BWW Preview: CATCO Spreads the Spirit of Giving with Holiday Drives at A SEUSSIFIED CHRISTMAS CAROL

'Tis the season to share holiday joy, which is exactly what the cast and crew of CATCO's latest production aim to do at their upcoming shows.

The Columbus-based theater company is set to host donation drives inspired by the message of its holiday production, "A Seussified Christmas Carol."

Audience members are encouraged to donate unwrapped socks, books, crayons, washable markers, puzzles or small cars and trucks for children ages 3 to 5 years old. Donations can be dropped off at a table located in the concessions area of the Van Fleet Theater in the Columbus Performing Arts Center during the show's run from Dec. 2 - 11.

"It made a lot of sense to find a way to collect items so that we can spread that holiday cheer, we can spread those blessings that are so important in the story of 'A Christmas Carol' to the people here in Columbus," said Andrew Protopapas, an artist educator at CATCO who is directing the show.

The donated items will be given by CATCO to children attending Hilltop Preschool.

Those who bring in a donation will receive a voucher for a discounted ticket to an upcoming CATCO is Kids production for the 2016-17 season, Protopapas said.

Featuring a cast of 21 young actors ranging in age from 9 to 15, "A Seussified Christmas Carol" is a retelling of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale that takes place in a whimsical world straight from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book.

Protopapas said the script, which is full of Seuss' signature rhymes, caused him to "literally laugh out loud" the first time he read it.

"Diving into the Seuss world has just been an absolute blast -- seeing the costumes come alive, helping the kids take things over-the-top in some situations to bring out that Seuss fun," he said. "This is not the same 'Christmas Carol' that we have seen over and over and over again."

Protopapas said audience members will most likely see similarities between Dickens' original novella and another Seuss story that is popular around the holidays.

"'A Christmas Carol' is very similar to 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' is very similar to 'A Christmas Carol,'" he said. "Scrooge is Grinchy because the Grinch is Scroogey."

"A Seussified Christmas Carol" is the first CATCO is Kids main stage production Protopapas has directed, which he said has allowed him to work with the actors to extensively delve into elements of the reinvented story.

"This is just a different way of telling the story. It is a fresh way, it is an exciting way, and it is definitely something that kids will be entertained by and will understand," he said. "I am excited for the audience to be full of people who are ready to hear this story."

"A Seussified Christmas Carol" is set to run at the Van Fleet Theater in the Columbus Performing Arts Center from Dec. 2 - 11. Tickets are $10 each.

More information on showtimes, including a newly added 4:30 p.m. show on Dec. 11, can be found on the CATCO website.

The Columbus Performing Arts Center is located at 549 Franklin Ave.

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