Discovery

GuideA CHRISTMAS

CAROL

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

2016-2017 Season

Written by CharlesDickens

Adapted and Directed by

Mark Cuddy

Music and Lyrics by Gregg Coffin

Dear Educators,“A painting,” said the artist Mark Rothko, “lives by companionship,expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive observer.”The same can be said of any artistic creation…and Charles Dickens’A Christmas Carol is most assuredly an artistic endeavor. One ofthe many things that makes Dickens’ tale of redemption andforgiveness so universal is its consistent invitation forcompanionship. There are so many points in Ebenezer Scrooge’sstory where we are rewarded for our careful observation, where weare allowed to meet Scrooge midway and compare our ownexperiences with his, functioning, in essence, as his companion aswe recognize our own actions in his. A Christmas Carol is, in manyways, as much about the personal experiences that we bring to it asit is about Scrooge and his eventual transformation. We understandhis discoveries because we have made many of the same ones in ourown lives…or are well on the way to making them. And we’re allthe better for having Dickens’ artistic creation there to lend ussupport and guidance along the way.

In an effort to help your students enter into the world ofA Christmas Carol, we have divided this Discovery Guide into threeseparate sections – one targeted for elementary school grades, onefor middle school, and one for high school. These pages aredesigned to springboard your students into their own explorationsof the world of Scrooge, the Cratchit family, Jacob Marley, and thespirits that follow in his redemptive wake. We encourage you to takethe following pages and use them in whichever ways best suit yourlesson plans or mesh with the culture of your classroom. There is,of course, no need to just adhere to the sections designated for yourgrade level(s) – this guide is full of thoughts and questions aboutDickens and his motivations for writing A Christmas Carol, aboutthe magic of the holidays (and its observations the world over), andthe limitless ways to tell this story.

We thank you for choosing to bring your students to this production– we’re certain that they’ll have an unforgettable experience.And please feel free to share their reflections and observationsabout A Christmas Carol – we’re honored to play a role in each newdiscovery.

We wish you a happy, healthy, and memorable holiday season.

Sincerely,

Eric EvansEducation Associateeevans@gevatheatre.org(585) 420-2035

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ElementarySchool

DearEducator . . . . . . 2

Synopsis . . . . . 2

VisualActivities. . . . . . 2

Charles Dickens’Childhood . . . . . 2

ChristmasTraditions . . . . . 3

Adaptations . . . 3

Writing Prompts/DiscussionQuestions . . . . . 4

ChristmasCarols . . . . . . . . 4

Middle School

DearEducator . . . . . . 5

Write aMonologue! . . . 5

CreatingCharacter . . . . . 5

Synopsis . . . . . 5

Designinga Ghost . . . . . . . 5

LifeInspires Art . . . 6

Life in Londonfor theLower Class . . . 6

Winter HolidaysAroundthe World . . . . . 7

DiscussionQuestions . . . . . 7

High School

DearEducator . . . . . . 8

Synopsis . . . . . . 8

About CharlesDickens . . . . . . . 8

London in the1800’s. . . . . . . . 9

Why DickensWroteA ChristmasCarol . . . . . . . . . 9

DesigningA ChristmasCarol . . . . . . . . 10

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

Cover image: A Christmas Carol production photo (2013)

Photo by Colin Huth

Participation in this productionand supplemental activities

suggested in this guidesupport the following

NYS Learning Standards:A: 2, 3, 4; ELA: 1, 2, 3; SS: 2

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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 overthe next three pages. 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 Marley, The Ghostof Christmas Past, The Ghost ofChristmas Present, and the Ghost ofChristmas Yet to Come. They showhim his life from the past, present,and future and help him realizehow unhappy he is and see theunhappiness that he causes in thepeople around him. He learns thatlove is more important than money.He changes his life to live with lovein his heart and to share that lovewith everyone around him. In theend, he has a merry Christmas. u

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

If you could giveScrooge any Christmaspresent to warm hisheart, what would it be?Draw a picture of it.

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

Be the Costume Designer!

Christmas Past isdescribed 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.

