Discovery

GuideA CHRISTMAS

CAROL

P.L.A.Y. (Performance = Literature + Art + You) Student Matinee Series

2017-2018 Season

Written by

Charles Dickens

Adapted and Directed by

Mark Cuddy

Music and Lyrics by Gregg Coffin

Dear Educators,Many of us know well this classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemptive journey, secondchance at life, and change of heart. It’s a story, we assume, most people know. Yet every yearat our Teacher Workshop for A Christmas Carol, I am pleasantly reminded by our localeducators that, quite often, our production is many a young student’s very first exposure tothis story, and to live theatre as a whole.

When you take a moment to let it sink in, isn’t that incredibly heartening and delightful?That this story, of all stories – one so full of compassion and forgiveness and hope – is so oftenthe first theatre performance many of our children will experience? And, furthermore, that weget to watch them discover and enjoy it for the first time? What a gift!

For many others, adults and kids alike, who consider it an annual tradition to attend AChristmas Carol, why do we return to this tale year after year, well after we know theoutcome and could, perhaps, even recite all the words and songs ourselves? Some, I imagine,crave the comfort of this constant and stable reminder of goodness in the world. Others, asyou may be able to relate, discover the story and it’s meaning anew every year.

Five years ago, in this very same letter, I wrote that this story, “is about those who had solittle, finding so much joy and pride in the simple comforts of a hearty meal, a warm fire, andthe cozy embrace of companionship. It was about compassion, gratitude, generosity of spirit,laughter, and hope; things that don’t cost money or stress – merely a few moments of time. Ifthe Cratchits can have a merry Christmas with so much less than we, if Scrooge can learn tohave – and give to others – a merry Christmas despite his haunting past, and if Fred cancheerfully and persistently share the gift of joy with others, in spite of the objections and ‘BahHumbugs!’ he faced in reply, then there is always hope for us as well.”

This year, in particular, A Christmas Carol feels differently to me – somehow more poignantand fresh. Amidst increasing turbulence in the world today, this story is not only a source ofcomfort, but its lessons seem more powerful. I feel boldly challenged to examine – likeScrooge – the past, present, and future, and how I can do better, and how I can help others todo better. To me this year, A Christmas Carol is a call to action.

I believe the true gift of A Christmas Carol lies is in how it transcends time and generation.Whether we are exploring this tale for the very first time or for the eighty-first time, this storycan be, for each one of us, what we need it to be this year. Isn’t that incredibly heartening anddelightful?

Thank you for sharing this gift with your students. u

Sincerely,

Lara RhynerAssociate Director of Educationlrhyner@gevatheatre.org(585) 420-2058

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“It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk in fellowship among mankind.” – Jacob Marley

About Scrooge’sJourney, from

DirectorMark Cuddy:

“I’m a proponent ofsaying that the

more you know,the more you real-ize you don’t know.

It was importantfor me that, duringScrooge’s journey,he started to placehimself in context,and that it was part

of the lesson forhim. He needed to

know that theworld was muchbigger than him.Scrooge looks at

the world in a verytwo-dimensionalway, black and

white, or like he’swatching a movie.He’s watching theworld go by - notparticipating. He’ssaying ‘leave me

alone, just leave mealone.’ But if partof the journey isabout becoming

more engaged, cer-tainly - at the endof the story - herealizes that he’s

just a tiny speck inthis tiny universe.He’s really seeingeverything for thefirst time. In other

adaptations andolder versions of

the show, with theGhost of Christmas

Present, Scroogesays ‘I’ve never

seen,’ and Presentsays, ‘Well, younever looked.’”

