DTC's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Opens Today; Runs Thru 12/24

Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol opens today at the Kalita Humphreys Theater and runs through Dec. 24. DTC Associate Artist Joel Ferrell will direct and choreograph the production, which stars long-time Dallas favorite Kurt Rhoads as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.

“Christmas is a time for family togetherness and this year’s production of A Christmas Carol honors that by bringing together many beloved members of our theater community,” says director and choreographer Joel Ferrell. “We have assembled a wonderful cast of local and national actors, many of whom audiences loved in last season’s The Wiz, Cabaret and Dividing the Estate. Each member of the cast is new to their role and will breathe fresh life into this classic production.”

Kurt Rhoads returns to DTC this season after starring to critical acclaim as King Henry in Henry IV and Lewis in Dividing the Estate last season. This is Rhoads’ first appearance as Scrooge in DTC’s A Christmas Carol in his decades-long association with the Theater Center. Rhoads is joined by David Ryan Smith as The Ghost of Christmas Present. DTC audiences will remember Smith from this summer’s hit family musical, The Wiz, in which he played the Cowardly Lion.

The cast also features Brierley Resident Acting Company members Abbey Siegworth (The Tempest, Arsenic and Old Lace) as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Lee Trull (The Tempest, Cabaret) as Bob Cratchit and Steven Michael Walters (The Tempest, Henry IV) as Fred. Jonathan Brooks, Emily Gray, Ashley Puckett Gonzales, Brian Gonzales, Alex Ross and Joanna Schellenberg join Resident Acting Company members along with Tatiana Angustia, Trey Cheatham, Drew Favors, Mark Fisher, Nathan May, Marlhy Murphy, Kuran Patel, Paloma Renteria, Lauren Riley and Ben Villaseñor in the children’s roles. SMU Meadows School of the Arts graduate student Vanessa Gibens and undergraduates Wendy Blackburn and Jason Moody round out the cast.

“We’ve been certain to include the festive music, lively dancing and Christmas ghosts that audiences have come to love so well,” says Ferrell. “We have also added a few surprises in the performances, staging and design that will delight theater-goers, young and old.”

Returning to work with Ferrell are Lindy Heath Cabe (The Wiz) as musical director, Bob Lavallee (Cabaret) as scenic designer, Wade Laboissionniere (The Wiz) as costume designer, Matthew Richards (Dividing the Estate) as lighting designer and Curtis Craig (Arsenic and Old Lace) as sound designer.

DTC has already announced a continued partnership with the North Texas Food Bank. DTC staff and A Christmas Carol cast members spent two days at the Food Bank’s warehouse distribution center on Dan Morton Dr. sorting and packing food for North Texas residents. During performances of A Christmas Carol, DTC will provide a location for patrons to donate canned goods to the organization. Members of the cast will also collect monetary donations after every performance. Over the last three years, DTC patrons have donated over $130,000, with more than $48,000 donated in 2010.

“DTC has a proud tradition of bringing A Christmas Carol To life on stage every year,” says DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. “For many members of our community, coming together with their families and friends to see this beloved production is a cherished part of their annual holiday celebrations.”

All performances of A Christmas Carol will be held at the Kalita Humphreys Theater located at 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. (at Blackburn), where it runs Nov. 25 – Dec. 24. Preview performances are Nov. 25 – Dec. 1 at 7:30p.m. Opening night is Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Performance times are Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.; select Tuesday and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; and select Thursday and Friday matinees at 2 p.m. Please note the performance times for Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve), are 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Base ticket prices are $15-$85 and are available by visiting our website at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org or by calling the box office at (214) 880-0202.

The Pay-What-You-Can performance of A Christmas Carol will be Friday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. PWYC tickets will be available online the week of the performance at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org and at the Kalita Humphreys box office at 5:30 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can allows patrons to purchase ANY seat in the house for ANY amount they choose. For as little as a penny, theatergoers can see world-class live theater created by Dallas Theater Center for North Texas residents.

CAST BIOS:

Tatiana Angustia (Belinda Cratchit/Ensemble) is 12 years old and has been in theater since the age of 6. She is making her acting debut in A Christmas Carol.

Wendy Blackburn (Fan/Martha Cratchit/Ensemble) is currently a senior at SMU studying Theatre and Creative Advertising. Her favorite role so far has been “Maria” in West Side Story. She has also stage managed You Never Can Tell and The Will Power Project: Alice Underground, both of which were SMU productions.