Marley is the very firstghost to visit Scrooge. Heis Scrooge’s former busi-ness partner. The scriptdescribes him as scary.Draw what you imagine helooks 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 bycostume designer Devon

Painter. Which picturedo you think shows

Scrooge at the beginningof the play? Which one

is of Scrooge at theend of the play?

Above: A youngCharles Dickens

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

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Circle the pictures that representyour holiday traditions.

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 Cratchits at the end of the play?* Scrooge has been compared to theGrinch. How are they similar? * What lesson does Scrooge learn inthis story?* Draw 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?

The composer and lyricist Gregg Coffin decided to basethe music in Geva’s production on many differentChristmas carols. A composer is a person who creates

music, and a lyricist isa person who writesthe words that aresung. Coffin feels thatChristmas carols arewonderful because oftheir sense of joy,hope, and brightness.He explains that “Theholidays are a timewhen music really

comes to the foreground in everybody’s life. People whodon’t usually sing at any other time of the year will findthemselves humming a Christmas tune during theholidays. For a composer and musician, its a wonderfultime of year and a wonderful collection of songsto enjoy.”

Every character in the showhas a connection to the music,just as the audience membersdo. Not only do the characterssing Christmas carols, but theyalso dance to them! Music is abig part of the parties that arein A Christmas 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 3 characters from the box tothe 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 haunting image andsend 3 spirits to show him his own past and present,and what his future will be like if he does not 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.” – 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 7 yearsago to the day. Marley warns Scrooge that if he doesn’tchange his unkind and miserly ways, he will end up likehimself – a tormented soul bound by chains and agony.To assist Scrooge in becoming a better man, Marleysends three more spirits to visit Scrooge during thenight. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge bothjoyful and heartbreaking memories from his past.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 “StudentMatinee” 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

CREATING 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 ChristmasCarol” under 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 ageand 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.

“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. 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 life inRochester in 2016 can help us explore how life for thelower and working classes have changed over time. Toaccess the worksheet for this activity, visithttp://www.gevatheatre.org/programs-for-students/ andlook 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,a hot punch, and a traditional plum pudding.

Plum Pudding: A traditional English plum pudding was simliar to a cake and tasted sweet anda little 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 acopper kettle over the fire. The making of a plum pudding was a very exciting family event. Ona day called Stir-Up Sunday, several weeks before Christmas, each family member would take

a turn at stirring the pudding clockwise with a wooden spoon for good luck. A ring (symbolizing marriage), a coin(symbolizing wealth), and thimble (symbolizing a happy single life) were sometimes added to the pudding’s batteras well. Between Stir-Up Sunday and Christmas Day, the pudding was stored in a hanging bag. On Christmas it wouldbe taken down, boiled in beef broth for a few hours, decorated with a spring of holly, doused in brandy, lit on firefor presentation, and then served by the head of the household with a blessing for all who would eat it.

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.

* 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?* Why did Charles Dickens write A Christmas Carol?What do you think he wanted you to take away from thestory?

Discussion Questions: Is plum pudding what you expected it would be like? Would you try plum pudding if itwere offered to you? Why or why not? Why do you think plum pudding was such an important Christmas ritual forVictorian families? Can you think of another dish that families in another culture might make together (likecookies in America, tamales in Guatamala, hallacas in Venezuela, Stollen in Germany, or Bigos in 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 Londoners mighthave 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 thisholiday? 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 his nephewFred's dinner invitation and rudely turns away twogentlemen who seek a donation to provide a Christmasdinner for the poor. His only “Christmas gift” is allowinghis overworked, underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit,Christmas Day off with pay – which he only does inorder to keep up with social convention.

