A.C.T. Presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL Starting 12/4

American Conservatory Theater presents the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, adapted by Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh and directed by acclaimed Bay Area director and actor Domenique Lozano. A.C.T.’s annual production of this beloved family-friendly standard has been called “aCarol built to banish ‘bah humbugs’ for years to come!” by the Oakland Tribune. A sparkling, music-infused celebration of goodwill, A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol stars Bay Area veteran James Carpenter as Scrooge for the third year in this iconic part, and features extravagant sets by Tony Award–winning designer John Arnone (The Who’s Tommy and The Full Monty on Broadway) and beautiful period costumes by Beaver Bauer of Teatro ZinZanni. With original songs and score by composer Karl Lundeberg and choreography by Val Caniparoli of the San Francisco Ballet, A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carolcontinues to entertain and move tens of thousands each year. A Christmas Carol runs December 4–27, 2008, and press night is Tuesday, December 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets, starting at $14, are available by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2ACT or online at www.act-sf.org.

A.C.T. is proud to make this family-oriented classic affordable for everyone in the Bay Area with its family four-packs and special group discounts up to 50%. Family four-packs allow a family of four to attend select performances of A Christmas Carol for the price of two tickets. To purchase family four-packs and to get more information, visit www.act-sf.org/promotions or call 415.749.2ACT and mention the code “MARLEY.” This limited time offer ends December 4 and is subject to availability. Groups of 15 or more receive discounts up to 50%. Contact Edward Budworth at 415.439.2473 to purchase or for more information on group discounts.

A Christmas Carol follows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, who over the course of a long Christmas Eve is visited by four ghosts—Christmases Past, Present, and Future, as well as Scrooge’s former business partner, Jacob Marley—who guide his transformation from coldhearted miser into open-armed philanthropist. One of literature’s most enduring and often-quoted stories of hope, triumph, and communal spirit, A Christmas Carol has found its definitive expression at A.C.T.  “Dramatizations of this story have become an important American ritual at holiday time, regardless of individual religious background or faith,” says co-adaptor and original director Carey Perloff. “Dickens told this particular ghost story in the belief that, if you could trigger a person’s imagination, you could trigger their humanity. It is a remarkable story; at its core, it is a piece about magic and change.”

“I adore this play,” says director Lozano. “I adore the risks and the challenges and how it attempts to make the impossible happen onstage—with the appearance of ghosts and the magic that must be a part of its telling, as well as the sense of transformation of an entire community and spirit. It’s a thrill to work on this story that is about community with a community of artists for which it is tailor-made.”

Now in its 32nd year at A.C.T., A Christmas Carol is a cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory, having been performed more than 900 times to a collective audience of more than 800,000, employing nearly 1,000 actors and 600 backstage staff along the way. Though A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol has been a Bay Area tradition for more than three decades, the production goes through significant changes every year. 

A holiday event for audiences of all ages, A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol features a multigenerational cast of performers led by James Carpenter, including acclaimed Bay Area actor Ken Ruta as Scrooge’s nightmarish late-night visitor, the ghost of Jacob Marley, and Jarion Monroe and Sharon Lockwood as the ever festive Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig. Rounding out the cast are 22 young actors from A.C.T.’s Young Conservatory, and the entire third-year class of the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program. The M.F.A. Program performers—many of whom traditionally receive their Actor’s Equity cards as a result of their performances­—are James Bigelow, Britannie Bond, Allison Brennan, Nicholas Gabriel, Natalie Hegg, Philip Martinson, Rondrell McCormick, Nicholas Pelczar, Lloyd Roberson, Patrick Russell, Liz Sklar, Christopher Tocco, Mfoniso Udofia, Kelsey Venter, Cat Walleck, Erin Michelle Washington, and Weston Francis Wilson. Additional Carol artists include lighting designer Nancy Schertler, sound designer Jake Rodriguez, and musical director Laura Burton.

A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol is presented by AT&T with additional support by producing sponsor Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation and Target Family Matinee sponsor Target. Additional support provided by Wells Fargo and Bingham McCutchen LLP. A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge our company sponsors Roberta B. Bialek, Rena Bransten, Priscilla and Keith Geeslin, Burt and Deedee McMurtry, Jeff and Laurie Ubben, and Susan Van Wagner.
 
TICKETS

Tickets for A Christmas Carol can be purchased by visiting A.C.T. Ticket Services, located at 405 Geary Street, by calling 415.749.2228, or via the A.C.T. website at www.act-sf.org.

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