were children. The Food Bank’s CEO reminds us who uses its services: “Your neighbour, a family member, you.” The Calgary Food Bank is an invaluable resource that provides emergency food hampers to the homeless, milk and formula to mothers and children in need, and meals and snacks to over 228 agencies and programs each year. Please consider making a donation to our Toonies for Turkeys campaign or making a donation as you do your own holiday shopping – there are non-perishable donation bins at most major grocery stores in Calgary. Also, the Calgary Food Bank welcomes donations both non-perishable and perishable made directly to their warehouse at 5000 11 Street SE (loading door 3). Check out their Wishlist for their most needed items! WISHLIST
Canned Meat Baby Food Pasta & Pasta Sauce Canned Veggies Fruit Juice Rice Canned Fruit
Additionally if you’re feeling the pinch, McAra prompts us to remember the true spirit of giving, “You can volunteer, support your community (shovel snow, coach, pick up the mail, fix the leaky tap, read a good book with friends). Don’t worry about going it alone, we will all help.”
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Conversation Starters
Do you believe people change for the better?
Does Scrooge’s journey still resonate today? How?
What are some other stories that follow this basic plot? Why is this storyline so common?
What is happiness and how do you measure success?
What do you think causes people to isolate themselves from family and friends?
What is the Christmas spirit?
Were there moments in A Christmas Carol where what a character did on stage revealed more about them than what he or she said?
How did the set design contribute to the flow of the play from scene to scene?
Which design choices (set, costumes, props, lighting) helped you understand the specific setting or location of a scene? Which choices created a particular mood or atmosphere for the scene?
What strategies did the production use to put the ghosts and spirits of A Christmas Carol on stage? Which of the apparitions do you think was most effectively presented? Why?
Detail from "Mr. Fezziwig's Ball" by John Leech, an illustration from the 1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
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A Christmas Carol by the Numbers
Charles Dickens wrote the original novella in 1843
2017 marks Theatre Calgary’s 31st production
The 24th for Stephen Hair as Ebenezer Scrooge
Tiny Tim will be played by 8 year old, Tia Woodruff
This is her 1st time performing in A Christmas Carol!
More than 600,000 people have seen the show over the last 30 years
The classic story is now 174 years old
This year 9 performers are new to the cast
Over 275 actors have appeared in 1 or more of our 30 productions
Our Toonies for Turkeys fundraising campaign was started by just 1 of those actors speaking up
To date, we have raised $1,817,076.33 for the Calgary Food Bank
2017 marks the 21st anniversary of Toonies for Turkeys
Every $2 donated allows the Calgary Food Bank to distribute $10 worth of food
There are 24 actors in the cast
9 of which are the young company
11 members of the creative team (directors, dramaturg/designers/choreographers)
10 backstage and technical crew
There are over 80 costumes and approximately 30 wigs
And 1 chaperone (Ryan Wesley Gray!).
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Movie Night Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has sparked hundreds of adaptations in every medium imaginable. Here are some notable film versions:
A Christmas Carol Feature film. 1938. Hollywood’s first talkie version of the story stars Reginald Owen as Scrooge. It was later colourized and became a Christmas Eve tradition for many as it was broadcast annually on TV.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol Animated short. 1983. Scrooge McDuck plays his namesake, with Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Scrooged Feature film. 1988. In this loose adaptation, Bill Murray plays a Scrooge-like TV executive. While he produces a special broadcast of A Christmas Carol, events from Dickens’ story start to occur in his own life.
The Muppet Christmas Carol Feature film. 1992. This surprisingly faithful adaptation features a mix of human actors and Muppets. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge opposite Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit.
A Christmas Carol Feature film. 1999. This is a darker, less “Christmassy” version starring Patrick Stewart who was known for doing theatrical readings of the classic on Broadway and London’s West End. Don’t worry, in this grim tale, there is still a happy ending! Click on the movie posters to read more about each film on imdb.com!
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Recommended Reads from Calgary Public Library By Stephen Gibbs
Don't Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in A World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant, and Downright MeanSpirited People by Richard Carlson Nonfiction. 2006. The perfect handbook on how to avoid, appease, and even win over the Scrooges who haunt your holidays. Here are the skills to deal with all the grumps this holiday season
The Everything Ghost Hunting Book: Tips, Techniques for Exploring the Supernatural World
Tools,
and
by Melissa Martin Ellis Nonfiction. 2014. With expert advice on everything from picking a haunted location to dealing with unwieldy ghosts, The Everything Ghost Hunting Book, shows you how today's investigators use the tools of modern science to study a wide range of paranormal activity.
Dickens at Christmas: a Selection of Seasonal Writings by Charles Dickens Fiction. 2012. If you enjoy A Christmas Carol then you’ll be sure to find something to love in this beautiful collection of Dickens’ lesser-known Christmas tales.
Inventing Scrooge: the Incredible True Story Behind Dickens’ Legendary A Christmas Carol by Carlo Devito Nonfiction. 2014. Discover the inspiration behind the “ghostly little book” which has come to define the Christmas spirit for generations of readers.
How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman Nonfiction. 2013. It wasn’t all penny-farthings and mutton chops in Victorian England. Learn about what life was like for everyone from commoners to the Queen. An enchanting manual for the insatiably curious. Click on the book covers to check availability at Calgary Public Library!
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Sources
Print Sources Michael Patrick Hearn, ed, The Annotated Christmas Carol, W. W. Norton, 1976. Les Standiford, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Crown, 2008. Claire Tomalin, Charles Dickens: A Life, Viking, 2011.
Web Sources “A Loving-Kindness Meditation to Boost Compassion.” http://www.mindful.org/a-loving-kindness-meditation-to-boostcompassion/ “Annual Report 2015-2016” http://www.calgaryfoodbank.com/about/annual-report/ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm “The Workhouse.” http://www.workhouses.org.uk/