College and Career ReadinessAnchor Standards for elementary school

and up are available at:http://www.GevaTheatre.org/engage-learn/

programs-for-students/

Cover image: A Christmas Carol production photo (2013)Photo by Colin Huth

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This section is comprised of ideas foractivities that your elementary-agedstudents can complete in preparationfor A Christmas Carol. Included is asynopsis, visual activities, discussionquestions, and writing prompts. u

Bah, humbug! A Christmas Carol isthe story of a mean old man who onlycares about money. He doesn’t likeChristmas because he doesn’t believethat he can profit from it. He isvisited by four ghosts – his oldbusiness partner Jacob Marley, TheGhost of Christmas Past, The Ghostof Christmas Present, and the Ghostof Christmas Yet to Come. They showhim his life from the past, present,and future. They help him realizehow unhappy he is and see theunhappiness that he causes in thepeople around him. He learns thatlove is more important than money,and he changes his life to live withlove in his heart and to share thatlove with everyone around him. Inthe end, he has a merry Christmas,and gives others the gift of a MerryChristmas as well. u

What does Scrooge dowith his money? Draw apicture of things youthink he might buy or do.

If you could give Scroogeany Christmas present towarm his heart, whatwould it be? Draw a pic-ture of it.

Draw yourself standingnext to Tiny Tim. Don’tforget how tiny he is!

Be the Costume Designer!

Christmas Past is de-scribed as an angelicchild in the script. Drawwhat you imagine shewould look like.

Christmas Present isfirst seen sitting on athrone. What do youthink that means abouthis clothes? Use yourimagination to draw him.

Christmas Yet to Comeis described as a shadowyfigure. Use your imagina-tion to draw what hewould look like.

Jacob Marley is the veryfirst ghost to visit Scrooge.He is Scrooge’s formerbusiness partner. Thescript describes him asscary. Draw what youimagine he looks like. u

When Charles Dickens was a boy, his family was very poor. His father’sdebt was more than the family could afford, and they were sent to jail.Charles had to drop out of school in order to work at a factory so that hecould earn money to pay off his family’s debt. He spent his days pastinglabels onto jars in a shoe factory and earned very little money. His familyeventually came home and Charles was able to go back to school, but henever forgot how awful it was to work in a factory. Ever since then,Charles worked hard to help the poor. One of the ways he did that was towrite stories that made people stop and really think about how the poorare treated. An example of one of these stories is A Christmas Carol. u

“Mercy! Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble me?” – Scrooge

Pretend thatCharles

Dickens isyour friendand write aletter to himto tell him

how you feelabout his life.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLDEAR EDUCATOR

SYNOPSIS

CHARLES DICKENS’ CHILDHOOD

VISUAL ACTIVITIES

These pictures ofScrooge were created by

Costume DesignerDevon Painter. Whichpicture do you thinkshows Scrooge at thebeginning of the play?

Which one is of Scroogeat the end of the play?

Above: A youngCharles Dickens

“Merry Christmas, Bob, to you and your family.” – Fred

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Circle the pictures that bestrepresent your holiday traditions!

Draw a picture of your own thatrepresents your most favorite

holiday tradition! u

Did you know that A Christmas Carol was importantin creating a lot of Christmas traditions that wecelebrate today? It was written at a time when peoplethought the day should just be about observing thebirth of Jesus and not include any celebrations.

Dickens said that Christmas was a good time of year:a kind, forgiving, and pleasant time, and his storycaused the creation of many Christmas traditions inEngland. Some of those traditions include decoratingChristmas trees, singing Christmas carols, sendingChristmas cards, and giving and receiving gifts. Theseare traditions that we still celebrate today. Act out,write about, or draw some of your favorite holidaytraditions. Do you eat the same food every year? Doyou make Christmas cookies? Does your family go toa religious service? Do you travel during theholidays? Do you visit relatives? Do you hangstockings on the fireplace? Do you play in the snowand make snowmen or snow angels? u

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

ADAPTATIONS

Have you ever seen or read A Christmas Carolbefore? There are many different versions of thisclassic story. Some examples of these movies are:Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983); The Muppet

Christmas Carol (1992); andA Sesame Street ChristmasCarol (2006). If you havewatched any of these, youhave seen an adaptation of theoriginal A Christmas Carol.The play you are going to seeis a new adaptation madeespecially for Geva. u

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“Voices lift in unison with songs to say, ‘Welcome now the blessings of this Christmas Day.’” – Carolers

WRITING PROMPTS/DICUSSION QUESTIONS

Before* What do you know about A Christmas Carol?* Have you seen A Christmas Carol before? Have youever seen it at Geva?* Have you ever seen a play or musical?* What do you know aboutLondon?* What Christmas carols do youknow? Have you ever goneChristmas caroling?* What’s your favorite holidaybook? What’s your favoriteholiday movie?* What are some other holidays that you know about?* Do you know any ghost stories? Do ghosts alwayshave to be scary?