Jonathan Brooks (The Ghost of Jacob Marley/Topper/Ensemble) is delighted to be a part of this year’s show. A company member at the Undermain Theater, he has been seen in roles such as Kovrin in The Black Monk; Clov in Endgame; and Ray in The Dog Problem.

Trey Cheatham (Edward Cratchit/Ensemble) is a veteran of DTC’s SummerStage acting program. This will be his first stage performance.

Drew Favors (Edward Cratchit/Ensemble) is a 4th grader at Armstrong Elementary School. Drew began acting this year with Imagination Players and KD Studios versions of The Wizard of Oz and Aladdin, Jr. On a “tamer note,” he was a fierce lion in Highland Park United Methodist Church’s production of Rescue in the Night. Drew also sings with the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas.

Mark Fisher (Ebenezer the Child/Tiny Tim/Ensemble) returns to DTC’s stage having made his debut in A Christmas Carol last year. On DTC’s SummerStage he’s played Michael Recycle; Uncle Henry in The Wiz and was in the Boys Ensemble for the Lyric Stage’s Oliver!. A 2nd grader at University Park Elementary School, Mark studies voice, acting and dance at Park Cities Dance Studio and piano with Holly O’Brien.

Vanessa Gibens (Belle/The Laundress/Ensemble) is an MFA actor at Southern Methodist University. Regional theater credits: Death of a Salesman (DTC); Cyrano de Bergerac (Shakespeare Dallas); Dangerous Liaisons with Vampires; Peter Pan; The Full Monty (Santa Rosa Summer Rep Theater). NYC credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia) and Much Ado About Nothing (Margaret). Other credits: Uncle Vanya (Sonya) and Yerma (Yerma) at SMU.

Emily Gray (Mrs. Fezziwig /The Charwoman/Ensemble) DTC: A Christmas Carol. Off-Broadway: The Way of the World; The Oresteia and Blithe Spirit. NYC: The Duchess of Malfi; Henry VI parts i, ii & iii; Yes Is For a Very Young Man; Too Rustic!; How to be a Red Hot Shakespearean Lover (also Philadelphia). DFW: Dallas Children’s Theater; Trinity Shakespeare Festival; Theatre Three; Stage West. Co-Artistic Director of Classical Acting Company. Emily’s award winning Audio Books can be found on iTunes including The Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella; Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series and most recently Lionheart. Emily trained at Drama Studio London.

Ashley Puckett Gonzales (Fred’s Wife/Ensemble) is a DFW native now living in NYC. She has performed at theaters across the country and toured with the Broadway National Tour of Annie as Lily St. Regis. Ashley can be heard on several animated series such as Kodocha; Case Closed; Gunslinger Girl and The Galaxy Railways.

Brian Gonzales (Fezziwig/Second Subscription Gentleman/Old Joe/Ensemble) has been seen on Broadway and in National Tours of Shrek and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; on TV in Law & Order; and in the studios of the Royal National Theatre in London. Brian has worked in various productions in theaters across the country and DFW.

Nathan May (Peter Cratchit/Ensemble) Nathan, 11 yrs old, started his acting career at the age of three with Dallas Children’s Theater. He has been in several productions. His most recent role was Jem Finch in Garland Civic Theatre’s production of To Kill A Mockingbird. Nathan is thrilled to be making his DTC debut.

Jason Moody (Dick Wilkins/The Undertaker’s Man/Ensemble/Assistant Director) is a senior Acting major at SMU, and was last seen at DTC in Cabaret. Regional: Spring Awakening at WaterTower Theatre; The Drowsy Chaperone, Guys and Dolls, and Chicago at New London Barn Playhouse; Forever Plaid, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Full Monty at Summer Repertory Theatre; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Hair at Uptown Players; and Bye Bye Birdie at Casa Mañana.

Marlhy Murphy (Beggar Child/Ensemble) is thrilled to join DTC again. Marlhy played Tiny Tim and Young Ebeneezer in last year’s A Christmas Carol with DTC. Previous roles include: Pearl in Night of the Hunter with Lyric Stage; Gladys Herdman in Dallas Children’s Theater production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever; and Prince Richard in Executioner’s Sons at Echo Theatre. Marlhy is also an accomplished drummer.

Kuran Patel (Ebenezer the Child/Tiny Tim/Ensemble) is a 2nd grader at Greenhill. Kuran recently performed in Oliver with Lyric Stage at the Carpenter Performance Hall. He is excited to make his DTC debut.

