Perseverance to Bring A CHRISTMAS CAROL Back to Discovery Theatre

Perseverance Theatre's classic tale of Christmas and starting over returns this season to Anchorage. (PT) Adapted from Charles Dickens' original by Arlitia Jones and Michael Evan Haney, A Christmas Carol is the most produced play in the country and concerns one Ebenezer Scrooge. He is a greedy and stingy businessman, with no place in his life for kindness, compassion, charity or benevolence. When Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, including his former business partner, Jacob Marley, he is warned to change his ways or face a miserable afterlife. Share Scrooge's miraculous transformation with the whole family and experience the remembrance of the true meaning of Christmas. It's never too late to change is Charles Dickens' message of hope and empowerment that reminds us of the meaning of the holidays we celebrate each year.

This year's production is a revival Perseverance's debut last Christmas that the Alaska Dispatch News said had "A gorgeous set, ambitious sound effects, and excellent acting." This years version is largely the same, with additional music, some new lines in the script, and added set pieces, A Christmas Carol, performs for two weeks, December 18-27, with one Pay-As-You-Can preview on December 17, in the Discovery Theatre at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets for A Christmas Carol are $19.25 - $53.75 and are available online at PTALASKA.ORG or by calling 907-263-ARTS.

Perseverance commissioned a new adaptation of Dickens' classic tale, using the book as the main inspiration for the performance. It was adapted by Anchorage playwright Arlitia Jones (Come to Me, Leopards, Rush at Everlasting) and Michael Evan Haney (Associate Artist at Cincinnati Playhouse in The Park).

Directed by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's Artistic Associate Michael Evan Haney, whose love of the story has lead him to directing A Christmas Carol in Cincinnati for over twenty years! Now one of the Playhouse's associate artists, Mr. Haney previously served as associate artistic director from 2002-2012. His productions have garnered more than 40 CEA and Acclaim awards, including seven best play and nine best directing awards, and last year he received The Rick Steiner Award for Excellence. Off-Broadway, he directed Around the World in 80 Days at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Mr. Haney's international credits include the English Theatres of Vienna and Frankfurt and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Arlitia Jones is a playwright, poet and director, as well as co-founder of TossPot Productions in Anchorage, AK. Her play Rush at Everlasting was produced at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau in January 2014 and Anchorage in February 2014. Her short play Tornado was selected as a winner in the 38th Annual Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival in July 2013. In addition to her theatre work, Jones is also a published poet and author of The Bandsaw Riots.

The show will have choreography by Kristen Vierthaler and sound and music design by Lucy Peckham (An Iliad, Annapurna). The design team also consists of Artistic Director Art Rotch designing the set, Becky Lasky designing costumes, Jim Sale designing lights,and stage management by BJ Brooks.

The cast is led by Kevin T. Bennett as Scrooge, and also features: Aaron Wiseman, John Parsi, Ann Reddig, David Haynes, Danielle Rabinovitch, Alyssa Barnes, Alder Rye Fletcher, Eric Dahl, Jamie Nelson, James Sullivan, Kathryn Strock, Jill Sowerwine, Enrique Bravo, Merdian Harrap, Augie Martinez, Charlie Martinez, Alanté Harrap, Mariona Nesvick, Miles Dinneen, Avery Jacobs, Sean Martin, along with musicians Mischa Shimeck and Nate Berry.

Tickets to A Christmas Carol are now on sale and range from $19.25 - $53.75. Discounted tickets for groups of ten or more may be purchased by calling 907-263-ARTS. For ticket reservations, call the Centertix Box Office at 907-263-ARTS, go online at centertix.net or visit the Centertix Box Office in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Visit www.ptalaska.org for additional ticket information.

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