After* Why do you think A Christmas Carol has remainedsuch a popular story throughout the years?

* What was your favorite part of the show?* Who was your favorite character? Why?* What did you think of the four ghosts?* Why did the ghosts visit Scrooge?* Why did Marley have chains on him?* Why did looking at his past make

Scrooge emotional?* When the Ghost of Christmas Present

showed Scrooge the dinner party, do you think thewords he overheard hurt his feelings? How would youfeel in that situation?* When the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come showedScrooge the future, why wasn’t anyone at his grave?* How was Tiny Tim different fromhis brothers and sisters? What didScrooge do to help Tiny Tim?* Why did Scrooge buy a turkey forthe Cratchit family at the end of theplay?* Scrooge has been compared to theGrinch. How are they similar? * What lesson does Scrooge learn in this story?* Write a Christmas card to Scrooge about his change ofheart. Are you happy for him? u

Christmas carols are very important to this show,especially in Geva’s production. Christmas carols arejoyful songs that are sung around Christmastime. Thereare radio stations that play Christmas carols all day,every day in December. Music groups go Christmascaroling all sorts of places.Have you ever had a group ofChristmas carolers come toyour door?

This production’s Composer and Lyricist, Gregg Coffin,decided to base the music on many different Christmascarols. A composer is a person who creates music, and

a lyricist is a personwho writes the wordsthat are sung. Coffinfeels that Christmascarols are wonderfulbecause of their senseof joy, hope, andbrightnes. He explainsthat, “the holidays area time when musicreally comes to the

foreground in everybody’s life. People who don’t usual-ly sing at any other time of the year will find themselveshumming a Christmas tune during the holidays. For acomposer and musician, its a wonderful time of yearand a wonderful collection of songs to enjoy.”

Every character in the show has a connection tothe music, just as the audiencemembers do. Not only do thecharacters sing Christmascarols, but they also dance tothem! Music is a big part ofthe parties that are in AChristmas Carol.

The relationship between Scrooge and Christmas carolschanges throughout the show. Why do you think that is?Pay attention to how he reacts to songs at the beginningof the show, and how he responds at the end. u

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

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As actors prepare to play characters, they oftenanalyze what their character’s goals and tactics are.They do this to tell the story as truthfully as possible,so that the play feels very real both to the actors andto the audience. Choose three characters from the boxto the right. For each character, write their name, theirobjective, a tactic they use to try to achieve theirobjective, and if they succeed or fail in reaching theirobjective by the end of the play.

Example:Character: Jacob MarleyObjective: To warn Scrooge about his future andprevent him from sharing his fate.Tactic: Scare Scrooge with his own haunting image,and send three spirits to show him his own past andpresent, and what his future will be like if he doesnot change.Outcome: Succeed. Scrooge changes his ways andbecomes a better man. u

“I am here tonight to warn you that you have yet a chance of escaping my fate.” – Jacob Marley

MIDDLE SCHOOLSYNOPSISDEAR EDUCATOR

This section of our Discovery Guide explores relevantcontent, research ideas, writing prompts, discussionquestions, and individual and group activities to helpconnect your middle school students with key themes inGeva’s production of A Christmas Carol. Individualselections or the unit as a whole may be distributed toyour students for investigation and discovery, accordingto your classroom schedule and curriculum needs.Please consider that we also eagerly welcome lettersand projects from students sent to the theatre for thecast, crew, and artistic team, and we are happy to sharethem as they arrive. u

Set in England in the 1800s, A Christmas Carol tells thestory of Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish and bitterbusinessman who hates Christmas and cares more aboutmoney than anything or anyone else. On Christmas Eve,as he tries to fall asleep, he is visited by the ghost of hisformer business partner Jacob Marley, who died sevenyears ago to the day. Marley warns Scrooge that if hedoesn’t change his unkind and miserly ways, he will endup like himself – a tormented soul bound by chains andagony. To assist Scrooge in becoming a better man,Marley sends three more spirits to visit Scrooge duringthe night. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scroogeboth joyful and heartbreaking memories from hispast. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scroogemoments of happiness with his family that he is missingout on and visions of the home life of his clerk, BobCratchit, and his family. The Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome haunts Scrooge with the miserable life and deaththat await him – and others – if he does not change.Scrooge awakes from his journey in the morning as achanged man who vows to keep the lessons ofChristmas in his heart forevermore. u