Paloma Renteria (Belinda Cratchit/Ensemble) is 12 years old and a student at Arapaho Classical Magnet in Richardson. Her television debut was on Barney and Friends and later on WFAA-TV where she received a 2010 Emmy nomination in the Children’s Feature Category for her reporting on “The Saturday Morning Summer Project.”

Kurt Rhoads (Ebenezer Scrooge) last acted at DTC in Dividing The Estate (Lewis) and Henry IV (Henry IV). Some roles as a company member: As You Like It (Orlando); The Inspector General (Khlestakov); The Glass Menagerie (Tom). Kurt also appeared at Shakespeare Festival of Dallas for eight seasons, in Animal Farm at Theatre Three, and in The Mousetrap at Casa Mañana. He appeared on Broadway in Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington. Recent roles: A Man For All Seasons (Thomas More), Arvada Center for the Arts; Anthony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar (Mark Anthony), Shakespeare Theatre; Love Song at Hudson Stage Company; Shooting Star (Reed) at Trinity Repertory. Recently directed Taming of the Shrew and Comedy of Errors at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

Lauren Riley (Beggar Child/Ensemble) is a 6th grader at Arbor Creek. Her acting debut was as Corey in How to Eat Like a Child at the Plano Children’s Theatre, where she also played multiple roles in Dear Edwina.

Alex Ross (Ebenezer the Apprentice/Ensemble) DTC: Cabaret. Recent roles include Altar Boyz (Matthew) and History Boys (Scripps) with Uptown Players; Funny Girl (Zeigfeld tenor) at Irving Lyric Stage; [Title of Show] (Jeff) at Theatre Three.

Joanna Schellenberg (Mrs. Cratchit/Ensemble) DTC: A Christmas Carol (The Ghost of Christmas Past/Belle ), Pride and Prejudice (Caroline Bingley), An Experiment With An Airpump (Mariah). Other Regional: As You Like It (Rosalind), Cymbeline (Imogen), All’s Well That Ends Well (Helena), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Shakespeare Dallas; Rabbit Hole (Becca), Contemporary Theatre of Dallas; Why We Have a Body (Lilli), Echo Theatre. International: The Blyth Festival of Canada, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight (Laura); The Stratford Festival of Canada, Troilus and Cressida (Cassandra); The Factory Theatre, Aunt Hannah Meets Joe River (Caroline). Film/Television: Chase “Under The Radar” (Lisa Collucci); Haven (Fanny).

Abbey Siegworth (Ghost of Christmas Past/Fred’s Wife’s Sister/Ensemble) is a proud member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company. DTC: The Tempest; Arsenic and Old Lace; A Christmas Carol; Henry IV; The Beauty Plays (Shape of Things, reasons to be pretty); A Midsummer Night’s Dream and In the Beginning. She has also worked regionally in Montana and the Chicago/Milwaukee area. Education: BFA University of Illinois; MFA Southern Methodist University.

David Ryan Smith (Ghost of Christmas Present/ First Subscription Gentleman/ Ensemble) DTC: The Wiz. Broadway: Passing Strange. NYC: The Rover (NY Classical Theatre); #9 (59 E 59 Theatre); Marat/Sade (Classical Theatre of Harlem). Regional Theatre: Train to 2010 (Crossroads Theatre Company); Othello (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company); A Christmas Carol (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Three Sisters, The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, A Christmas Carol (American Conservatory Theater); A Winter’s Tale, All’s Well That Ends Well (California Shakespeare Theater); 13 Hallucinations of Julio Rivera (Magic Theatre); Thursday (Encore Theatre Company). Film: Bee Season; I Am Ben. Education: B.F.A., University of Evansville; M.F.A., American Conservatory Theater.

Lee Trull (Bob Cratchit/Belle’s Husband/ Ensemble) is a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company and an Associate Artist at DTC where his credits include: The Tempest; Cabaret; Arsenic and Old Lace; The Beauty Plays; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; In the Beginning; A Christmas Carol; and 365 Days/365 Plays. Work at other theaters includes: Classical Acting Company; Theatre Three; WaterTower Theatre; Stage West; Dallas Children’s Theater; and Shakespeare Dallas. Playwright: Huck Finn; Gift of the Magi (CAC); Puppet Boy (Stage West). Mr. Trull is an Artistic Company member at Kitchen Dog Theater, an artistic consultant for Second Thought Theatre, and he serves on the National New Play Network’s Ambassador’s Council.

