Tom Simonetti, Woodland drama director, will adapt and perform in the one man version of A Christmas Carol for one day only.
Charles Dickens’ production focuses on the life of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable old man who neglects the Christmas spirit. After the death of his business partner, Jacob Marley, he is visited by the three ghosts of Christmas: past, present and future. Dickens highlights how being kind can transform a life and that greed will drive someone to their end.
Simonetti will be portraying 25 different characters, including, but not limited to, Scrooge, Marley, Tiny Tim, and the ghosts.
“It is difficult playing all these characters because you are always looking at your physicality and being sure you are telling a clear story. Luckily, I’ve been doing this for multiple years,” said Simonetti. “Rehearsals have become like riding a bike; that muscle memory comes back.”
Kristen Kingsley, Valley Shakespeare’s stage manager, is coming back for another season to guide the technological side of the show.
“We’re so happy to be welcomed back at the beautiful church in Monroe. There’s something special about A Christmas Carol being presented there, a place of peace, forgiveness, redemption, and love,” said Kingsley. “We get a different perspective on this beloved story anytime we go somewhere new. And I love that.”
This year, the show is being performed in a church, rather than the library where it has been in years past. The theater will be presented as a proscenium stage rather than the typical thrust stage layout; the audience has previously watched the show from three sides of the stage.
Tickets will be sold by sliding scale ticket prices. The true price of the tickets are $20, which covers the pay of actors, stage management, musicians, costumes and space rental. The “pay it forward” price is $30, which will help cover the cost for anyone who does not buy a ticket at the true price. The “arts for all” tickets are sold at $10, which is the asked donation price of typical program sales. This new model was introduced because Valley Shakespeare Theater wants everyone to partake in the arts by paying what they would like. The Valley Community Foundation and the Newtown Savings Bank are helping to make this possible. Woodland students and faculty can use the code “Woodland” for free tickets to the event.
The show will take place St. Peter’s Grace Episcopal Church in Monroe on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
Simonetti said, “Every year, I discover something new in the story.”