Returning home that evening, Scrooge is visited byMarley's ghost. Marley warns him to change his wayslest 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 isarguably 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 thehow is perfectly combined with the why? Well, that’swhen 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 amagazine that published his next novel, Oliver Twist,again in monthly installments. Dickens went on towrite 13 more novels before his death in 1870. Many ofhis works deal with social issues and reforms of theday, especially poverty and education, certainly theinfluence 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 reapingthe 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 andwell-being of children, especially thoseaffected by the results of England’s rapidindustrialization. By the mid-nineteenthcentury, for example, it is believed thatwell over a hundred-thousand children inLondon had never attended a school ofany kind. Those children who did notattend school worked. Many worked infactories and mines. Some children

began work at the age of three and in some of themore dangerous workplaces, such as iron or coalmines, the life expectancy generally didn’t exceed themid-twenties. Children were often the preferredworkforce in these industries – they could be paid lessthan adults, often no strength was required to operatea machine and, as these machines were completelynew, there was no need for experienced adultlaborers. It was not uncommon in the earlier part ofnineteenth-century England for children to worksixteen 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 to the experiences of hisreaders. As a result, Dickens attracted crowds wher-ever he went and often gave well-attended readings ofhis writings. It was Dickens’ belief that he should usethis fame to highlight the needs of those less fortunateLondoners, be it more sanitary living and workingconditions, clean water, or better 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?” – 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, to help us experiencethe sensation of living in the world of the play. We asked several of thedesigners of A Christmas Carol to consider their hopes for your experience withthe story.

Lindsay Jones, Sound DesignerThis 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 LyricistI hope my music adds to the peaks and thevalleys of Scrooge’s journey. The ‘songs’in this production are specifically writtento be songs for a play with music. Thatmeans none of them develop character ormove plot along. All the sung momentselaborate on textual ideas that havealready been presented.

Dan Scully, Video DesignerWhile 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 DesignerFor 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 DesignerScrooge 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?

Create your own design team with oneperson handling each of the specificdesign elements. Don’t forget to includea Lighting Designer. Paul Hackenmueller,the Lighting Designer for A ChristmasCarol, wasn’t included on this page, buthis work is extremely important to yourenjoyment of the show. Consider all ofthe ways in which the different designelements will coincide with one anotherand how they can enhance the telling ofthe story.

DESIGNING A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Interested in sponsoring Geva’s Educational

programming? Contact Geva’s Development

Department at (585) 232-1366

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

February 8th,14th, and

15th at 10:30amFor 8thgrade and up

February28th, March2nd, and 9th at 10:30amFor middle

schooland up

March 30th at 10:30amFor middle

schooland up

Joseph and Irene Skalny Charitable Trust

Ames-Amzalak Memorial Trust in Memory of Henry Ames, Semon Amzalak and Dan Amzalak

The Avangrid Foundation Canandaigua National BankCornell/Weinstein Family Foundation

Donald F. and Maxine B. Davison Foundation

EnterpriseExcellus BlueCross BlueShieldMax and Marian Farash Charitable

FoundationFeinbloom Supporting FoundationThe Guido and Ellen Palma

Foundation

Hearst FoundationsM&T BankThe Polisseni FoundationRochester Area Community FoundationTime Warner CableWegmans Food MarketsFred & Floy Willmott FoundationElaine P. & Richard U. Wilson FoundationThe Xerox Foundation

Honorary Co-Chairs* Nannette Nocon & Karl Wessendorf

Executive Producers* David & Patricia Gardner

Producers & Lounge Sponsors* Nocon & Associates,

A privatewealth advisory practice ofAmeriprise Financial Services, Inc.

* Manning Squires Hennig

Additional Support* CJS Architects* Constellation Brands

* Elaine P. & Richard U. Wilson Foundation

* Empire Digital Services* Entre Computer Services* Ethan Allen Furniture* Rochester Regional Health* U.S. Employee Benefits

Services Group* Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP

In-Kind Support* Balsam Bagels* Black Button Distilling* Conolly Printing* Fioravanti Florist* Hedonist Artisan Chocolates

* immagine-Photography* Madeline’s Catering* Marshall Street Bar & Grill* The Melting Pot* Moonlight Creamery* Nolan’s Rental Inc.* Paper Moon Products* ROC Brewing Co.

Special thanks to the 102 Summer Curtain Call guests who donatedduring the paddle call.

Summer Curtain Call Supporters

Thank you to the supporters of the 2016 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 05/31/2015 through 10/31/2016)