Rubicon Theatre Company to Present World Premiere Adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Rubicon Theatre celebrates the holidays with the company's first presentation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a World Premiere adaptation written by Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns and directed by Brian McDonald. Rubicon's A Christmas Carol features a 24-member cast (the largest ensemble since the company's production of Fiddler on the Roof and the largest ever for a play).

This timeless tale of redemption and hope follows the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Peter Van Norden), who is visited by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley (Joe Spano) and three spirits, who show him the error of his ways.

Director Brian McDonald describes Rubicon's version of the holiday tale as, "a dynamic actor-driven, ensemble-devised production, full of surprises. The story is told in an imaginative, narrative style, with actors directly addressing the audience at various moments," says McDonald. "The artists portray multiple characters, dogs, food - even dressing gowns and doors," he continues.

"It's a little in the style of the Royal Shakespeare Company's landmark production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, only shorter" says McDonald. "We hope our audiences will find the approach playful, engaging and impactful."

According to McDonald, Burns' adaptation also provides an intimate glimpse into Scrooge's past. "The script provides a revealing portrait of the lost and lonely child who became the miserly man," says McDonald. Elijah Graham, a thirteen-year-old resident of Santa Paula plays the Boy Scrooge and sings "Veni, Veni, Emanuel" in both the Prologue and the Epilogue.

"As I have watched rehearsals," says Burns, "I have been deeply touched by the healing aspects of the story. In the performances of Eli and Peter we ache for the hurt, abandoned child who has become cold-hearted and closed-minded man in order to steel himself against his own vulnerability." "Eli's opening song," says Burns, "is a beckoning from the Boy Scrooge and the Boy Dickens - a call to all of the spirits - the observers, the ancestors, the angels, the uncommitted, the outcasts - within and without - to bring healing to a broken world and rejoice, knowing God is come."

"Whatever one's belief system," continues Burns, "we hope attendees will find A Christmas Carol both entertaining and moving. Whatever hurts we have experienced, whatever wrong turns we have made," says Burns, "it is never too late to change. We can honor the past, present and future. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, we can become a child again and be reborn."

Low-priced previews for A Christmas Carol begin this Wednesday, December 2 at 7 p.m. Opening night is Saturday December 5 at 7 p.m., and is followed by an after-party hosted by Watermark on Main with the artists and local dignitaries. A Christmas Carol continues through December 20, with performances Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (except opening night), and Sundays at 2 p.m. Rubicon Theatre is located 1006 E. Main in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District, For tickets and information, call (805) 667-2900 or go to www.rubicontheatre.org.

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