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Theatre Calgary’s Play Guides and Interactive Learning Programs
are made possible by the support of our sponsors:
The Play Guide for A Christmas Carol was created by:
Jenna Turk
Artistic Associate
With additional material by:
Shari Wattling, Zachary Moull, and Dom Saliani
Want to get in touch?
Send an email to [email protected]
Connect with us on our Facebook page
Tweet us @theatrecalgary #tcCarol
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A Christmas Carol runs November 23rd to December 24th, 2017
For tickets, visit theatrecalgary.com or call 403-294-7447
Front cover art direction and graphic design by Punch & Judy Inc.
Composite photo of Allison Lynch by David Cooper and Trudie Lee.
Table of Contents
THE BASICS
Cast and Creative Team 1
Who’s Who? 3
Setting and Story 4
EXPLORATIONS
The Gift of “A Little Christmas Book” 5
Meet the Artist: Actor Stephen Hair 8
Terms to Know 11
Mindfulness 13
The Making of A Christmas Carol 15
Dickens and the Theatre 17
Meet the Artist: Designer Patrick Clark 18
The Spirit of Giving 21
CONVERSATIONS
Conversation Starters 23
A Christmas Carol by the Numbers 24
Movie Night: A Christmas Carol ‘Tis the Season 25
Recommended Reads from Calgary Public Library 26
Sources 27
THE BASICS - 1 -
Cast and Creative Team
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
by CHARLES DICKENS adapted by DENNIS GARNHUM
Director DENNIS GARNHUM Associate Director SIMON MALLETT
Set & Costume Design PATRICK CLARK Lighting Design KEVIN LAMOTTE
Composer JEREMY SPENCER Music & Vocal Director ALLISON LYNCH
Sound Design CHRIS JACKO Production Dramaturg SHARI WATTLING
Fight Director, Fight Captain KARL H. SINE Choreographer ANITA MIOTTI
Skating Choreographers ANDREA ST. CYR, MONIQUE WASMANN Dance Captain JAMIE KONCHAK
Assistant Fight Director ZAKK MACDONALD Voice & Dialect Coach JANE MACFARLANE
THE CAST Solicitor, Dick Wilkins, Businessman PRANEET AKILLA
Boy Ebenezer TYLER BIDYK Belinda Cratchit ELEANOR BRAITENBACH
Fred BRADEN GRIFFITHS Ebenezer Scrooge STEPHEN HAIR
Belle, Abigail JOSIE JONES Jacob Marley, Businessman ROBERT KLEIN
Mrs. Cratchit JAMIE KONCHAK Young Ebenezer FIONN LAIRD
Spirit of Christmas Past ALLISON LYNCH Ebenezer, Spirit of Christmas Future GRAHAM MOTHERSILL
Voice of Charles Dickens CHRISTOPHER NEWTON Mr. Fezziwig, Businessman DECLAN O’REILLY
Mrs. Dilber JULIE ORTON Solicitor HEATHER PATTENGALE
Spirit of Christmas Present GRAHAM PERCY Joy, Ignorance MITRA POORANALINGAM
Bob Cratchit KARL H. SINE Fan JULIANNE SMITH
Laundress, Mrs. Fezziwig ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI-TARHAN Peter Cratchit EVAN ANDERSEN STERNS
Topper MIKE TAN Martha Cratchit HAYLEE THOMPSON
Tiny Tim TIA ROSE WOODRUFF Hope, Want SIENA YEE
THE BASICS - 2 -
Stage Manager PATTI NEICE Assistant Stage Manager RUBY DAWN EUSTAQUIO Assistant Stage Manager ASHLEY REES
Head of Lighting CATHARINE CRUMB
Head of Sound BRONWYN BOWLBY RF Technician CHRIS JACKO
Head Stage Carpenter SCOTT MORRIS Head Dresser RACHEL MICHELLE SHERIDAN Head of Wigs BRENDA BOUTET
Dresser MOLLIE ELIZA ROBERTSON Stage Hands MIKE BOOTH, TESS COWIE, ANDREW KERR
Young Company Chaperone RYAN WESLEY GRAY
Ebenezer Scrooge Understudy – HAYSAM KADRI
FLYING EFFECTS PROVIDED BY ZFX INC.
CAMERAS AND AUDIO/VISUAL RECORDING DEVICES ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE THEATRE. VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL has one 20-minute intermission.
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a
friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for a home.”
-Edith Sitwell
THE BASICS - 3 -
Who’s Who?
