A Christmas Carol - People's Light

A Christmas Carol Pre-Performance Guide

Conceived and original music by ZAK BERKMAN

Adapted from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Stage Direction by DAVID BRADLEY

Music Supervision and Arrangements by MITCH CHAKOUR

Associate Music Director JUSTIN YODER

People’s Light Pre-Performance Guide

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I am going to People’s Light to see a show called A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The show will have music, costumes, and a large puppet.

People’s Light


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Mask

I will see signs to remind me to wear my mask and to stay socially distanced while I am visiting the theatre. Masks protect me and others from the COVID-19 virus. I will keep my mask on the entire time I am inside the theater. I can take my mask off if I am outside or eating in the Upper Lobby.


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A Christmas Carol

This play takes place a long time ago in England. It tells a story about a man who changes his attitude and becomes more caring.


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Ebenezer Scrooge

Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character. Sometimes he is called “Scrooge.” He is also called “Ebenezer” or “Ebby” or “Uncle.” At the beginning of the play, Scrooge does not like Christmas, and he does not like people. He cares only about his money. After he is visited by three ghosts, he decides to be kind to everyone. Scrooge is played at different ages by four different actors: a boy, a teenager, a young man, and an older man.


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Kind Chorus

The Kind Chorus are actors who sing, dance, and talk to people in the audience. They will say “hello”. I can talk back to the actors in the Kind Chorus. Actors in the Kind Chorus play other characters, too.


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Narrators

Some actors of the Kind Chorus will tell the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. They will tell how Ebenezer Scrooge meets the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. They will tell stories about Ebenezer Scrooge when he was a little boy and when he was a young man. They will also tell stories about people who remember Scrooge.


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Jacob Marley

Jacob Marley was Scrooge’s best friend. He died a long time ago, and Scrooge still misses him. One night, Marley appears as a ghost in chains. He tells Scrooge that three more ghosts will visit. He hopes the ghosts will teach Scrooge how to be a kinder man.


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Ghost of Christmas Past

The Ghost of Christmas Past and Scrooge visit Christmases that Scrooge enjoyed when he was a little boy. The Ghost and Scrooge also visit Christmas when Scrooge is sad because his mother died. The Ghost and Scrooge visit Scrooge when he is a young man and wants to marry Belle.


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Ghost of Christmas Present

The Ghost of Christmas Present wears beautiful clothes and takes Scrooge to see Bob Cratchit’s family. Even though they are poor and Tiny Tim is sick, the Cratchit family enjoys Christmas because they like celebrating with each other.


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Ghost of Christmas Future

The Ghost of Christmas Future is played by a large puppet with long arms. His ribs glow in the dark. He shows Scrooge what might happen when Scrooge dies. People think Scrooge is mean. They don’t miss him. Scrooge decides to be kind.


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Bob Cratchit

Bob Cratchit works for Scrooge. Scrooge is mean to Bob Cratchit and does not pay him very much for his hard work, but Bob Cratchit is happy, anyway. He is kind to Scrooge and he loves his family, including Tiny Tim.


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Tiny Tim

Tiny Tim is Bob Cratchit’s son. Tiny Tim is small and sometimes does not feel well. The actor who plays Tiny Tim pretends to cough. The actor pretends to be sick. At the end of the play, Tiny Tim becomes Scrooge’s friend.


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Fred

Fred is Scrooge’s nephew. He is Scrooge’s only relative and wants to be friends with Scrooge.


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Belle

Belle is a young woman whom Scrooge loved when he was a young man. Scrooge loves money more than he loves Belle, so she leaves him.


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Fan

Fan is Scrooge’s sister. They are good friends when they are children. Fan calls him “Ebby.”


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Flying

Actors pretend to fly through the air. They pretend to fly to different places. They also pretend to fly to different times of Scrooge’s life.


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Pretend

During the play, it will look like Scrooge hits a young girl with his cane. The actor playing Scrooge is pretending and will not hit the girl.


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Music

There is a lot of music in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. If it is loud, I can cover my ears. I can sing along, if I want to.


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Eating

Actors will look like they are eating at table, but they do not have food in their hands or on their plates. They are pretending to eat.


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The Cemetery

Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Future will pretend to fly to a cemetery. Actors will hold lanterns to pretend they are people who died.


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End of Play

When the play is over, the actors will take a bow. People will clap to thank the actors. I can clap if I want to. If the clapping is too loud, I can cover my ears.

The pre-performance materials were developed by:

LEIGH JACKSON Director of Hospitality and Accessibility

People’s Light

ROGER IDEISHI, JD, OT/L, FAOTA Program Director for Occupational Therapy and Professor for

Health, Human Function and Rehabilitation Sciences at George Washington University

CHRISTINA SMITH, MOT, OTR/I. Designer

A Christmas Carol - People's Light

Documents

Transcript of A Christmas Carol - People's Light