Visual Story for the Relaxed Performance of A Christmas Carol

at

Saturday December 2nd, 2017

2:00 pm

At the Max Bell Theatre in Arts Commons

225 8 Avenue SE. Calgary

This Visual Story is designed to help visitors prepare to attend the Relaxed Performance of A Christmas Carol

Contents

About the Relaxed Performance

About the play

About the Max Bell Theatre and getting to and around Arts Commons

We’re so happy to have you join us at the theatre! If you have

any questions, please reach out to us.

For questions about the Relaxed Performance, contact Col at

Inside Out Theatre:

col@insideouttheatre.com 403-282-4801

For questions about A Christmas Carol, contact Theatre Calgary

subscriptions@theatrecalgary.com 403-294-7447

About the Relaxed Performance

A relaxed performance is just what it sounds like: a performance where everyone is relaxed and everyone is welcome to enjoy the show however they need to. Some changes will be made to the show- light and sound effects will be toned down a bit to make the experience less intense. You will be allowed to come and go throughout the show if you need to. There will be volunteer ushers there to help you leave the theatre and to find your seat when you come back. The lights in the theatre will be turned on slightly to make it easier to leave your seat and return to it if you need to. At the back of the theatre there will be room to stand or pace if you need.

About the Play

The play will start at 2:00 pm and end around 4:15 pm Ebenezer Scrooge, and his clerk Bob Cratchit, are working in the counting house. Scrooge argues with his nephew Fred and some people taking charitable donations, which shows that he’s quite grumpy and mean. When Scrooge goes home after work he is visited by the spirit (or ghost) of Jacob Marley, his old partner who died years ago. Marley warns Scrooge that if he does not change, he will be cursed to wander the world forever in the afterlife. Three spirits visit Scrooge to help show him how to change. The three ghosts are the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who show Scrooge events from other Christmases that help him to change. Scrooge says he has learned his lesson and will try to keep the spirit of Christmas in his heart all year, and he does.

Some things to be prepared for

When Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Jacob Marley, you will see Jacob and some other ghosts. They can make quite a bit of noise.

The Spirit of Christmas Future doesn’t speak, and it shows Scrooge some things that upset him, including a body on a bed.

There are sound effects during the play, as well as music and singing, and it can be quite noisy. You can bring ear defenders if you use them.

The actors and the characters they play This is Ebenezer Scrooge, who is the main character in the play. He is very grumpy and doesn’t like to do anything but work. He is often called by his last name: Scrooge. This is Jacob Marley, who used to be Ebenezer Scrooge’s business partner. He died and has come back as a ghost to warn Scrooge to change his ways. This is Bob Cratchit. He works for Ebenezer Scrooge as a Clerk. He is overworked and very poor because Scrooge does not pay him well.

This is Fred. He is Mr. Scrooge’s nephew. His mother was Scrooge’s sister, Fan. He loves Christmas and his wife, Abigail. He doesn’t have much money. This is The Spirit of Christmas Past. This spirit visits Mr. Scrooge to show him Christmases from when he was younger.

This is Mr. Fezziwig. He was Mr. Scrooge’s employer when Mr. Scrooge was a young man.

This is the Spirit of Christmas Present. This spirit visits Mr. Scrooge to show him Christmases as they are happening in the present. This is Mrs. Cratchit. She is Bob

Cratchit’s wife. She doesn’t like Mr. Scrooge.

This is Tiny Tim. He is the younger son of Bob and Mrs. Cratchit. He is sick and has to use a crutch to walk.

This is the Spirit of Christmas Future. This spirit visits Mr. Scrooge to show him what Christmas might be like in the future. There are many other characters in A Christmas Carol, some who speak and some who don’t. Here is a photograph of all of them together.

About the Max Bell Theatre and Arts Commons

You can get to Arts Commons by transit, with the C-Train LRT City Hall Station only a block north. Underground parking is available at Arts Commons at 829 Macleod Trail SE.

There are two main entrances to Arts Commons.

This is what Arts Commons looks like from 9th Ave.

This is what it looks like from Olympic Plaza. *If you’re coming with Access Calgary, this is where they will drop you off and pick you up.

Once you’re in Arts Commons, there are signs like these at every corner, they will point you to the Max Bell Theatre

This is the entrance to the theatre

The box office is where you can pick up your pre-purchased tickets or buy tickets for that day.

This is what

the lobby looks like

But when you come it will be full of people!

This is one of our Ushers. If you need help finding your seat, or if you have any questions, you can ask an Usher.

Bathrooms

These are our ground floor washrooms. They are located behind the box office. They are our largest washrooms, and have some wheelchair accessible stalls.

In the lobbies there are signs for where to find all the other bathrooms. The bathrooms off the main lobby also have some wheelchair accessible stalls.

The Theatre

This is what the theatre looks like before everyone comes in. An usher will say hello when you come in and will help you find your seat.

If you need a break during the show an usher can help you out to the lobby and to our quiet room. In the quiet room you can relax, have a drink of water, and come back into the theatre whenever you’re ready.

When the show is done you can clap and cheer when the actors come out to bow.

The actors will be in the lobby after the show collecting

money for their Toonies For Turkeys annual fundraiser. If you have any coins you can put them in their hats or

baskets and say thank you.

We can’t wait to share this play with you!

A Christmas Carol is made by the great people at Theatre Calgary. Their mission is “To stimulate, provoke, and delight through ambitious programming created to ignite local, national, and international engagement.”

This Relaxed Performance is offered as part of Theatre Calgary’s partnership with the Inside Out Theatre Good Host Program, a program trying to make theatre going in Calgary accessible and inclusive.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us. For questions about A Christmas Carol, contact Theatre Calgary subscriptions@theatrecalgary.com 403-294-7447 For questions about the Relaxed Performance, contact Col at Inside Out Theatre: col@insideouttheatre.com 403-282-4801