Scrooge and his Household
Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly man
Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge’s maid
The Laundress
Fred’s Family and Friends
Fred, Scrooge’s nephew
Abigail, Fred’s wife
Topper, Fred’s friend, who owes money to Scrooge
Other unnamed friends of Fred and Abigail
People from Scrooge’s Past
Fan, Scrooge’s sister
The Schoolmaster
Young Marley, Jacob Marley as a young man
Belle, Scrooge’s sweetheart
Mr. Fezziwig, a kind-hearted spirits merchant who employs Scrooge
Mrs. Fezziwig, his wife
Dick Wilkins, Scrooge’s fellow clerk at Fezziwig’s
The Cratchits
Bob Cratchit, Ebenezer’s clerk
Mrs. Cratchit, his wife
Their children: Peter, Martha, Belinda, and Tiny Tim
Townspeople
Carollers, solicitors, street vendors, businessmen, etc.
Ghosts and Spirits
Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s late business partner
Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future
Ignorance and Want
THE BASICS - 4 -
Setting and Story
A Christmas Carol takes place in London, England, on Christmas Eve, 1843.
The play begins with a memory – the funeral of Jacob Marley, where his
partner Ebenezer Scrooge
is the only mourner.
Seven years later, on
Christmas Eve, Scrooge is
working in his office with
his clerk Bob Cratchit
when two solicitors
arrive asking for a
donation to help the poor
and needy. Scrooge flatly
refuses. He also declines
an invitation to celebrate
the season with his nephew Fred. He does reluctantly agree to let Cratchit
spend Christmas Day with his family, as long as he comes in early the
next day.
At home that evening, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley. The
ghost informs Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits who will help
him to avoid the terrible fate that Marley is suffering – wandering the
earth bound by the “chains he forged in life.”
The first spirit to appear, the Spirit of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge on a
journey to see the places and people of his youth. Scrooge is reminded of
the deep affection he felt for his sister Fan, the late mother of Fred. He
visits his old employer Mr. Fezziwig and remembers the joy and
happiness that the Fezziwigs spread at Christmas time. He also sees his
former sweetheart, Belle, who broke up with him because of his single-
minded pursuit of wealth.
Frontispiece and title page of the first edition of
A Christmas Carol, 1843
THE BASICS - 5 -
Next, the Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to see the celebrations
happening all around him. They first visit the Cratchit home, where
Scrooge learns that his clerk has a very sick son, Tiny Tim. Then Scrooge
sees Fred, his wife Abigail, and their friends skating on a frozen river. As
they play a guessing game, Scrooge learns what they really think of him.
The Spirit of Christmas Future completes Scrooge’s education, showing
him three businessmen callously discussing the recent death of an
unnamed associate. Then, Scrooge sees his servants selling the belongings
of someone who has recently died. Finally, Scrooge is transported to a
graveyard, where he watches the Cratchit family mourning the death of
Tiny Tim. The Spirit points to another tombstone. Scrooge approaches and
discovers the grave bears his own name. Scrooge begs for the Spirit’s pity,
and promises to keep the
spirit of Christmas in his
heart all the year.
Scrooge wakes up in his
bedroom on Christmas
Day. Full of joy, he has a
turkey delivered to the
Cratchits for their dinner,
and when he sees the
family in the town
square, he gives Cratchit
a raise and tells him to
take the next day off as
well. Then he meets the
two solicitors who had
appeared in his office the
previous day and apologizes for his behaviour by making a sizable
donation to their cause. And lastly, finds Fred skating on the river and
happily accepts his nephew’s earlier invitation to Christmas dinner.
"The Last of the Spirits" by John Leech, from the
1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
EXPLORATIONS - 6 -
The Gift of “A Little Christmas Book”
Charles Dickens was one of the first literary stars to stake out a role as a
public intellectual, seeking to shape Britain’s national conversation on
social issues through his
writings and speeches. “I
have a great faith in the
poor,” he once wrote. “I
always endeavour to
present them in a
favourable light to the
rich.”
Born in 1812, Dickens
grew up in poverty
himself. As a child, he
worked long hours in a
London boot-blacking
(shoe polish) factory
starting at the age of
twelve, when his father
was sent to debtor’s
prison. He rose to
prominence as an author
in the late 1830s, with his early novels often exploring Britain’s treatment
of its struggling underclass. Oliver Twist (1838), for example, condemns
the brutality of the Poor Law and its workhouses, where the destitute
were forced into prison-like conditions, and paints a sympathetic picture
of the poor and their children.
