Karen MacDonald to Star in World Premiere Version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Merrimack Repertory Theatre

One of Boston's most iconic actors will take on the holiday season's most iconic character when Karen MacDonald stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in Courtney Sale's world premiere adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol from November 30 to December 24 at Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) in Lowell. Sale, the theatre's Nancy L. Donahue Artistic Director, will also direct.

Currently onstage in Heroes of the Fourth Turning at Speakeasy Stage, MacDonald performed at MRT last season in a world premiere comedy, The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge, and the critically acclaimed Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End, for which she earned a Best Solo Performance nomination from the Boston Theatre Critics Association/Elliot Norton Awards. MacDonald's many MRT credits include Home of the Brave; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; and The Blonde, The Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead.

A holiday treat for the entire family, A Christmas Carol's timeless yuletide story of transformation and redemption features all of Dickens' most beloved characters, from Scrooge to Tiny Tim to the Ghosts of Christmas. For tickets, visit www.mrt.org/ChristmasCarol or call the Enterprise Bank Box Office at 978-654-4678.

MERRIMACK REPERTORY THEATRE

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) celebrates 44 years this season as the Merrimack Valley's professional theatre. With a steadfast commitment to new plays, MRT normally produces seven works, including several premieres, in the 279-seat Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall.

Under the leadership of the Nancy L. Donahue Artistic Director Courtney Sale and Executive Director Bonnie J. Butkas, MRT strives to fulfill its mission to "create remarkable new and contemporary plays that bring joy to our art form while engaging, entertaining and enriching our community." The non-profit company guarantees that shows are accessible to audiences of all incomes; partners with businesses and other non-profits to fully engage the community; and contributes to the economic vitality of Lowell by attracting diverse audiences from throughout the region.

MRT's production of Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End recently earned Boston Theatre Critics Association/Elliot Norton Award nominations for Best Solo Performance for Karen MacDonald and Best Design Team, Midsize Theatre, for Daniel Zimmerman, Scenic design; Teresa Snider-Stein, Costume Design; Joel Shier, Lighting Design; Scott Stauffer, Sound Design; and Kathy Wittman, Filmmaker.

Recent acclaimed productions include Best Summer Ever, Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, the bestselling production in MRT's history, and The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, both by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon; Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee and KNYUM by Vichet Chum, works in celebration of Cambodian-American community; The Haunted Life, a world premiere adaptation of Jack Kerouac's unfinished novel; the world premiere of The Rise and Fall of Holly Fudge by Trista Baldwin; and plays about the Black experience, including Until the Flood by Dael Orlandersmith, Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham, and Back Together Again: The Music of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.

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