Dickens' A Christmas Carol at Hatbox Theatre

A Christmas Carol: A Capitol Tradition at the Hatbox
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol adapted by Jill Pinard returns to the Hatbox December 2-18. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are $22 for adults; $19 for members, seniors, and students; and $16 for senior members. Tickets may be reserved by calling 603-715-2315 or purchased online at www.hatboxnh.com.
For some the spooky season is over, but at Hatbox Theatre, it’s just getting started. A Christmas Carol will haunt the Hatbox stage; for this incarnation, Jill Pinard of Three Witches Productions takes the helm directing the script she adapted for Hatbox in 2016. In this original adaption of the holiday classic, Hatbox Theatre focuses on how the dream-like qualities of the ghost story aspect of Dickens’ work can bring about redemption. Is it “an undigested bit of beef” – a line in the original story – that leads Scrooge to have bad dreams or is he really being visited by ghosts intent on helping him redeem himself? Audience members, too, will wonder if they are dreaming when they are immersed in sound, lights and projections that bring out these eerier aspects of Scrooge’s fateful night. In creating this script Pinard set out to leave as much of Dickens’ original as undigested as possible.
Erik Hodges, who plays Scrooge, explained, “A Christmas Carol at the Hatbox reminds me of one of those great old Christmas cards that you open to find a neatly folded winter scene that springs up in three dimensions, at once a surprise and familiar, a keepsake and reminder of things past, present and future. It’s perfect fare for this little pocket of a theater.”
Brynnalee Blackmar Simmons, who is new to Hatbox said, “I'm so thrilled to be doing theatre with such a great cast of local favorites. I grew up in Concord in a theatrical family and started performing in local shows at a young age. I went on to be the president of the Concord High School drama club and at that time had the pleasure of meeting and working with a great teacher, Jim Speigel, who is now a coworker and fellow cast member.” About her character Simmons said, “I love the character of Christmas Past because she is spiritual and pure. She reminds all of us to look back at our own youths and remember the good parts, reflect upon the choices that led us down the wrong paths in life, have compassion for the circumstances we couldn't control and make choices to move forward with love in our hearts.”
The cast also features Marjorie Boyer as Belle, Ami Guimond as Mrs. Cratchit, Laura Hoglund as Christmas Present, Holly Keenan as Martha Cratchit, Audrey Malone as Peter Cratchit, Zach Peacock as Fred, Brynnalee Simmons as Christmas Past, Erik Shaffer as Bob Cratchit, Jim Speigel as Marley, and Seraphina Stallings as Tiny Tim. A Christmas Carol is directed by Jill Pinard. The production includes costumes by Lynn Head; set, lighting and sound design by Andrew Pinard; and stage management by Doris George assisted by Teresa Speigel.