The autumn of 1843 was not a time of great cheer for Dickens. Already
demoralized by a visit to one of London’s poorest schools, he travelled to
Manchester in October to speak at a fundraiser for the Athenaeum, an
Charles Dickens
EXPLORATIONS - 7 -
institution that provided education and recreation for the city’s enormous
working class. The Athenaeum was in financial trouble after the economic
recession of 1840–42, which had hit Manchester, a sprawling young city
driven by the new factories of the Industrial Revolution, particularly hard.
In the early 1840s, more than half of the children born in Manchester died
before the age of five, and thousands of unemployed workers relied on the
charity of soup kitchens every day. There was little room for Christmas in
the industrial city, where factories ran round-the-clock on Christmas Day.
But while walking the streets after his rousing speech, buoyed perhaps by
the “bright eyes and beaming faces” of the working poor who had
applauded his words, Dickens hit upon the idea for A Christmas Carol.
On his return to London, Dickens threw himself headlong into the new
project. He was so eager to finish the book in time for Christmas that he
postponed meetings for several weeks, sending his regrets to his lawyer,
for example, by explaining that he was “in the middle of a roaring
Christmas scene.” Working from morning to evening, Dickens kept up his
habit of walking the streets at night for inspiration. In a letter to a friend in
Boston, he wrote that while he “walked about the black streets of London,
fifteen and twenty miles many a night when all the sober folks had gone
to bed,” he had “wept and laughed and wept again, and excited himself in
a most extraordinary manner in the composition” of what he
affectionately called “my little Christmas book.”
When his publisher expressed doubts about the book, Dickens put his
own finances on the line by proceeding with A Christmas Carol on a
commission basis. Fortunately, this allowed him to control the book’s
design. He contracted the artist John Leech to make illustrations and
woodcuts, chose a festive red and gold cover, and set the price at a
relatively affordable five shillings (a novel would sell for around 30
shillings at the time).
EXPLORATIONS - 8 -
Dickens’ hard work meant that A Christmas Carol was ready just in time
for Christmas. Six thousand copies were published on December 19, 1843
– and every single one had been sold by Christmas Day. Newspaper
reviews praised the book’s Yuletide message of generosity and goodwill,
as well as the power and economy of the tale. “Who can listen to
objections regarding such a book as this?” wrote William Makepeace
Thackeray, a fellow
novelist and one of
Dickens’ foremost rivals.
“It seems to me a national
benefit, and to every man
and woman who reads it,
a personal kindness.”
Indeed, the nation’s
response to the book was
almost universally warm,
with Dickens receiving
scores of letters from
readers who wanted to
thank him for brightening
their holiday season. One
letter, from a prominent
Scottish judge, told
Dickens that he had
“fostered more kindly
feelings and prompted
more positive acts of
beneficence” with his one
small book than had all the sermons and publications of the previous
year’s Christmas, combined. As for Dickens himself, he was so cheered
that, at a Christmas party soon after Carol’s publication, he spent a full
hour performing magic tricks for children – he reportedly made plum
pudding appear from a top hat – and then danced late into the night.
The festive red and gold cover of the 1843 first
edition of A Christmas Carol
EXPLORATIONS - 9 -
Meet the Actor: Stephen Hair
Undeniably loved and known as Calgary’s Scrooge, actor Stephen
Hair has been playing Ebenezer for the last 24 years at Theatre
Calgary. This past year, Artistic Associate Jenna Turk sat down
with him to discuss his vast experience in the role and as the face
of A Christmas Carol.
What does Ebenezer mean to you?
Stephen Hair: Well, it means Christmas. Not just to me, but to so many
people who come and see us year after year and for people who come for
the first time. And, you know I was in it for five years before I played
Scrooge, so I got to watch other Scrooges before me. But getting to play it
over 23 years, you get to actually find the
heart and the soul of the human being.
That’s what I’ve tried to do over the
years. We’ve gone through so many
different types of Scrooge. From farce-
Scrooges to dark-dark-dark to somewhere
in between. Inevitably you’re always
trying to find the heart of the human
being inside. That’s what I’m trying to do
anyway.
There is a lot more to it, for me as an
actor, than just playing the role. It has
become so much more, and I embrace
that. I don’t try to fight it like I did for many years. For the first few years,
it became a thing where people would introduce me and say, “This is
Stephen Hair, he plays Scrooge.” Well, okay, for two months of the year I
play Scrooge, but I have played nearly 300 other roles in my career! But
people tend to forget that, so I fought that for a while. Then I thought, you
know, it’s a wonderful privilege and a great gift for any actor and quite
unprecedented within Canada, that’s for sure.
