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AnewversionbyJamesMacDonald

FromthebookbyCharlesDickensNovember30toDecember12,2017—SagebrushTheatre

Cast CohenChow TinyTimCratchit,BoyScrooge,IgnoranceQuentinClark PhillipCratchit,Tommy,BoywithTurkeyAndrewG.Cooper Butcher,Pocket,DickWilkins,UndertakerRachelFarrow BelindaCratchit,ChristmasPast#1BrettHarris George,YoungScrooge,TopperBryceKulak Musician,Edwin,CousinOliverThomMarriott Fezziwig,SpiritofChristmasPresent,TackletonJanetMichael Nell,Mrs.Dilbert,Mrs.FezziwigAlexMittelsteadt YoungEbenezer,PeterCratchit,ViolinCarmelaSison Fanny,ChristmasPast#3,Lucy,ChristmasFuture#2EmmaSlipp Mrs.Cratchit,ChristmasPast#2,CharwomanKirkSmith Fred,David,ChristmasFuture#1MichaelSpencer-Davis EbenezerScroogeChristopherWeddell JacobMarley,OldJoe,UncleCharlesLeonWilley BobCratchit

Creative Team JamesMacDonald DirectorBryceKulak Composer,MusicDirectorAmirOfek SetDesignerMarianTruscott CostumeDesignerNardaMcCarroll LightingDesignerChristineLeroux StageManagerMadisonHenry AssistantStageManagerMichelleChabassol ApprenticeStageManagerAndrewG.Cooper AssistantDirectorBrettHarris DialectCoach

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“IhaveendeavoredinthisGhostlylittlebook,toraisetheGhostofanIdea,whichshallnotputmyreadersoutofhumourwiththemselves,witheachother,withtheseason,orwithme.Mayit

haunttheirhousespleasantly,andnoonewishtolayit!”Theirfaithfulfriendandservant,C.D.

CharlesDickens’prefacetoAChristmasCarol,December1843

Synopsis BaseduponthefamousclassicbyCharlesDickens,AChristmasCarolisaheartwarmingstoryofthetransformationofEbenezerScroogefromagreedy,heartlessmisertoagenerous,lovingman.Whentheplayopens,ScroogeisinhiscountinghouseinLondon.FourghostlyvisitsbyScrooge’sdeadbusinesspartnerandtheghostsofChristmaspast,present,andfutureleaveanindelibleimpressiononEbenezer.FilledwithloveandthetruespiritoftheChristmasseason,hebeginstochangehisselfishwaysandopenhishearttothosearoundhim.

Setting London,fromtheslumstomiddle-classhomestowealthymansions,fromcosyhearthstosnowygraveyards,fromscenesofdespairtofestivegatherings,duringtheearlyVictorianera.

Marley’sGhost–anoriginalillustrationbyJohnLeech,fromAChristmasCarol.

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Characters EBENEZERSCROOGE:Awealthybutmiserlybusinessmanwhohasnosympathyforthepoor,noranyChristmascheer.HeistransformedwhenvisitedbyspiritsonChristmasEve.BOBCRATCHIT:Scrooge’soverworkedandunderpaidclerk.Bobisstrugglingtosupporthiswifeandsixchildrenbutremainsloyaltohisboss.JACOBMARLEY:Scrooge’sbusinesspartnerwhodiedsevenyearsago.Hisghostwalkstheearthinchainsasapunishmentforthegreedywayhelived.GHOSTOFCHRISTMASPAST:ThisspiritshowsScroogetheeventsinhispastthathavemadehimintothemanheistoday.GHOSTOFCHRISTMASPRESENT:ThisspiritshowsScroogewhathehasignoredorcuthimselfofffrominthepresent.GHOSTOFCHRISTMASFUTURE:ThisspiritshowsScroogethelikelyendresultsofhiscurrentwaysandattitudes.FAN:Scrooge’skind-heartedsister,whocaredagreatdealaboutherbrotherbutdiedyoung.FREDScrooge’snephewandonlylivingrelative.Likehismother,Fan,heisacheerfulpersonandwantstospendChristmaswithhisuncle.FEZZIWIG:TheownerofthewarehousebusinesswhereScroogewasanapprenticeasayoungman.ThisjollymanthrewlivelyChristmaspartiesyearsagoandwasakindemployertoScrooge.BELLE:Scrooge’sformerfiancée.Thoughsheloveshimdearly,shebecomesalienatedbyhisobsessionwithmoney.TINYTIM:BobCratchit’syoungestson,whoisverysickbutremainsmerryandgratefulduringtheholiday.MRS.DILBER:Scrooge’slaundress.

