HC Theatre offers new twist on A Christmas Carol
FOR RELEASE: Monday, November 15, 1999
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington College's Department of Theatre will present A Christmas Carol at the Merillat Centre for the Arts. Performances will begin at 8 p.m. on December 9, 10, and 11. A special Saturday matinee will be presented at 3 p.m. on December 11. A Christmas Carol is a holiday treat for the entire family. Tickets go on sale November 22, and cost $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for students and children. The HC Theatre Box Office is open 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For ticket reservations and additional information, call (260) 359-4275.
This adaptation of the classic story was initially produced to critical acclaim by the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angles. In this version, a company of traveling players is about to enact the Dickens story. As the on-stage trunk of supplies opens, actors and clowns spill out. It is quickly discovered the actors playing Scrooge and Tiny Tim have abandoned the tour; but the show must go on, and the prop boy eagerly volunteers for the part of Tim while the cynical stage manager must be forcibly drafted to play the old miser. The show's props are shabby and third-rate, but the troupe improvises by creating a magical world of make-believe, conjuring fog, snow, fire and ghosts through mime, imagination and wonderful visual effects. The Christmas Spirits work their magic and warm the heart of Scrooge, as well as the old stage manager.
The players leave the stage singing, but first share a call to look, to listen, to risk, to cry, to dream, to laugh, to help your fellow man, says director Sam Ward. No stranger to the Merillat Centre mainstage, Ward graduated from Huntington College in 1997 with degrees in theatre and English, and now serves his alma mater in the Office of Admissions. Ward toured the United States and Canada for three summers with Doc Rainbow's Colorful All-Star Revue, and so brings a first-hand understanding of traveling theatre to this production.
The Huntington College cast of A Christmas Carol includes:
- Scott Myers as the Stage Manager (Scrooge). Myers is a junior at Huntington College pursuing a degree in oral communication. Originally from Huntington, IN, Myers has appeared in productions of Our Town, A Few Good Men, Diviners, and Diary of Anne Frank.
- Wes Rowlader as the Director (Marley, Christmas Future). Rowlader is a senior theatre major from Jackson, MI. He has recently appeared in Good News!, Fiddler on the Roof, Our Town, A Few Good Men, and several One Act Play Festival productions.
- Matt Ricke as the Leading Man (Bob Cratchit). Ricke is a sophomore theatre major from Huntington, IN. His acting credits include Good News!, Tartuffe, A Few Good Men, Our Town, and One Act Play Festivals.
- Heather Shaw as the Leading Lady (Christmas Past, Mrs. Cratchit). Shaw is a senior at Huntington College pursuing a degree in English. Originally from Columbus, OH, Shaw has appeared in recent productions of A Doll's House, Diviners, Fiddler on the Roof, and Romeo and Juliet.
- John Woodruff as the Young Leading Man (Fred). Woodruff is a sophomore theatre major from Brookville, OH. His recent acting credits include Good News! and Our Town.
- Eva Swan as the Ingenue (Belle, Mrs. Fred). Swan is a sophomore from Campbellsville, KY. She has performed in recent productions of Good News! and Tartuffe.
- Evelyn White as the Character Woman. Originally from Knox, IN, White is a freshman at Huntington College pursuing a degree in theatre. She appeared recently in Good News!
- Phil Salazar as the Old Clown. Salazar is a sophomore at Huntington College, where he is working toward a degree in theatre. Originally from Adrian, MI, Salazar has appeared in A Doll's House, Tartuffe, A Few Good Men, and One Act Play Festivals.
- Rebekah Ward as Clown One. Ward hails from Huntington, West Virginia, and is seeking a double major in theatre and educational ministries at Huntington College. She has recently performed in Good News!, A Few Good Men, Our Town, Quilters, Diary of Anne Frank, and One Act Play Festivals.
- Amy Gantt as Clown Two. Gantt is a senior English major at Huntington College. Originally from Thornville, OH, she has recently appeared in Romeo and Juliet, and Our Town.
- Lindsey Van Gelder as Clown Three. A freshman from Berne, IN, Van Gelder recently appeared in Good News!
- Piers Fetters, age 10, will play the original Tiny Tim. This is Fetters' Merillat Centre debut. The son of Luke and Audrey Fetters of Huntington, IN, Piers is a fifth-grade student at Lincoln Elementary School.