Stephen Hair as Ebenezer Scrooge
in 2015 (photo by Trudie Lee)
EXPLORATIONS - 10 -
Theatre Calgary has been fundraising for the Food Bank with A
Christmas Carol’s Toonies for Turkeys program for over twenty
years now. Can you tell me how that got started?
SH: I think it was my third year playing Scrooge, in 1997, and the cast had
always done little collections backstage, or bought food for the Food Bank,
or we bought blankets for Mustard Seed. And one day, Lindsay Burns (an
actor) said, “Do you think Theatre Calgary would let us do a fundraiser
for the Food Bank at the end of the show?” So, I went to Theatre Calgary
and said, “What do you think?” And they said, “Sure! Have a go.” And I
thought, maybe, we’d collect $500 – and, of course, this was way, way
back. And that first year we tried it, we raised over $1500 the first night!
And it sort of went from there. And we’ve been up and down through
many recessions, and busts and booms, but somehow our incredible
Calgary audiences keep giving. We’ll see what happens this year; it’s a
very tough time to be asking people for money, really hard, but they will
come through. I know they will.
In A Christmas Carol, we see Ebenezer transform from a crabby
miser to a generous soul; do you believe people can really
change?
SH: Oh, I know they can, because they’ve come up and told me so. I had
one fellow, he must have been early-forties I guess, and he asked to come
backstage. And he was kind of in tears a little bit, and his wife said, “He
didn’t really know the story, so we thought we’d come and see it.” So he
said that as the play started, he suddenly realized that Scrooge’s journey
was his journey. So, he was a little taken aback, and he said that at the end
of Act One he was crying. He said, “I couldn’t go outside. I was just a
mess.” So when it all changed, when Scrooge sees the light (because it is a
journey from dark to light – that’s what it is really about), he said, “I knew
then, and found myself laughing along with everybody else.” And he
said, “I just want you to know that it’s changed my life.”
I don’t necessarily think it’s that major of a change for a lot of people,
maybe not as dramatic as what happens to Scrooge, but little changes can
EXPLORATIONS - 11 -
happen along the way. And they lead to it – there’s a ripple effect to
everything we do.
A Christmas Carol features so much music; do you have a
favourite carol? And why?
SH: In this show, there’s one I had never heard before. It’s called “Still,
Still, Still.” And it’s at the end of the play when they sing it, and it’s
absolutely beautiful. Beautiful. The snow comes down and the kids are
skating, and Scrooge is happy. He’s finding all the joy around him. It
gives me tingles every time. It’s quite magical, and very, very uplifting.
The cast of A Christmas Carol 2015 (photo by Trudie Lee)
“One kind word can warm three winter months.”
-A Japanese Proverb
EXPLORATIONS - 12 -
Terms to Know
Christmas Carols: Carols are traditionally associated with Christmas. By
definition, however, a carol is a song of joy and praise, often with a
religious theme or lesson. The Christmas tradition of caroling, or going
door to door and singing for the occupants, was established during the
Middle Ages. Many of the carols that are popular today were written in
the 1800s.
Wassail: The first carol sung by the play’s carollers includes the line:
“Here we come a-wassailing.” Wassail is a drink consisting of ale or wine
sweetened with sugar and spices. The word derives from the Norse ves
heill, which means “be of good health.” Wassailing comes from the old
English tradition of visiting houses with a wassail bowl and singing songs
that wished good fortune upon the household.
Money words: “Bob” is slang for a shilling. In the British currency
system at the time, there was 12 pence to a shilling, and 20 shillings to a
pound. A pound can also be called a “quid.” Bob Cratchit earns 15
shillings a week. This is considerably less than the average salary for a
clerk at the time, which was around 25 shillings a week.
Bedlam: At the beginning of the play, Scrooge states that Bob Cratchit
should be sent to “Bedlam.” In London at the time, there was an insane
asylum at the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem. “Bedlam” was a
commonly used contraction for Bethlehem and this hospital. As a result,
the word “bedlam” has entered our vocabulary and refers to a state of
utter confusion and chaos.
Workhouses and the Poor Law: Scrooge suggests to the solicitors that
a solution for the misery of poor people is to send them to prison or the
workhouses. During Dickens’ time, the British Poor Law forced poor
people to enter a workhouse, where they would be provided with food
and shelter as payment for menial work. To discourage people from
EXPLORATIONS - 13 -
taking advantage of the workhouses, the authorities ensured conditions
were terribly unpleasant.