WRITE A MONOLOGUE!Writing a monologue in the voice of a particularcharacter can be a fun opportunity to discover moreabout the character’s life and imagine details about himor her that the playwright may not have included in theplay. To access the worksheet for this activity, visithttp://www.GevaTheatre.org/programs-for-students/ andlook for A Christmas Carol under the “Student Matinee”heading. u

Bob Cratchit / Mrs. Cratchit / Ghost ofChristmas Past / Fan / Mr. Fezziwig / Ghostof Christmas Present / Tiny Tim / MarthaCratchit / Belle / Fred / Young Ebenezer /Scrooge/ Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

DEVELOPING A CHARACTERIt is the decision of a play’s Director and CostumeDesigner to choose what the characters in the play looklike onstage. While they may choose to present theghosts in a way that is similar to what Charles Dickensenvisioned in his novel, they may also choose to portraythem completely differently. To access the worksheetfor this activity, visit http://www.GevaTheatre.org/programs-for-students/ and look for A Christmas Carolunder the “Student Matinee” heading. u

DESIGNING A GHOST

Character: Objective: Tactic: Outcome:

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While Dickens was alive, it is believed that over 100,000children in London never attended a school of any kind.Children who were lucky enough to go to school mayhave attended “ragged schools” – or schools for poorchildren. In many instances, the ragged schools not onlyprovided basic education, but also minimal food,clothing, and shelter for their students. The buildingswere often run-down, over-crowded, full of disease, andcovered in soot from the growing industrialization ofthe country. Most children also worked in factories, ironand coal mines, shipyards, construction businesses, andas matchbox makers, stitchers, chimney sweeps, andscrap metal scavengers. Lower or working-classfamilies could not survive without the wages earned byeach family member, including children, whosometimes worked 16 hours a day and were paid muchless than adults were paid. Families who could notafford housing or find jobs usually ended up living inworkhouses – huge buildings that served as a temporaryhome to the destitute of London. Families inworkhouses were usually separated by gender and age,and they didn’t get to see each other very often. Theworkhouse was a humiliating and degrading place tolive, and people only stayed there as a very last resort.Not unlike the ragged schools, workhouses were oftendilapidated and unsanitary. Many Victorians died fromillness and disease, which were very common becauseof unclean drinking water, improper waste disposal, anda lack of good nutrition. u

“Tim and I almost joined a group of buskers outside of St. Paul’s and danced for coins all night!” – Bob Cratchit

Activities: For many artists (composers, playwrights,songwriters, painters, authors, choreographers, etc.),the art they create is inspired by their own life story.

* In the paragraph above, use a highlighter to markany similarities you notice between Dickens’ own lifeand the story or characters in A Christmas Carol.* Research an artist you like. Were any of theirartistic creations inspired by their life story?* If you were to create a piece of art (visual,performance, written, etc.), would you use your ownpast as a springboard? Is there a specific event inyour life you would use for inspiration? u

LIFE INSPIRES ART

LIFE IN LONDON FORTHE LOWER CLASS

Character: Objective: Tactic: Outcome:

Character: Objective: Tactic: Outcome:

Charles Dickens was born in England and shared ahome with his father (a Navy pay-office clerk), mother,and seven siblings. Living with his large family as ayoung boy, Dickens happily referred to this time in hislife as “a happy dream.” Charles spent his childhoodreading and acting since he suffered from seizures andhad to spend much of his time indoors. But these joyfulyears ended when Charles’ father, unable to repaymoney he owed, was sent to debtor’s prison. At the ageof 12, Charles was sent to live alone and work in afactory to make money to support his family. His sisterFanny was sent away to school, and his mother and therest of his brothers and sisters were sent to live in theprison with his father. Charles experienced the pains ofchild labor and the terrible way the poor people ofLondon lived. When the family was released fromdebtor’s prison, Charles attended school and became aclerk at a legal firm, and later a reporter for the courts,where he learned about the British legal system.Dickens became somewhat of a celebrity in England,famous for his novels and goodwill, and advocating forproper care and compassion for London’s mostimpoverished and unrepresented citizens – especiallychildren, the sick, and the poor. u Questions: Charles Dickens thought it was important

to help the poor of London. Is there a group of peoplein Rochester that might need someone to help stand upfor them, their rights, or their needs? What can be doneto help them? Is there anything you can do to helpthem?

