Ron Severdia Performs One-Man A CHRISTMAS CAROL; Opens Dec. 11

Mill Valley actor Ron Severdia was undaunted the first time he presented the premiere of his solo adaptation of A Christmas Carol in 2006 and again in 2007 when he performed his one-man show in Europe.

This December, Severdia will be at it again, portraying more than 40 characters in his retelling of the Charles Dickens classic, remounting the production which earned him a 2006 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Award for Best Solo Performance.

The Ross Valley Players and Severdia's production company, Humbug Theatre, present an encore engagement of A Christmas Carol: A Solo Performance. Opening Dec. 11, the production is directed by Julian Lopez-Morillas and will be enhanced with magic performed live by Severdia, an accomplished magician.

Severdia says he was inspired to adapt the Dickens' novella into a solo show after re-reading A Christmas Carol as an adult.

"It's such a moving story," said Severdia. "By the time you've finished reading it you've experienced every emotion there is."

"During Dickens' time, a one-man show was more like a reading. In fact, that's the way Charles Dickens performed it for audiences, as a dramatic reading. But, I wanted to take it beyond that and present it in a more theatrical way," said Severdia. "This solo production is more of a theatrical experience, but it remains faithful to the story."

Severdia makes it look easy, but he's earned the chops and has the performance experience to perform the ambitious production.

At the age of nine, Severdia pursued an interest in magic. After studying and perfecting his craft, the tweener went on to work as professional magician performing for schools and private parties.
By the time he was 24-years old he had managed to earn his marketing degree, work as a copywriter and studied at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.
His final project for the ACT Academy Program culminated in a biographical performance he wrote about magician Harry Houdini. He presented his play Houdini: The Escape at the Climate Theatre in 1993. To promote the show, Severdia recreated an elaborate, daring and dangerous stunt escaping from a locked trunk submerged in the San Francisco Bay.

After working briefly at the Magic Theatre, Severdia spent six years in Vienna performing at Vienna's English Theatre, The International Theatre of Vienna and in various Shakespeare festivals. He returned with his solo version of A Christmas Carol in December 2007.

"It was a smashing success, sold out, and even the crowned heads of Europe were impressed," said Severdia. "I received invitations and strong coercion to return this year, but it was a long, cold trip. And, despite having lived in Europe for almost 7 years, I am still a California guy at heart."
For the encore engagement Severdia is working on integrating magic into the show. The challenge, says Severdia, is not allowing magic to disrupt the flow of the story.

"It's a very detailed process to find the right balance of storytelling ‘enhancements.' I don't want to turn A Christmas Carol into a magic show because it'll lose the simplicity of the story," said Severdia.

Severdia says his biggest hurdle when performing his solo show is the line load. "It's like climbing Mt. Everest alone," said Severdia.

Severdia hopes his solo adaptation of A Christmas Carol will become part of another holiday tradition in Marin, where audiences return year after year to experience a special and intimate version of the holiday classic.

"Who can compete with the power of the imagination? Using the imaginations of the audience members is the most powerful tool of all," said Severdia.

A Christmas Carol: A Solo Performance will be presented Dec. 11 to Dec. 24, 2008 at the Ross Valley Players' Barn Theatre in Ross. Audience members attending the Dec. 24 Christmas Eve matinee will receive a complimentary copy of "A Christmas Carol" - while supplies last.
Tickets are available online at www.rossvalleyplayers.com or call 415-456-9555.

 

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