A.C.T. to Present A CHRISTMAS CAROL This Holiday Season

Featuring a lively cast of dozens, delightful music, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition returns with American Conservatory Theater's celebrated production of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Now in its 39th year, this version of A Christmas Carol-adapted by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff-stays true to the heart of Dickens's timeless story of redemption and brings a playful sensibility to his rich language. A Christmas Carol runs December 4-27, 2014 at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Thursday, December 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets (ranging in price from $20-$105) are available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-sf.org. Groups of 15 or more save up to 50% and enjoy free tickets for group leaders. For group sales, call 415.439.2309. Ticket prices subject to change without notice.

Hailed as "the best Christmas Carol ever!" by KRON4-TV/KCBS Radio's Jan Wahl, A Christmas Carol is a cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory and has become a holiday tradition for families all around the San Francisco Bay Area. Since it began performances at A.C.T. 39 years ago (and continuing in its second adaptation, which premiered in 2005), A Christmas Carol has been performed more than 1,180 times to date to a collective audience of more than 1,130,000 and has employed nearly 1,900 actors and 750 backstage staff members.

A.C.T.'s A Christmas Carol features a multigenerational cast of performers led by James Carpenter as Ebenezer Scrooge, with Anthony Fusco as the Scrooge alternate. Joining Carpenter and Fusco are legendary Bay Area actor Ken Ruta (who originated this role in the 2005 production) as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's nightmarish late-night visitor; Nicholas Pelczar as Bob Cratchit and Delia MacDougall as his wife, Anne Cratchit; Dan Hiatt and Sharon Lockwood as the ever-festive Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig; and Cindy Goldfield as the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present. The adult cast also includes Howard Swain.

Rounding out the cast are ten students from the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program as well as 29 talented young actors from the A.C.T. Young Conservatory (YC). The M.F.A. Program performers-many of whom traditionally receive their Actors' Equity cards as a result of their participation in A Christmas Carol-are: Matthew Baldiga, Matthew Capbarat, Lauren Hart, Christina Liang, Michael McIntire, Rosa Palmeri, Jennifer Reddish, Thomas Stagnitta, Caitlan Taylor, and Arthur Wise. The YC actors for the 2015 production hail from all around the Bay Area. They are: Evan Aubrey, Quincy Corsello, Dwayne Davis, Ian DeVaynes, Mattea Fountain, Katrina Franco, Pablo Hansen, Olivia Hellman, Rae Dox Kim, Roxanna LaFarre, Jordan Lee, Blake Levinson, Cecilia McQuaid, Anna Nuemann-Loreck, Esme O'Neill, Oona O'Neill, Ryan Remak, Pilar Rivas, Sophie Rose, Virginia Shipp, Kavi Subramanyan, Cassidy Trader, Alexandra van de Pol, Athena von Bothmer, Tatiana von Bothmer, Etta Washburn, Seth Weinfield, Max Wix, and Alejandra Zavala.

Directed by Domenique Lozano, the creative team for A Christmas Carol includes Tony Award-winning scenic designer John Arnone and period costumes by Beaver Bauer. With original songs and score by composer Karl Lundeberg and choreography by Val Caniparoli of the San Francisco Ballet, A Christmas Carol also features lighting design by Nancy Schertler, sound design by Brendan Aanes, and music direction by Daniel Feyer.

In association with A Christmas Carol, A.C.T. will offer two InterACT events-which are presented free of charge-that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while having an entire night out at the theater. Visit act-sf.org/interact to learn more about subscribing to these events throughout the season:

- Bike to the Theater Night
Friday, December 4
Providing a greener alternative to theater transportation, A.C.T. and the San Francisco Bike Coalition offer free valet bike parking, as well as a special discount on tickets, for these select performances.

- PlayTime:
Saturday, December 12, 12:45 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with the artists who make it happen at this interactive theater workshop.

A.C.T.'s production of A Christmas Carol is made possible by presenting sponsor and season partner Wells Fargo.

A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge its 2015-16 company sponsors Frannie Fleishhacker; Priscilla and Keith Geeslin; Jeri Lynn and Jeffrey W. Johnson; Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation; Burt and Deedee McMurtry; Barbara Ravizza and John S. Osterweis; Arthur Rock and Toni Rembe, and Hilary Valentine and Don Listwin, as well as season partner PG&E.

A.C.T.'s 2015-16 season continues with OBIE Award winner John Douglas Thompson in Terry Teachout's Satchmo at the Waldorf (January 13-February 7, 2016); the groundbreaking new musical, The Unfortunates (February 3-April 10, 2016); the West Coast premiere of Will Eno's inventive new comedy, The Realistic Joneses (March 9-April 3, 2016); and a brand-new, fully staged production of Jason Robert Brown's powerful and intimate musical, The Last Five Years (May 11-June 5, 2016). A.C.T. favorite and Academy Award nominee, David Strathairn, will return to A.C.T. for a special three-week engagement of Joseph Dougherty's Chester Bailey (May 25-June 2, 2016) at A.C.T.'s Strand Theater.