Activity: Comparing life in Victorian London to lifein Rochester in 2017 can help us explore how life forthe lower and working classes have changed over time.To access the worksheet for this activity, visithttp://www.GevaTheatre.org/programs-for-students/and look for A Christmas Carol under the “StudentMatinee” heading. u

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“Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled inhis own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart!” – Scrooge

A VICTORIAN CHRISTMASWhat we may think of as a “traditional Christmas” did not really exist before Dickens’ time. Many of our mostfavorite ideas of what Christmas is – Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas cards, Christmas carols, presents,wreaths, a proper Christmas dinner, and time with family for singing and playing games - were not established orpopularized until the 1800s. Christmas’ emphasis on doing good and helping people in need came, in large part,directly from Charles Dickens. The centerpiece of the Victorian Christmas celebration was the Christmas dinnerfeast. Because so many people had so little money and no gifts to give, a grand dinner of delicious food was the gifteveryone looked forward to enjoying and sharing the most. Of course, the contents of a family’s Christmas dinnerall depended on what they could afford, but the traditional Victorian Christmas dinner usually consisted of aChristmas bird or some other meat (goose, chicken, turkey, roast beef, a boar’s head, ham, or wild game), dressing(stuffing), potatoes, sweet or savory pies (such as cranberry or mince meat), oranges, pears, apples or other fruit, ahot punch, and a traditional plum pudding.

Plum Pudding: A traditional English plum pudding was simliar to a cake, and tasted sweet (and alittle savory too). It was often made of some combination of porridge, suet (beef or mutton fat),breadcrumbs, raisins, prunes, currents, citron (lemon or orange peel), nuts, rum or brandy, sugar,butter, eggs, flour, milk, and spices such as nutmeg or ginger, and was cooked in a copper kettle overthe fire. The making of a plum pudding was a very exciting family event. On a day called Stir-Up

Sunday, several weeks before Christmas, each family member would take a turn at stirring the pudding clockwisewith a wooden spoon for good luck. A ring (symbolizing marriage), a coin (symbolizing wealth), and a thimble (sym-bolizing a happy single life) were sometimes added to the pudding’s batter as well. Between Stir-Up Sunday andChristmas Day, the pudding was stored in a hanging bag. On Christmas it would be taken down, boiled in beef brothfor a few hours, decorated with a spring of holly, doused in brandy, lit on fire for presentation, and then served bythe head of the household with a blessing for all who would eat it. u

A Christmas Carol is set in the context of the Christiantradition of Christmas, but there are many more winterholidays that are celebrated by other faiths and culturesaround the world. To access the worksheet for thisactivity, visit http://www.GevaTheatre.org/programs-for-students/ and look for A Christmas Carol under the“Student Matinee” heading. u

* What does having “the Christmas spirit” mean to you? * What are the most important things in life? Whatbrings true happiness? * What makes someone a good person?* If you could change one thing from your past, whatwould it be, and why?* Why did Charles Dickens write A Christmas Carol?* What do you think Dickens wanted you to take awayfrom the story? u

Discussion Questions: Is plum pudding what you expected it would be like? Would you try a traditional Victorianplum pudding if it were offered to you? Why or why not? Why do you think plum pudding was such an importantChristmas ritual for Victorian families? Can you think of another dish that families in another culture mightmake together (like cookies in America, tamales in Guatamala, hallacas in Venezuela, Stollen in Germany, or Bigosin Poland)?

* Is there a meal or special dish that you and your family enjoy during a particular holiday? What foods or drinksare included in that meal?