Ignorance and Want: Just before the Spirit of Christmas Present
departs, he shows Scrooge two miserable children and calls them
Ignorance and Want. This scene, like so many others in Dickens’ works,
emphasizes his deep concern for the plight of the hundreds of thousands
of English children living in poverty. Dickens believed that the only way
to break the cycle of poverty was through education. The Spirit warns
Scrooge that "This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both,
and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I
see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased." Very little
schooling was available for poor children in Dickens’ day, and there was
no public education system in England until 1870 – almost thirty years
after A Christmas Carol.
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,
and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child
again at Christmas-time.”
-Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Ignorance and Want” by John Leech, from the 1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
EXPLORATIONS - 14 -
Mindfulness
The holidays can sometimes (often times) feel like a burden: Have you
started your shopping yet? Gotten the perfect family portrait for the
cards? Planned a Michelin star-worthy gluten-free vegan-friendly in-law-
pleasing turkey dinner?? It can be difficult to find oneself fully in the
present moment, as so often we are caught up in our own ghosts of
Christmas Past and Future. But it is important to remember the true spirit
of the season and to be generous with each other and ourselves.
Ebenezer hugs Tiny Tim in Theatre Calgary’s
A Christmas Carol
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the
year. I will live in the Past, Present, and the Future."
–Ebenezer Scrooge
A great way of staying in the present is learning to be more mindful.
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the immediate moment
and letting go of any judgements. The following loving-kindness exercise
offers good tidings to you and your kin. Good tidings for Christmas and a
happy New Year!
EXPLORATIONS - 15 -
A LOVING-KINDNESS EXERCISE AT THE THEATRE
Inspired by a guided meditation created by Dr. Emma Sappällä, Director of
Science at Stanford University’s Centre for Compassion and Altruism Education
and Research.
Sit comfortably. Relax your whole body.
Take a deep breath in. And out.
Picture someone who loves you. Perhaps it’s your mum or dad, sister or
brother, a dear friend. Someone who wishes you happiness, well-being,
and good health
Bask in their well-wishes.
You are loved.
Now bring your awareness to the person to your right. You may know
them. You may not. Just like you, this person wishes to be happy. Send
this person your love.
Repeat the following, silently:
May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.
May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.
May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.
Now focus your attention on the person to your left.
Again, you may not know them. You may. Send them your love and warmth. Just
like you this person wishes to have a good life.
Repeat the phrases.
Bring your awareness now to the space you’re in. The whole theatre. All of these
people, all of these actors and ushers, and theatergoers, all of them – just like you
– hope to be happy, healthy, and light.
Share your warm wishes to them:
Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.
Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.
Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out. Take another deep breath and then let it go.
Notice your state of mind. How do you feel?
Enjoy the show!
EXPLORATIONS - 16 -
The Making of A Christmas Carol:
Adapter and Director Dennis Garnhum
Why did you decide to write your own adaptation of A Christmas
Carol?
Dennis Garnhum: I thought long and hard about this production of A
Christmas Carol – who should adapt it and who should direct it. It dawned
on me, after a bit of soul-
searching, that given my
history with it, I have a
lot of knowledge that I
could bring forward.
The way I think about
adapting – because I’m a
director – is that I am
directing the book. That’s
how I phrase it. So I go
back to the source –
which is not me, it’s
Charles Dickens – and I
ask myself, “how would I
direct that scene?” I
always find that there is
great joy in adapting. You
can find a nugget of an
idea that’s in there and
you think, “OK, we’re
going to run with that.” This production is my imagination running with
ideas that Charles Dickens inspired.
Dennis Garnhum
EXPLORATIONS - 17 -
How is this version of A Christmas Carol different from previous
Theatre Calgary productions?
DG: This Carol is different in many, many ways. It’s larger, if that’s
possible! Physically, it’s a big, BIG production. The adaptation is more
truthful to Dickens’ original story than before. There’s also singing – we
sing eleven Christmas carols – and I’ve set the entire production in what I
call a “winter wonderland.” The whole set projects the idea that Scrooge is
in a frozen world. So it’s much more like a fantasy, similar to a ballet, or a
children’s story. Compared to previous productions, it is visually much
more colourful. The previous production, which was very important to
me, was more about poverty and bleakness. This one is much more about
children and joy. Given that I am a father now, I see things through those
eyes.
Now that you are a father, do you look forward to Christmas
more than you did before?
DG: Absolutely! Every Christmas with a child is extraordinary. I mean, a
child gives you that gift for Christmas. I can’t wait. I really can’t wait.
Dennis Garnhum and the cast rehearsing on stage (photo by Shari Wattling)
EXPLORATIONS - 18 -
Dickens and the Theatre
As a boy, Dickens’ first love was the theatre. Like many children, he
enjoyed play acting and together with his friends formed a small dramatic
company. The story is told that sometime in the 1830s he was to audition
at Covent Garden Theatre, but that he was prevented from doing so
because of an illness.
