Darius Pierce to Star in TWIST YOUR DICKENS At The Armory

The hilarious hit from comedy giant The Second City returns to The Armory for another year of holiday jeer. The Second City's A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens, written by Emmy Award-winners Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort, begins preview performances on the U.S. Bank Main Stage on December 5; opens on December 8; and runs through December 31. Ron West returns to direct this sidesplitting take on Charles Dickens' Christmas novella, featuring new scenes for the 2017 run.

Darius Pierce joins the cast. Pierce has had audiences in stitches as Crumpet in The Santaland Diaries at The Armory for the past five seasons. He's retiring his elfin tights to take on the role of Marley and others. The rest of the Twist cast returns: The Second City alums Craig Cackowski (Scrooge) and Jaime Moyer (The Ghost of Christmas Present and others) are joined by local favorites Chantal DeGroat, Sam Dinkowitz, Nicholas Kessler and Lauren Modica.

Regular tickets start at $25. Tickets may be purchased at www.pcs.org, 503.445.3700, or in-person from the box office (128 NW Eleventh Avenue, Portland, OR). Rush tickets are $20. Students and patrons who are 30 or younger can purchase $30 premium tickets. $5 tickets are available for Oregon Trail Card holders through the Arts for All program. Discounts for groups of 10+. Active duty or veteran military personnel and their immediate families get 50% off the price of regular tickets. General performance times are Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.; a Thursday matinee on December 14 at noon; and a Thursday matinee on December 28 at 2 p.m. (special exclusions apply, see below for more information). Recommended for ages 14+; contains mature content, explicit language, theatrical haze and strobe lighting.

ABOUT THE SHOW

A complete send-up of the holiday classic, this adult comedy is adorned with the improvisational genius of the legendary comedy troupe The Second City. Twist Your Dickens includes zany holiday sketches and uproarious improve - it's never the same show twice! It has become a Portland holiday favorite after hit runs in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Portland Center Stage at The Armory was the first regional theater company in the country to secure the rights to produce the show after its world premiere in Los Angeles in 2012. Twist Your Dickens returns in 2017, with new scenes, after successful runs at The Kennedy Center and Goodman Theatre.

THE SECOND CITY

The Second City is known world-wide for its unique brand of humor and satire, as well as for being the launching pad for generations of comedy superstars, including Mike Myers, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Candy, John Belushi, Catherine O'Hara, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and many more. Recent Second City productions include the Jeff Award-winning Second City Guide to the Opera with Lyric Opera Chicago and the Helen Hayes Award-nominated production of America All Better!! at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC. Twist Your Dickens was The Second City's first stage show to include full sets and costumes.

ABOUT THE CAST

Craig Cackowski (Scrooge) has been performing with The Second City since 1995, and has been seen in Community (Officer Cackowski), Drunk History, The Mayor, Veep and others. Fellow Second City alum Jaime Moyer (Ghost of Christmas Present and others) has been seen on Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, 2 Broke Girls, Jennifer Falls and has a recurring role on KC Undercover. Local performers include Chantal DeGroat (Well at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Stick Fly at Intiman Theatre) as Belle and others; Sam Dinkowitz (founder of Spectravagasm Sketch Comedy; Year of the Rooster with Coho Productions) as Ghost of Christmas Past and others; Nicholas Kessler (The Liberators, Improv Giants, Leviathan) as Ghost of Christmas Future, Bob Cratchit and others; and Lauren Modica (Henry IV, Parts 1 and Henry IV, Part 2 at Oregon Shakespeare Festival) as Mrs. Cratchit and others.

The Creative Team

Director Ron West (The Second City's Curious George Goes to War and Sex & The Second City) returns to The Armory, joined by Scenic Designer Tom Buderwitz (the world premiere of Twist Your Dickens, as well as The Goodman Theatre and Kennedy Center productions); Costume Designer Jeff Cone (16 seasons as Portland Center Stage at The Armory's resident designer); Lighting Designer Daniel Meeker (most recently lighting designs for Lauren Weedman Doesn't Live Here Anymore at The Armory); and Sound Designer Casi Pacilio (most recently A Christmas Memory/Winter Song at The Armory).

IF YOU GO:

When: December 5* - December 31, 2017

*Opening Night/Press Night: Friday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Preview Performances: December 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: On the U.S. Bank Main Stage at The Armory

128 NW Eleventh Ave., Portland, Ore., 97209

To Purchase: Regular tickets range from $25 to $82. Rush tickets are $20. Students and patrons who are 30 or younger may purchase premium tickets for $30. $5 tickets are available for Oregon Trail Card holders through the Arts for All program. Discounts for groups of 10+. Active duty or veteran military personnel and their immediate families get 50% off the price of regular tickets. Prices vary by date and time, and are subject to change.

Online: www.pcs.org

By Phone: 503.445.3700, 12-6 p.m.

In Person: The box office is at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue

12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on performance days

12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on non-performance days

Groups: Discounts available for groups of 10+ by calling 503.445.3794.

More Info: www.pcs.org/dickens-2017

Showtimes: Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. (excluding December 17, 26 and 31); Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. (excluding December 9); and a Thursday matinee on December 14 at noon and December 28 at 2 p.m.

Please Note: Recommended for ages 14+; contains mature content, explicit language, theatrical haze and strobe lighting.

Accessibility: Learn about accessibility options at www.pcs.org/access.

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