* Why do you eat the dish you described above? Does it have a special meaning or significance? Is it a tradition?

* Do you eat any of the same foods during your holiday meal that the Cratchits or other Victorian Londonersmight have eaten during their Christmas dinner? If so, which foods do you and your family still eat today?* Are there any dishes included in the Victorian Christmas feast that you would like to try if you had theopportunity? Are there any you would not try? * Does your family celebrate any winter holidays? If so, which holiday? What are your family traditions during this holiday? u

WINTER HOLIDAYSAROUND THE WORLD

WRITING PROMPTS

88.

A Christmas Carol begins on Christmas Eve in 1843,exactly seven years after the death of EbenezerScrooge’s business partner, Jacob Marley. Scroogehates Christmas and has no place in his life forkindness, compassion, or charity. He refuses hisnephew Fred’s dinner invitation, and rudely turns awaytwo gentlemen who seek a donation to provide aChristmas dinner for the poor. His only “Christmas gift”is allowing his overworked, underpaid clerk, BobCratchit, Christmas Day off with pay – which he onlydoes in order to keep up with social convention.

Returning home that evening, Scrooge is visited byMarley’s ghost. Marley warns him to change his ways,lest Scrooge suffer the same miserable afterlife asMarley. He alerts Scrooge that he will be visited bythree ghosts who will accompany him to variouslocations with the hope of helping him to undergoa transformation.

The first of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past,takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes of his youth,hoping to remind him of a time when he was moreinnocent. The second spirit, the Ghost of ChristmasPresent, takes Scrooge to several current Christmassettings – most notably the home of his impoverishedclerk Bob Cratchit, introducing his youngest son, TinyTim, who is seriously ill but cannot receive treatmentdue to Scrooge’s unwillingness to pay Cratchit a decentwage. The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome, shows Scrooge dire visions of the future if hedoes not learn and act upon what he has witnessed,including Tiny Tim’s death.

Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning with joy andlove in his heart and decides to spend the day with hisnephew’s family after anonymously sending a prizeturkey to the Cratchit home for Christmas dinner.Scrooge has become a different man overnight and nowtreats his fellow men with kindness, generosity, andcompassion, gaining a reputation as a man who knows“how to keep Christmas well, if any man alivepossessed the knowledge.” u

The following pages were designed with your highschool students in mind. The focus for the first twopages of this section is on the “why” behind what is,arguably, Dickens’ most famous work. We hope thatyou will see these pages as launching points not justfor your students’ explorations of A Christmas Carolas a work of fiction but, also, as a path to considerthe ways that Dickens’ deeply-held concerns are stillwith us – be they child labor, extreme poverty, orpoor working conditions (and the ways in whichthose topics intersect). The final page of this sectioninvites your students to consider the myriad of designchoices that are presented by our production ofA Christmas Carol. The way that a story is told, ofcourse, is just as important as the “why”. And when the“how” is perfectly combined with the “why”? Well,that’s when the magic happens. u

Charles Dickens was born onFebruary 7, 1812, the second of eightchildren. Dickens was an eagerstudent with a deep love of readingand writing. Unfortunately, Dickens’father incurred debts that he wasunable to repay and when Charleswas twelve years old, his father was

sent to debtor’s prison while Dickens was sent to afactory to help support his family. After his fatherreceived an inheritance left by a deceased relative andrepaid the debt, Dickens was able to leave the factoryand return to school and his family. Charles left schoolat age 15 to become a law clerk and then a reporter. Hebegan writing stories in 1836 under a pseudonym. Thestories, called The Pickwick Papers, were publishedin monthly installments. He became the editor of themagazine that published his next novel, Oliver Twist,also in monthly installments. Dickens went on to write13 more novels before his death in 1870. Many of hisworks deal with social issues and reforms of the day,especially poverty and education, which was certainlythe influence of his time as a child laborer. u

“I am not the man I was! This is not the man I will be!” – Scrooge

Above: CharlesDickens

HIGH SCHOOLSYNOPSIS

ABOUT CHARLES DICKENS

DEAR EDUCATOR

During the 1800s, London was one of the mostadvanced cities in the world. Britain was in the midstof the Industrial Revolution, and its capital was reap-ing the financial benefits of such growth. The city,however, was also suffering the consequences of theserapid advances. The price of this explosive growth wasuntold squalor throughout the city.