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Biography of Charles Dickens CharlesDickenswasbornFebruary7,1812.HismanynovelsincludesuchclassicsasAChristmasCarol,DavidCopperfield,BleakHouse,ATaleofTwoCities,andGreatExpectations.Eveninhisowntime,Dickenswaswidelypopular,appealingtosimpleandsophisticatedtastes,tothepoorandtothequeen,andtechnologicaldevelopments(e.g.,steamships,thetelegraph)enabledhisfametospreadworldwideveryquickly.

Dickens’originsweremiddleclass.Hisfather,aclerkinthenavypayoffice,waswellpaid,butsubjecttoextravaganceandineptitude.By1824,thefamilyhadreachedbottom,whenhis

fatherwassenttodebtorsprisonandCharles,theeldestson,wassettomanualworkinafactory.

Afterhisfatherwasreleased,Charlesbrieflyreturnedtoschoolbeforeleavingfinallyat15.Fromthereheworkedasanofficeboy,beforebecominganewspaperreporter.In1833,hebegansubmittingsketchestovariousmagazinesandnewspapersunderthepseudonym“Boz,”whichcontributedtohisfirstbook,SketchesbyBoz,publishedin1836.Inthissameyear,hemarriedCatherineHogarth,withwhomhehad10children.

InFebruary1836,hewasinvitedtoprovideacomicserialnarrativetoaccompanyengravingsbyawell-knownartist;sevenweekslaterthefirstinstallmentofThePickwickPapersappeared.Withinafewmonths,PickwickwastherageandDickensthemostpopularauthoroftheday.Dickensthenundertooktoeditamonthlymagazine,Bentley’sMiscellany,inwhichheserializedOliverTwist(1837–39),thefirstofhismanypopularnovels.ThestorywasinspiredbyhowDickensfeltasanimpoverishedchildforcedtogetbyonhiswits.In1842,DickensandhiswifeembarkedonalecturetouroftheUnitedStates,whichwasimmenselypopular,althoughhevoicedhisoppositiontoslavery.

Earlyin1843,asaresponsetoagovernmentreportontheabuseofchildlaborersinminesandfactories,Dickensvowedhewouldstrikea“sledge-hammerblow...onbehalfofthePoorMan’sChild.”Thatsledge-hammerwasAChristmasCarol.

Duringthe1850s,Dickenspublishedmanyofhismostfamousnovels.In1865,Dickenswasinatrainaccidentandneverfullyrecovered.Despitehisfragilecondition,hecontinuedtowriteandtouruntilshortlybeforehisdeath.Aftersufferingastroke,Dickensdiedatage58onJune9,1870andwasburiedinPoet’sCorneratWestminsterAbbey,withthousandsofmournersgathering.Rememberedasoneofthemostimportantandinfluentialwritersofthe19thcentury,hehasbeenlaudedforprovidingastarkportraitoftheVictorianeraunderclass,helpingtobringaboutsocietalchange.

AdaptedfromEncyclopaediaBritannicaandBiography.com

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Victorian Revival of Christmas ManypopularcustomsassociatedwithChristmashaveoriginsinpre-Christianfestivalscelebratedaroundthewintersolstice–theshortestdayoftheyear.WhenConstantineIbecamethefirstChristianemperorofRome,heco-optedtheDecemberfestivalsofSaturnandMithrasforacelebrationofChrist’sbirth.InitiallythearrivaloftheMagi,knownastheEpiphany,celebratedon6January,andEasterweremorewidelycelebrated.However,oncethemediaevalEmperorCharlemagnewascrownedonChristmasDay800AD,thedatetookongreatersignificance.

BytheMiddleAges,EuropeanshadadaptedpaganritualsintoChristmascelebrations.OnChristmas,believersattendedchurch,thencelebratedraucouslyinadrunken,carnival-likeatmospheresimilartotoday’sMardiGras.Intheearly17thcentury,awaveofreligiousreformchangedthewayChristmaswascelebratedinEurope;inEngland,itwasevencancelledforawhilewhenOliverCromwellandhisPuritanforcestookoverin1645.