Ben Villaseñor (Peter Cratchit/Ensemble) is a student at Travis Academy and is thrilled to be returning to the cast of A Christmas Carol. Television appearances include Read with Me and Little Bites, Big Steps. Ben has studied acting and improvisation at Dallas Children’s Theater and Dallas Theater Center.

Steven Michael Walters (Fred/A Fiddler/Ensemble) is a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company and co-founder of Second Thought Theatre. DTC: The Tempest; Henry IV; The Beauty Plays and The Good Negro (a co-production with The Public Theatre in New York). Other theaters: Love’s Labour’s Lost; The Cherry Orchard (Peterborough Players); Proof; Arcadia (Lost Nation Theatre); Jesus Hates Me (Kitchen Dog Theater); Thom Pain (based on nothing); King Ubu; The Glory of Living; Humpty Dumpty (Second Thought Theatre); Romeo and Juliet; As You Like It; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Dallas). Television: Chase; My Generation; Friday Night Lights; Trauma; Prison Break.

CREATIVE and PRODUCTION BIOS:

Joel Ferrell (Director/Choreographer) is an associate artist at DTC where his credits include: director of Cabaret, Dividing the Estate, reasons to be pretty and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later; A Christmas Carol (2005-2009) and Cotton Patch Gospel (starring its creator Tom Key); choreographer of It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Who’s Tommy and My Fair Lady. DFW credits include: Proof (Plano Rep); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Baltimore Waltz (Stage West); Pygmalion (Fort Worth Shakespeare); the premiere of Huck Finn (Classical Acting Company). Mr. Ferrell is the former Artistic Director of Casa Mañana Musicals Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas. He served for two years on the selection committee for the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s New Works Festival in New York City and has worked extensively around the country for Portland Center Stage, Papermill Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre and North Shore Music Theatre among others.

Lindy Heath Cabe (Musical Director) served as musical director at DTC for The Wiz; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; In the Beginning; The Who’s Tommy and the last seven productions of A Christmas Carol. Lindy has directed, musical directed and choreographed more than 50 productions for Casa Mañana and also served as the Director of their Playhouse. She has directed and performed for many theaters including Bass Hall, Casa on the Square, Stage West, Theatre Arlington, Dallas Summer Musicals, North Shore Music Theater and Cape Cod Playhouse. Lindy has vocally coached and taught hundreds of young people and adults in the metroplex.

Bob Lavallee (Scenic Designer) DTC: Cabaret; A Christmas Carol (2005-2010); Production Designer, PBS’ Barney and Friends; Senior Designer, Peter Wolfs, Dallas; Resident Designer, Casa Mañana, Fort Worth, 65 productions, children’s theater/musicals: Dreamgirls (Dir. David Thome); Lettuce and Lovage (Dir. Kent Paul); Chess (Dir. Rob Marshall); My Way (Dir. Joel Ferrell); Westport Playhouse Phantom (Dir. Paul Blake); Amphibian Stage Three Days of Rain (Dir. Adrienne Campbell-Holt). Set Design: The Verizon Academic All American Hall of Fame Awards, Waldorf Astoria. Film Production Design: Searching for Sonny (Dir. Andrew Disney).

Wade Laboissionniere (Costume Designer) DTC: The Wiz; A Christmas Carol; The Illusion; My Fair Lady. Broadway: The Story of My Life. Tours: Disney’s High School Musical and High School Musical 2, (US, Australia, Spain and West End;) White Christmas. Off-Broadway credits include Side Effects; Zanna, Don’t!; and Romeo and Juliet. Regional: The Kennedy Center; CenterStage; Goodspeed; Cincinnati Playhouse; Ford’s; Portland Center Stage; Berkshire Theatre Festival and Yale Repertory. Published: Blueprints of Fashion book series. Prior to designing, he performed on Broadway in Cats and On Your Toes and in tours of La Cage aux Folles and 42nd Street. Yale School of Drama Graduate Design Program.