Imagine nineteenth-century London: Thehomes of the burgeon-ing upper and middleclasses in extremelyclose proximity toareas of unbelievablepoverty and filth. Street sweepers fought a losingbattle in an attempt to keep the streets clean ofmanure, the result of thousands of horse-drawncarriages. The city’s many chimney pots belched coalsmoke, resulting in soot settling everywhere. In manyparts of the city, raw sewage and human waste flowedin gutters that eventually emptied into the ThamesRiver, a water source used by the entire population.

Dickens believed that addressing the needs of thedestitute should be paramount among the concerns ofany society. It was these living conditions – and, moreimportantly, their effects on the poorest and youngestof the city’s dwellers - that influenced much ofDickens’ writing and motivated him to write AChristmas Carol. To learn more about Charles Dickensand London in the 1800s please visit: http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html.

As a point of comparison, we canlook at modern-day China. LikeLondon in the 1800s, China is in themidst of an economic, technologi-cal, and industrial revolution. It isalso grappling with the societal and

environmental impact of rapid and unparalleledgrowth. Research China (or any other country orregion undergoing modernization) and compare theirexperiences to nineteenth-century London. What issimilar? What is different? And what can be done tomanage the impacts (both positive and negative) ofthese changes? u

Charles Dickens was particularlyconcerned with the health, treatment,and well-being of children, especiallythose affected by the results of England’srapid industrialization. By the mid-nine-teenth century, for example, it is believedthat well over a hundred-thousand chil-dren in London had never attended aschool of any kind. Those children whodid not attend school worked. Manyworked in factories and mines. Somechildren began work at the age of three,

and in some of the more dangerous workplaces – suchas iron or coal mines – the life expectancy generallydidn’t exceed the mid-twenties. Children were oftenthe preferred workforce in these industries – theycould be paid less than adults, often no strength wasrequired to operate a machine and, as these machineswere completely new, there was no need for experi-enced adult laborers. It was not uncommon in the ear-lier part of nineteenth-century England for children towork 16 hour days (the same as adults).

One of the ways that Dickens sought to drawattention to the plight of the poorwas through the use of hisown celebrity. Dickens’ works –novels, serials, and essays alike –were extremely popular. Theywere accessible, easily afford-able, and often spoke directly tothe experiences of his readers. As a result, Dickensattracted crowds wherever he went and often gavewell-attended readings of his writings. It was Dickens’belief that he should use this fame to highlight theneeds of those less fortunate Londoners, be it moresanitary living and working conditions, clean water, orbetter equipped schools.

Consider the use of a celebrity’s fame as a wayto draw attention to a particular social issue. Hasa celebrity’s involvement introduced you to an issueor social cause? Was it effective? Did thisintroduction cause you to explore the issue ingreater detail? What actions did you take as a resultof this exploration? u

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“It is more than desirable that we should make some slight provision forthe Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time.” – Gent

LONDON IN THE 1800sWHY DICKENS WROTEA CHRISTMAS CAROL

Above: London in the 1800s

Above: Childlaborers in 1800sLondon

Above: Child laborerin Bangladesh

Above: China in 2014

“Do you believe in me or not?” – Jacob Marley

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Think about the evolution of a story as it becomes a play. There is a script - wordson a page put there by a playwright. There are actors who have memorized thosewords in order to share that story with us. But once that story finds its way tothe stage, it takes a group of designers to bring it to life, and to help usexperience the sensation of living in the world of the play. We asked several ofthe designers of A Christmas Carol to consider their hopes for your experiencewith the story.

Lindsay Jones, Sound Designer“This production has so much music thatis beautiful and lush, full of the holidayspirit. With sound, I can bring thedarkness; the moments of tensionand danger that contrast with that.”

Gregg Coffin, Composer and Lyricist“I hope my music adds to the peaks andthe valleys of Scrooge’s journey. The‘songs’ in this production are specifical-ly written to be songs for a play withmusic. That means none of them developcharacter or move plot along. All the sungmoments elaborate on textual ideas thathave already been presented.”