AlthoughChristmaswasrevivedafterCromwell,bythebeginningofthe19thcenturyChristmaswashardlycelebrated.Somebusinessesdidnotevenrecognizeit.However,inthe1840sand1850s,Christmashadarevivalandmanyofthetraditionsthatwerecognizetodaywereinvented,includingtheChristmascardandthecracker.Othertraditionsalreadyrecognizedbecamemoresignificant,suchasthedecoratingofthehome,whichbecamemuchmoreelaborate,andcarols,whichwererevivedandpopularized.

ManyattributethechangetoQueenVictoria;withherhusband,theGerman-bornPrinceAlbert,theypopularizedsomeofthemostprominentaspectsofChristmas.In1800,Victoria’sgrandmotherQueenCharlotte,alsoGerman-born,hadintroducedtotheroyalfamilytheChristmastree,whichthenbecamepopularamongstuppersociety.WhentheIllustratedLondonNewspublishedadrawingoftheroyalfamilycelebratingaroundadecoratedChristmastreein1848,thetreewasadoptedbythepopulace.SoonhomesacrossBritainhadtreesbedeckedwithcandles,sweets,fruit,homemadedecorationsandsmallgifts.

TheVictoriansalsotransformedtheideaofChristmassothatitbecamecentredaroundthefamily.Thepreparationandeatingofthefeast,decorationsandgiftgiving,entertainmentsandparlourgames–allwereessentialtothecelebrationofthefestivalandweretobesharedbythewholefamily.

WhileCharlesDickensdidnotinventtheVictorianChristmas,hisbookAChristmasCaroliscreditedwithhelpingtopopularizeandspreadthetraditionsofthefestival.Itsthemesoffamily,charity,goodwill,peaceandhappinessencapsulatethespiritoftheVictorianChristmasandareverymuchapartoftheChristmaswecelebratetoday.

Adaptedfromhistory.com,bbc.co.uk,andhistorytoday.com

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Activities in the Classroom

Activity #1 – Christmas Around the World

Divideyourclassintogroupsof4or5.Havethempickacountryoutofahat.AskthemtoresearchthetraditionsthattakeplaceinthatcountrysurroundingtheWinterHoliday.

Havetheclasstakethisinformationandorganizeitintoapresentationfortherestoftheclass.

Encouragethispresentationtoincludedioramas,clothing,sketches,dance,song,speechorthelike.Thiswillencourageresearchintowhatthechildrenfindinterestingalready.Encouragethatthegroupsactouttheritualsfromeachregion.

Ifyouwishtomakeitfun,havethegroupspresentandhavetheremainingclassmatesguesswheretheyarefrom!

Somegreatoptionsinclude:Australia,India,Iraq,Japan,Yugoslavia.Orhavethempicktheirown!

BonusPoints!!Havethestudentsplayatraditionalholidaysongfromthecountrytheychose.Takealittlebitoftimetotalkaboutwhatinstrumentsareusedandiftheyaremoreprevalentinthatregion.Askthemwhatmakestheirsongsounique.

Activity #2 – Christmas at Your House!

Nowthatyourclasshasstudiedwhatisbeingdoneabroadduringtheholidayseason,havethemtalktoeachotheraboutwhathappensintheirownhome!

Haveeachstudentsitdownwiththeirfamilymembersandaskwhattraditionstheirfamilyparticipatesinandwhichoneistheirfavourite.

Organizestudents’intosmallgroupsandhavethemsharetheirfamilies’traditionsoneatatime.

Intheclassroom,taketheopportunitytoacknowledgethatnotallfamiliescelebrateChristmastraditionallywiththebirthofChrist,orwithSantaClaus,orperhapswithdifferenttraditionsalltogether!AndbesuretoacknowledgethatnotallstudentscelebrateChristmasatall,whichisjustfine.Ifthatstudentfeelscomfortable,askthemtosharewiththeclasswhattheydoduringtheseason.