Had he attended that
audition, who knows
what might have
happened with his life
and career?
Dickens wrote about
acting in his novels; in
Nicholas Nickleby, for
example, he lovingly
tells the tale of the
Crummles’ travelling
theatre troupe. And
while travelling across North America in 1842, Dickens directed and
performed in an amateur theatre production while staying in Montreal.
A Christmas Carol was adapted for the stage almost immediately after
publication. Three productions opened in February, 1844, with one by
Edward Stirling sanctioned by Dickens. By the end of the month, eight
rival theatrical productions of A Christmas Carol were playing in London.
Stirling's production also played New York City's Park Theater during the
Christmas season of 1844 and was revived in London the same year. Since
then, A Christmas Carol has been seen in hundreds of stage productions
around the world – including seven different adaptations appearing at
Theatre Calgary over 30 years.
"Dickens' Dream" by painter Robert William Buss
(1875)
EXPLORATIONS - 19 -
A World of Ice An Interview with Designer Patrick Clark
Award-winning set and costume designer Patrick Clark hails from
New Brunswick. He has been involved with theatre and teaching
his craft in schools for
the past thirty years.
His designs have
graced the stages of
the Stratford Festival,
Shaw Festival, Guthrie
Theatre, Neptune
Theatre and countless
other venues in almost
every Canadian
province. At Theatre
Calgary, he has most
recently designed the
set and costumes for The Audience, Pride and Prejudice, and
Anne of Green Gables.
Can you tell us a bit about your designs for this production and
what we can expect?
Patrick Clark: The thing about this story is that there are many locations
to represent, but it all starts with what I call a basic set, or world that we
created. When Dennis Garnhum and I first talked about the play, he
shared that he had an image of this one scene where the actors are able to
skate and I said that is not just about snow – that’s ice. So out of that idea,
and after much discussion about ice and cold and Scrooge’s heart being
thawed, we came up with the basic imagery for the production. We
created an ice world. It is very abstract in that kind of sense. And within
Scrooge’s world, everything has been touched by the cold like the beds,
the tables, the chairs. The ice on the floor grows upwards into things.
Patrick Clark
EXPLORATIONS - 20 -
From there, another idea or image I had is when the Spirit of Christmas
Past takes Scrooge on his first journey. I said, “Let’s really fly them.” So
we designed a little window and the window flies. As the window flies
up, the little village that Scrooge remembers from his childhood will move
across the stage, all lit up as it goes by. His school and the other buildings
are not life-size but rather smaller replicas of real buildings. So it will be
like seeing this tiny town from high up above. There’s also the Spirit of
Christmas Present who arrives in what I call a “steampunk jalopy.”
As for costumes, we are up to about 80. This is because of the colour
spectrum – the stage is quite bright and blue and icy and the costumes
have to match that kind of striking color. The effect will be almost like
going to see the ballet – it’s that kind of brightness.
What aspect of this project did you find the most fun to work on?
PC: One of the best aspects of this production is working with Dennis
because he is very open to anything and he will push it further. He’s been
great. It can be a challenge with A Christmas Carol as everyone already
knows what the story is. However, because of Dennis’ new take and ideas,
he has allowed me to look at it with a fresh eye and yet respect the story.
The set is very modern in a way, and yet, within it, the old story is still
there and the people are dressed in a period way. It’s still Victorian and it
still has traditional elements that you will recognize. But it is the twenty-
first century, and we kind of changed it a little bit to give it a fresh life.
Where did you get the inspiration for your designs? Did you go
back to the source – Dickens?
PC: Oh yes, you have to read the story again. As always, whenever you
re-read a story, you find something new and you suddenly hear a line and
you say “I never thought of that.”
And I also went back to the original John Leech engravings – the
illustrations in the original book. It’s fascinating to see that even in the
EXPLORATIONS - 21 -
first engravings – for example in his drawings of Fezziwig – they are not
really “period” in any kind of way. Everything has a general “ye old good
old days” look because he wasn’t slavishly trying to be exact to the
clothing of the day. It’s nice because you can look at that and say, “If he
can do that, I can do that.” I can have a silhouette that’s fun but give it
some colour, give it some punch. I also wanted a kind of a modern take on
the overall look and we’ve tried to make this production quite kid-
friendly. There’s lots of pyro. There are bright colours. It would be safe to
say that with this production, we’ve gone from a darker version of the
story to a brighter version. They’re both equally valid. They’re just
different interpretations.
