Photo Flash: First Look at Orlando Shakes' A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF's production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and adapted by Jim Helsinger runs from November 28 - December 30, 2018. Tickets (starting at $30) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

Back by popular demand, celebrate the holidays with Dickens' classic ghost tale! The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a "bah humbug," until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Join us for the heartwarming story of one sleepless night in which the spirits reveal cruel realities and a chance to change for the better.

"A Christmas Carol is a holiday staple of American theater, unlike it is in England, because we have claimed Charles Dickens' story as our own. Part ghost story and part cautionary tale, it contains wonder, magic. wisdom and laughter that brings the whole family together," says Director Kristin Clippard. "I am excited to bring this heartwarming adaptation of this beloved story to our community."

Orlando Shakes' A Christmas Carol features:

Steven Patterson* as Scrooge. Orlando Shakes credits: Julius Caesar; Frankenstein; King Lear; Macbeth; Kiss Me, Kate; Shylock; Much Ado About Nothing; The Merchant of Venice; and A Christmas Carol. Steven has also performed Off- and Off-Off-Broadway in NYC, and regionally with such theaters as South Coast Repertory, freeFall Theatre, TheatreWorks, Kaliyuga Arts, Lexington Conservatory Theatre, Chenango River Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, and the Oregon, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Lake Tahoe, and Richmond Shakespeare Festivals. Favorite roles have included Jake Sturdy in Kill Me Now, Austin Wiggin in The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, David in Poor Super Man, Judi Boswell in How to Pray, and Jean in Beauty, a one-man show inspired by the life and works of Jean Genet which he created, performed, and toured with for four years. He currently resides in Catskill, NY, where he is co-founder and an Associate Artist of Bridge Street Theatre.

Laura Hodos* as Mrs. Cratchit & Mrs. Fezziwig. Laura Hodos is a singer, actor, improviser, and cabarista. She's been honored with the New Times, BroadwayWorld, and Silver Palm awards, as well as being a six-time Carbonell nominee. Last season, Laura appeared as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, opposite Davis Gaines. She's been a soloist with the Orlando Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, and Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra, as well as performing with Mad Cow, Winter Park Playhouse, Orlando Rep, Orlando Theatre Project, The Citrus Club, Maltz Jupiter, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Slow Burn, MNM, Actors' Playhouse, The Wick, and GableStage. She's performed at The Duplex and Don't Tell Mama in NYC, along with Radio City and Lincoln Center. Laura was a Cabaret Fellow at the O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, CT, and is a voiceover artist for Walt Disney World. A Dickinson College and AMDA grad, Laura is a proud member of Actors' Equity.

Paul Bernardo* as Ghost of Christmas Present & Fezziwig. Bernardo returns to Orlando Shakes to reprise his roles in A Christmas Carol. Bernardo has appeared in Orlando Shakes productions of Julius Caesar (playing Brutus twice), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Outlaw, Lobby Singer), Hamlet (Claudius), The Winter's Tale(Polixenes, Antigonus), Measure for Measure (Duke Vincentio), Macbeth (Banquo), Titus Andronicus (Marcus Andronicus), The Tempest (King Alonso), Peter and the Starcatcher (Lord Aster), Pericles (Cleon), and A Christmas Carol, as well as various PlayFest readings and workshops. He has worked extensively in regional theater and has appeared in numerous industrials and commercials as well as independent and feature films. Paul is a proud graduate of the Shakespeare Theater Company's Academy for Classical Acting MFA program at the George Washington University and a founding member of the Upstart Creatures theater company in New York City.

Additional casting includes Andy Hansen as Fred & Peter, Jim Sorensen* as Bob Cratchit & Topper, Dan Romano as Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come & John, Mandi Lee as Belle & Martha, Amanda Anne Dayton as Ghost of Christmas Past & Belinda, Lyla Tsiokos as Lucy Cratchit & Belle's Daughter, and Sebastian Cranford as Tiny Tim & Turkey Boy.

Director Kristin Clippard also serves as Associate Artistic Director/Producer in Residence for Orlando Shakes. Selected directing credits include The Luckiest People by Meridith Friedman, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, Loyalty and Betrayal (a community collaboration based on Julius Caesar), and Champagne Gods by Emily Dendinger. Favorite classic play projects include Twelfth Night, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Imaginary Invalid, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Measure for Measure, Pericles, Dr. Faustus and She Stoops to Conquer. Clippard has taught, produced, administered, acted, assisted or directed with many theatre companies, non-profit organizations, universities, and schools across the country. She enjoys developing new works with writers and is a playwright herself. She holds a BFA in Acting from Wright State University and an MFA in Directing from the University of Iowa.

The artistic team also includes Scenic Designer Bert Scott**, Lighting Designer Kevin Griffin**, Costume Designer Mel Barger, Sound Designer Britt Sandusky, Puppet Designer Vandy Wood, Musical Director Steve MacKinnon, Choreographer Joy Anderson, AEA Stage Manager Laura Lockner*.

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