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Activity #3 – The Industrial Revolution and A Christmas Carol

TheIndustrialRevolutionwasaperiodwhenmuchofsocietymovedfromworkingonthelandasfarmerstoworkinginmanufacturingandcommerceinfactories.ItbeganinBritainandspreadthroughouttherestofEuropeandNorthAmerica,lastingfromthemiddleofthe18thcenturytotheearly1900s.ThereweretwomainphasesoftheRevolution:thefirstwasfoundedoniron,steam,andcoal;thesecondwasfoundedonsteel,electricity,andoil.Throughoutbothofthesephases,citiesgrewveryquicklyandmodernsciencesweredeveloped.Thenewinventions,ideasandmethodsthatresultedledtomoreefficientmeansofproduction.DuringtheIndustrialRevolution,ordinarypeoplefoundincreasedopportunitiesforemploymentinnumerousnewmillsandfactories,butthesejobswereoftenunderstrictworkingconditionswithlonghoursandlowpay.Thiscausedthegapbetweentherichandthepoortoincreasedramatically.ManyindividualsspokeoutagainsttheconditionsoftheworkingclassandtheeffectsoftheIndustrialRevolution,KarlMarxamongthem.AccordingtoMarx,theindustrializationofsocietyformedtwodifferentgroups:thebourgeoisie(businessowners)andtheproletariat(workingclass).Marxassertedthatthebalancebetweenthesetwogroupswasunfair.Thebourgeoisiewasbecomingabsurdlywealthyfromtheproletariats’labour,whilethelowerclasswasnotabletoreapthebenefitsoftheirhardwork.HefeltthecapitalisteconomycreatedbytheIndustrialRevolutionwasnotbeneficialtoallofsociety.Discussthefollowingwithyourclass:

• Doyouthinktheclassconflictbetweenthebourgeoisieandproletariat(businessandworkingclass)describedbyKarlMarxstillexiststoday?Whyorwhynot?Ifso,whereisthisclassconflictmostevident?

• Isthisfair?

• Howdowebegintochangeit?

Gatherchildrenintosmallgroupstobrainstorm.Shareideaswiththewholeclass.

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Activity #4 – The Christmas Spirit

InaChristmasCarol,EbenezerScroogehasachangeofheartattheendofthestory.Hebeginstounderstandthe“truemeaning”ofChristmas.Askyourclasswhattheythinkthe“truemeaning”ofChristmasis?Makenotesontheboard.Challengethemtocommitoneactofgoodwillwithinthenextweek.Brainstormasagroupwhattheycandoasindividualsthatcanmakeadifferenceinsomeone’slife.Thesecanincludegrandgestures,butbesuretotalkaboutsmall,everydayactsofkindness.Ensurethereisagoodlistofsmall,achievabledeedsthattheywillfeelcomfortablewith(e.g.,donatingtothefoodbank,cleaningupgarbage,donatingsomeoftheirtoystogoodwill,volunteeringattheirschool,etc.).Atthebeginningofthenextweekbesuretohavesomeorallclassmatessharetheirexperiences.Askthemwhattasktheydid,whytheychosethatparticulardeed,andhowitmadethemfeel?Wouldtheydoanactofgoodwillagain,andiftheydid,wouldtheychoosesomethingdifferent?

Activity 5 – Group Discussion

1. Whatwasyourfavouritepartoftheproduction?Why?2. Whowasyourfavouritecharacterintheplay?3. Discussthefeelingsthatpresentthemselvesduringtheplay.Howdidyoufeelwhen

Scroogewasbeingsomeantoeveryone?HowdidyoufeelaboutScrooge?Didyouhaveanysympathyforhimonceyousawsomescenesfromhispast?HowdidyoufeelabouttheCratchitfamily?

4. WhatdoyouthinkwasthefinalreasonforScrooge’schangeofheart?5. Didthestorymakeyoufeeldifferentlyaboutpeoplewhomaynotbeasfortunateas

you?

Exploring,DramaFormsPerformanceContext

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Curriculum Connections Drama HistoricalandAestheticContext

Exploring,DramaFormsPerformanceContext

ArtsEducation SocialandCulturalContextMusic Thoughts,ImagesandFeelings

ContextLanguageArts OralLanguage,ReadingandViewing,SpeakingandListeningSocialStudies SocietyandCulture

Works Cited Ackroyd,Peter(1990),Dickens.London:Sinclair,Stephenson.ISBN978-1-85619-000-8.

BBCPlotGuides:AChristmasCarol-Plotsummary(www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zgvbgk7/revision)

FredKaplan,Dickens:ABiography.NewYork:WilliamMorrow&Co.,1988

NewArts:AChristmasCarol–CharacterDescriptions(www.newarts.org/acc-character-descriptions)

TheLiteratureNetworks:CharacterSummary(www.online-literature.com/dickens/christmascarol/9/)

Wikipedia:AChristmasCarol(www.wikipedia.org/wiki/a_christmas_carol)