What effect do you hope the sets and costumes will have for the
audience?
PC: Well first of all, I hope that they’re entertained. No matter what, that’s
always the prime consideration. We want them to feel the kind of
sentimentality and the humour that’s in Dickens. Also, there is the
darkness that’s always in Dickens as well. He wrote dark stories.
However, they do have a happy ending 90 percent of the time, which is
why we love his work.
When the audience sees the sets, they’ll see that they’re not what one
would expect, but still within the realm of the story. For instance, they’ll
see these little villages and they’re perfect little reproductions of the
nineteenth century and yet they are within this blue void that’s almost like
the stars at times. I think the lighting is also very different in this show –
more theatrical, less literal. I hope audiences will come out of the theatre
saying, “Wow! That wasn’t like any A Christmas Carol I have ever seen.”
“In seed-time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”
-William Blake
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The Spirit of Giving
The true lesson learned by Ebenezer in A Christmas Carol is that the
Christmas spirit should be carried throughout all the days of the year.
With the Fezziwigs and Ebenezer’s nephew Fred leading by example, it
seems a life of generosity and celebration is a life well lived. Theatre
Calgary could not agree more!
Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol has been partnering with the Calgary
Food Bank for over twenty years. Our Toonies for Turkeys fundraising
campaign began in 1997 when an actor in the company, Lindsay Burns,
had the thoughtful idea to collect money for the Food Bank after the show.
It’s these acts of kindness that James McAra, CEO of the Calgary Food
Bank, appreciates most. “Toonies for Turkeys connects the spirit of our
community and our daily challenges. The awareness, the understanding,
the focus on building the future all come from Theatre Calgary’s Toonies
for Turkeys initiative. People can have a holiday feast, break bread
together, and more than just turkey. It is about the gift of holiday
celebration and the warmth of sharing. It is the quintessential reminder
that our community can care all year long.”
The first year of the campaign, it was only done at a select few
performances, but since then Toonies for Turkeys has grown to become an
integral part of the annual A Christmas Carol experience. To date, Theatre
Calgary staff, volunteers, and you – our audience – have helped raise
more than 1.8 million dollars. Despite the recent financial downturn,
James McAra says people are still giving, “Calgarians understand
generosity. We have firsthand experience of the tragedies wrought from
economic, environmental and community crisis. People give time, talent
and more in proportion to their condition. Calgarians get it.” Every $2
donated allows the Calgary Food Bank to distribute $10 worth of food.
After each performance, our patrons are invited to donate whatever they
can to help those less fortunate in our community. Actors, still in costume
and armed with baskets, fill the lobbies, and without fail our patrons open
EXPLORATIONS - 23 -
their hearts and their pocketbooks. Some long-time subscribers even come
to the show with cheques in hand! For this, we are incredibly appreciative.
CALGARY FOOD BANK
In 2016, the Food Bank served more than 170,000 people – 4 in 10 of whom
were children. The Food Bank’s CEO reminds us who uses its services:
“Your neighbour, a family member, you.” The Calgary Food Bank is an
invaluable resource that provides emergency food hampers to the
homeless, milk and formula to mothers and children in need, and meals
and snacks to over 228 agencies and programs each year. Please consider
making a donation to our Toonies for Turkeys campaign or making a
donation as you do your own holiday shopping – there are non-perishable
donation bins at most major grocery stores in Calgary. Also, the Calgary
Food Bank welcomes donations both non-perishable and perishable made
directly to their warehouse at 5000 11 Street SE (loading door 3). Check
out their Wishlist for their most needed items!
WISHLIST
Canned Meat
Baby Food
Pasta & Pasta Sauce
Canned Veggies
Fruit Juice
Rice
Canned Fruit
Additionally if you’re feeling the pinch, McAra prompts us to remember
the true spirit of giving, “You can volunteer, support your community
(shovel snow, coach, pick up the mail, fix the leaky tap, read a good book
with friends). Don’t worry about going it alone, we will all help.”
CONVERSATIONS - 24 -
Conversation Starters
Do you believe people change for the better?
Does Scrooge’s journey still resonate today? How?
What are some other stories that follow this basic plot? Why is this
storyline so common?
What is happiness and how do you measure success?
What do you think causes people to isolate themselves from family and
friends?
What is the Christmas spirit?
Were there moments in A Christmas Carol where what a character did on
stage revealed more about them than what he or she said?
How did the set design contribute to the flow of the play from scene to
scene?
Which design choices (set, costumes, props, lighting) helped you
understand the specific setting or location of a scene? Which choices
created a particular mood or atmosphere for the scene?