Dan Scully, Video Designer“While looking at collections of Victorianengravings of London, I discovered eachtechnique of engraving imparts its ownemotional charge. I’m trying to illuminatethe different kinds of experiences eachghost brings.”

Adam Koch, Set Designer“For this production, we wanted to stripaway the heavy adornment and the usualformal decorative baggage that cancome with a telling of this traditionalDickensian holiday story. One of thethrills and challenges of designingfor this production is the opportunityto make a seemingly simple spacemagically transform into all thehaunting, joyous, scary, splendid,freezing, cozy, and infinite worlds withinA Christmas Carol.”

Devon Painter, Costume Designer“Scrooge probably thinks he and his lifeare basically alright, and Marley is thefirst warning saying: No, you’re not at allalright. Marley needs to be truly scary,gruesome enough to be truly gross anduncomfortable.”

Select one design element and track how many different approaches that designeruses over the course of the play. Why do you think they made those specific design

choices? What different choices would you have made if you were the designer?

In small groups, create your own designteam with one person handling each ofthe specific design elements. Don’t for-get to include a Lighting Designer. PaulHackenmueller, the Lighting Designer forA Christmas Carol, wasn’t included onthis page, but his work is extremelyimportant to your enjoyment of the show.Consider all of the ways in which thedifferent design elements will collabo-rate with one another, and how they canenhance the telling of the story.

DESIGNING A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Are you interested in sponsoringGeva’s educational

programming? Contact Geva’sAdvancement Department at

(585) 420-2041

Upcoming Student Matinee Performances

For more information, please call (585) 420-2035

75 Woodbury BoulevardRochester, New York 14607Box Office: (585) 232-4382

Education Department: (585) 420-2058 or 420-2035www.GevaTheatre.org

Ames Amzalak Memorial TrustAvangrid Foundation

Cornell Weinstein Family FoundationDaisy Marquis Jones Foundation

The Donald F. and Maxine B. Davison FoundationExcellus BlueCross BlueShield

Feinbloom Supporting Foundation

Gannett FoundationWilliam & Sheila Konar Foundation

The Rubens Family FoundationJoseph & Irene Skalny Charitable Trust

The Fred & Floy Wilmott FoundationThe Louis S. & Molly B. Wolk Foundation

Wollner Charitable Trust

Honorary Co-ChairsArunas & Pam Chesonis

Executive ProducersESL Federal Credit UnionDavid & Patricia Gardner

Producers & Lounge SponsorsNocon & Associates

A private wealth advisory practice ofAmeriprise Financial Service, Inc.

Dr. Dawn Lipson

Additional SupportAmica Mutual Insurance Co.

Ted & Peggy BoucherBarbara & John Bruning

Theresa A. Conroy & Raymond H. RossAsher & Monica Flaum

Pam GiambroneJoanna & Michael GrosodoniaHarter Secrest & Emery, LLP

Marc IaconaLaBella Associates, PPC

Manning Squires Hennig Co., Inc.Nazareth College

Rochester Area Community FoundationSidney & Barbara Sobel

Sweetwater EnergyJustin & Louise Vigdor

In-Kind SupportBlack Button Distilling

Conolly PrintingConstellation Brands

Entre Computer ServicesEmpire Digital SignsEthan Allen Furniture

Fioravanti FloristHedonist Artisan Chocolates

immaginé PhotographyIron Smoke DistilleryMadeline’s Catering

Marshall Street Bar & GrillThe Melting Pot

Moonlight CreameryNolan’s Rentals

Papermoon ProductionsROC Brewing Co.

Standing Stone Vineyards

Special thanks to the 130 SummerCurtain Call guests who donated

during the paddle call.

Summer Curtain Call Supporters

Thank you to the supporters of the 2017 Summer Curtain Call Event, our annual gala in support of our education programs.

Education PartnersThank you to our corporate and foundation donors who support our education programs

(Donors are listed for the time period 8/1/2016 through 10/15/2017)

February 27th,March 1st, 8th,

13th, 14th,15th, and 16th

at 10:30amFor 7th grade

and up

March 22nd,27th, and

29th at 10:30am

For highschool

audiences