Matthew Richards (Lighting Designer) DTC: Dividing the Estate; A Christmas Carol; Blur; Be Aggressive; The Glass Menagerie; Cotton Patch Gospel; The Violet Hour; The Misanthrope. NYC: Atlantic Theater Company, Brooklyn Academy Of Music, Edge Theatre, Katharsis, LAByrinth, MCC, Playwrights Horizons, Rattlestick, Second Stage, TheatreworksUSA. Regional: Baltimore Center Stage, Barrington Stage, Bay Street Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Delaware Theatre Co., The Geffen Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, The Goodman, The Hangar Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, The Old Globe, New York Stage and Film, Philadelphia Theatre Co., The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, The Shakespeare Theatre, Skylight Opera Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Wolf Trap Opera, and Yale Repertory Theatre. Matthew is a graduate of The University of Massachusetts, and The Yale School of Drama.

Curtis Craig (Sound Designer) is an active freelance sound designer and composer, as well as the head of the sound design program at Penn State University. In 2009, his composition and sound design work for Pentecost was awarded the grand prize at the World Stage Design exposition in Seoul, South Korea. In 2007, he delivered a talk at the Scenofest portion of the Prague Quadrennial entitled “Deconstructing the Vocal Instrument” concerning the acoustics of the human voice. Recently, his work has been seen and heard at the Clarence Brown Theater; WaterTower Theatre; Dallas Theater Center; Arkansas Repertory; and Pennsylvania Centre Stage.

Aaron Johansen (Lighting Design Associate) is very excited to be making his design debut with DTC! Before moving to Dallas five years ago, he received his B.S. in Theatre Design and Technology with an emphasis in lighting design from Ball State University. By day Aaron is the Assistant Master Electrician for the Dallas Theater Center. By night, he is a freelance lighting designer. Lighting credits include: Macbeth (Kitchen Dog); Baby: The Musical (PFamily Arts); 2010-2011 Gala and numerous parties and dinners (DTC); Hair; J.B.; Coppelia; Cabaret; Erratica; The Colored Museum and numerous dance pieces (Ball State).

David Lee Kelting (Production Manager) In this festive season of the year, Mr. Kelting is particularly thankful to all the people who take tome from their busy schedules to make A Christmas Carol a part of their holiday celebration. A hearty “thanks” to all of you, from both sides of the footlights, for making our holidays a little merrier and brighter.

Caron Gitelman Grant (AEA Stage Manager) is delighted to be home in the DFW area and stage managing for Dallas Theater Center. Prior to her return to Dallas, Caron was working as both a Production Manager and an Equity Stage Manager in the South Florida area as well as the Northeast/Boston area. Caron received her BFA from Southern Methodist University and spent 15 years performing in shows before “retiring” to behind the scenes. Caron is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Korey Kent (Assistant Stage Manager) is very excited to be working with DTC this season. DTC: Cabaret; Arsenic and Old Lace (ASM); A Christmas Carol ’10 (crew); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (PA). He also works locally with Shakespeare Dallas and Kitchen Dog Theater, serving in a variety of roles ranging from House Manager to Assistant Director to Costume Designer. Korey served as the Production Stage Manager for Southern Methodist University from 2003-2005, and as a Coordinator/Assistant at Miramax Films in New York. He holds a BFA in Theater Studies from SMU.

ABOUT Dallas Theater Center:
One of the leading regional theaters in the country, Dallas Theater Center (DTC) performs to an audience of more than 90,000 North Texas residents annually. Founded in 1959, DTC is now a resident company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center and presents its mainstage season at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, designed by REX/OMA, Joshua Prince-Ramus and Rem Koolhaas. DTC also presents productions at its original home, the Kalita Humphreys Theater, the only freestanding theater designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. The mission of DTC is to engage, entertain and inspire our diverse community by creating experiences that stimulate new ways of thinking and living. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty and Managing Director Heather Kitchen, DTC produces a seven-play subscription season of classics, musicals and new plays and an annual production of A Christmas Carol; extensive education programs including Project Discovery, SummerStage and partnerships with Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; and community outreach efforts including leading the DFW Foote Festival and collaborations with the Dallas Holocaust Museum, North Texas Food Bank and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Throughout its history, DTC has produced many new works, including The Texas Trilogy by Preston Jones in 1978, Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men in 1986 and recent premieres of The Trinity River Plays by ReGina Taylor, the revised It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, Give It Up! (which later became Lysistrata Jones on Broadway) by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn, Sarah, Plain and Tall by Julia Jordan, Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and The Good Negro by Tracey Scott Wilson.

DTC gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors: American Airlines, The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Lexus, National Endowment for the Arts, TCA, Texas Instruments and WFAA.

To post a comment, you must register and login.