What strategies did the production use to put the ghosts and spirits of A
Christmas Carol on stage? Which of the apparitions do you think was most
effectively presented? Why?
Detail from "Mr. Fezziwig's Ball" by John Leech, an illustration
from the 1843 first edition of A Christmas Carol
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A Christmas Carol by the Numbers
Charles Dickens wrote the original novella in 1843
The classic story is now 174 years old
2017 marks Theatre Calgary’s 31st production
The 24th for Stephen Hair as Ebenezer Scrooge
Tiny Tim will be played by 8 year old, Tia Woodruff
This is her 1st time performing in A Christmas Carol!
More than 600,000 people have seen the show over the last 30 years
This year 9 performers are new to the cast
Over 275 actors have appeared in 1 or more of our 30 productions
Our Toonies for Turkeys fundraising campaign was started by just 1 of those
actors speaking up
To date, we have raised $1,817,076.33 for the Calgary Food Bank
2017 marks the 21st anniversary of Toonies for Turkeys
Every $2 donated allows the Calgary Food Bank to distribute $10 worth of food
There are 24 actors in the cast
9 of which are the young company
11 members of the creative team (directors,
dramaturg/designers/choreographers)
10 backstage and technical crew
There are over 80 costumes and approximately 30 wigs
And 1 chaperone (Ryan Wesley Gray!).
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Movie Night
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has sparked hundreds of adaptations
in every medium imaginable. Here are some notable film versions:
A Christmas Carol
Feature film. 1938. Hollywood’s first talkie version of the story stars
Reginald Owen as Scrooge. It was later colourized and became a
Christmas Eve tradition for many as it was broadcast annually on TV.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Animated short. 1983. Scrooge McDuck plays his namesake, with
Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit. It was nominated for an Academy
Award for Best Animated Short.
Scrooged
Feature film. 1988. In this loose adaptation, Bill Murray plays a
Scrooge-like TV executive. While he produces a special broadcast of A
Christmas Carol, events from Dickens’ story start to occur in his own
life.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Feature film. 1992. This surprisingly faithful adaptation features a mix
of human actors and Muppets. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge opposite
Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit.
A Christmas Carol
Feature film. 1999. This is a darker, less “Christmassy” version starring
Patrick Stewart who was known for doing theatrical readings of the
classic on Broadway and London’s West End. Don’t worry, in this grim
tale, there is still a happy ending!
Click on the movie posters to read more
about each film on imdb.com!
CONVERSATIONS - 27 -
Recommended Reads from Calgary Public Library By Stephen Gibbs
Don't Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in A World Full of
Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant, and Downright Mean-
Spirited People by Richard Carlson
Nonfiction. 2006. The perfect handbook on how to avoid, appease, and
even win over the Scrooges who haunt your holidays. Here are the skills
to deal with all the grumps this holiday season
The Everything Ghost Hunting Book: Tips, Tools, and
Techniques for Exploring the Supernatural World
by Melissa Martin Ellis
Nonfiction. 2014. With expert advice on everything from picking a
haunted location to dealing with unwieldy ghosts, The Everything Ghost
Hunting Book, shows you how today's investigators use the tools of
modern science to study a wide range of paranormal activity.
Dickens at Christmas: a Selection of Seasonal Writings
by Charles Dickens
Fiction. 2012. If you enjoy A Christmas Carol then you’ll be sure to find
something to love in this beautiful collection of Dickens’ lesser-known
Christmas tales.
Inventing Scrooge: the Incredible True Story Behind Dickens’
Legendary A Christmas Carol by Carlo Devito
Nonfiction. 2014. Discover the inspiration behind the “ghostly little
book” which has come to define the Christmas spirit for generations of
readers.
How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman
Nonfiction. 2013. It wasn’t all penny-farthings and mutton chops in
Victorian England. Learn about what life was like for everyone from
commoners to the Queen. An enchanting manual for the insatiably
curious.
Click on the book covers to check availability
at Calgary Public Library!
CONVERSATIONS - 28 -
Sources
Print Sources
Michael Patrick Hearn, ed, The Annotated Christmas Carol, W. W. Norton,
1976.
Les Standiford, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Crown, 2008.
Claire Tomalin, Charles Dickens: A Life, Viking, 2011.
Web Sources
“A Loving-Kindness Meditation to Boost Compassion.”
http://www.mindful.org/a-loving-kindness-meditation-to-boost-
compassion/
“Annual Report 2015-2016”
http://www.calgaryfoodbank.com/about/annual-report/
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Project Gutenberg.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm
“The Workhouse.”
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/