A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to Merchant's House Museum Tonight

In December 1867, Charles Dickens arrives in New York City for a month of sold-out performances of his beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. Join Mr. Dickens, portrayed by actor John Kevin Jones, as he tells his timeless Christmas tale in the elegant intact Greek Revival parlor of the landmark 1832 Merchant's House Museum (29 East 4th Street, Manhattan).

Summoners Ensemble Theatre brings their production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL back to the Merchant's House Museum for the fourth year in a row.

Surrounded by 19th century holiday decorations, flickering candles, and richly appointed period furnishings, audiences will be transported back 150 years in this captivating one-hour performance created from Dickens' own script. Performances run tonight, December 7, through December 24, Christmas Eve.

PRE-SHOW RECEPTION WITH MR. DICKENS! Get into the Christmas spirit and toast the holiday season with Mr. Dickens (actor John Kevin Jones) in the Museum's cozy mid-19th century kitchen before the performance. Mulled wine and light fare will be served. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the MERCHANT'S HOUSE, Charles Dickens in New York, 1867, is presented by Summoners Ensemble Theatre in association with the Merchant's House Museum. Performances take place in the landmark 1832 Merchant's House Museum, New York City's only 19th century family home preserved intact, inside and out.

Tickets are available at www.dickens2016.bpt.me or by calling BrownPaperTickets.com: (800) 838-3006. Regular 60-minute performances: $40 - $70. Seating is strictly limited to 40. Pre-show mulled wine, light fare, and good cheer with star John Kevin Jones: $20. For Group Sales of 10 or more, email Summoners Ensemble Theatre: summonersensemble@gmail.com. All seating is at the discretion of house management.

Performance Schedule:

Wednesday, December 7, at 5:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Thursday, December 8, at 7:00 PM

Friday, December 9, at 7:00 PM

Saturday, December 10, at 7:00 PM

Sunday, December 11, at 6:00 PM

Wednesday, December 14, at 5:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Thursday, December 15, at 7:00 PM

Friday, December 16, at 7:00 PM

Saturday, December 17, at 7:00 PM

Sunday, December 18, at 6:00 PM

Wednesday, December 21, at 5:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Thursday, December 22, at 7:00 PM

Friday, December 23, at 7:00 PM

Saturday, December 24 at 4:00 PM & 6:00 PM

Pre-show cocktail reception in the kitchen with actor John Kevin Jones on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begins at 6 PM and on Christmas Eve at 5 PM.

This is strictly a limited engagement.

Recommended for ages 10 and up.

John Kevin Jones (Actor, Co-Adapter) - Kevin is a member of Actors Equity Association and the Dramatists Guild of America. New York: Nothing But Trash, Theater for the New City; Jeffrey (starring Bryan Batt), Lincoln Center; The Winter's Tale and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Hipgnosis Theatre. Regional: The Pavilion (American Stage), Othello (Arkansas Rep), The Rivals, All My Sons (Kentucky Rep), Angels in America, Gross Indecency (Playhouse on the Square). BA in Theatre Performance from the University of South Florida and MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of Memphis.

RHONDA DODD (Director, Co-Adapter) - An award winning actor, technician and director, Rhonda arrived in New York with over 150 shows under her belt. Once here she made her Off-Broadway acting debut with Terese Hayden and Jacqueline Brookes' Workshop in Tennessee Williams' Period of Adjustment, finished her Ph.D. and spent 10 years working at Circle in the Square Theatre School, mostly as Associate Director. As a card-carrying Actor's Equity member, Rhonda is proud to have had her Animus Theatre Company acting debut this year in The Long Goodbye as part of their evening of Tennessee Williams short plays directed by Matthew Lillard.

Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870): Considered the greatest English novelist of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters. When his own family's destitution landed them for a time in debtor's prison, young Charles was forced to give up school and work in a blacking-warehouse. This era of his life heavily influenced his writing, which later made him a much sought-after orator. After giving a speech to a group of working-class poor, Dickens found himself contemplating the plight of exploited child workers. Taking only six weeks to complete, in 1843, A Christmas Carol stripped away the mask from some of England's most acute social evils. By speaking up for the poor and oppressed, Dickens directly confronted the apathy and callousness of his countrymen. But more than just a timely political screed, Dickens' spirit-filled holiday story has become a timeless treatise about love. He impelled his contemporaries then -- and now us today -- to care about everyone and to reach out and help if we see someone in need.

MERCHANT's HOUSE MUSEUM: Built in 1832, the Merchant's House is New York City's only 19th century family home preserved virtually intact, with original family furnishings and personal belongings. A unique survivor of Old New York, the House offers an intimate glimpse of how a prosperous merchant family and their Irish servants lived from 1835-1865, when New York City grew from seaport to thriving metropolis.

The Merchant's House is a National Historic Landmark and in New York City is distinguished as one of only 117 buildings that have NYC landmark status for both its exterior and interior.

SUMMONERS ENSEMBLE THEATRE: Founded by a group of actors who studied together at Circle in the Square Theatre School's Professional Acting Training program, Summoners Ensemble joined the ranks of New York nonprofit theatre companies in 1993. Created as a collaborative to allow the members to share in all of the functions needed in running a theatre company, Summoners remains a collective effort as we jointly produce theatrical events with other nonprofits or as we find ourselves acting and directing, writing and producing.

Part of Summoners Ensemble's mission is to collaborate with other non-profits and broaden our audience's sense of community. This past summer that community extended to Tennessee-based theatre company Voices of the South presenting their production of Eudora Welty: Mississippi Stories at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row. To honor Ms. Welty's home state, Summoners donated 10% of their ticket sales for the run of the show, as well as special nightly donations, to the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson, Mississippi, a nonprofit, public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice.

Follow www.summonersensemble.org on Twitter: @Summoners and on Facebook. Follow www.merchantshouse.org on Twitter and Instagram @MerchantsHouse and on Facebook.