Karyssa Komar, Heather Pattengale, Seana-Lee Wood, Nathan Schmidt, and Mark Kazakov in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Morris Ertman.
Christmas on the Air at Rosebud Theatre is a charming way to spend an evening celebrating the Christmas spirit along with a talented cast in a light-hearted and song-filled production.
It’s Christmas Eve 1949 and we are witness to and participants in CKOL’s annual Christmas Eve radio program which consists of familiar songs and stories. When we first arrive at the Rosebud Theatre Opera House to take our seats Danny “the kid” Frank, played by Mark Kazakov is buzzing about making final adjustments and greeting people as they take their seats.
Meanwhile, Danny’s father, Percival B. Frank, played by Nathan Schmidt, seems to be lacking some Christmas cheer as he takes on the burden of producing and hosting the show. His wife Yolanda Frank, played by Heather Pattengale, just wants Percival to relax a bit and enjoy some of the spirit of the season and maybe trust their son to run things and take on some of the burden.
Heather Pattengale and Nathan Schmidt in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Morris Ertman.
Adding to this radio family is Sylvia White, played by Seana-Lee Wood, who hosts the radio station’s cooking show and is the featured musician accompanying everyone on the piano or joining the cast for some seasonal harmonies.
The final member of the ensemble is Kitty McNally, played by Karyssa Komar, the new weather girl who has caught the eye and attention of Danny but unknown to everyone is a single mom. Unable to find a sitter on Christmas Eve Kitty has opted to bring her baby to the station hoping he’ll sleep through the show.
Director Ian Farthing works with his cast to keep the action moving and his design team which includes scenic and costume designer Hanne Loosen, and lighting designer Becky Halterman have transformed The Rosebud Stage into the radio studio where the action takes place.
Heather Pattengale, Nathan Schmidt, Karyssa Komar, and Mark Kazakov in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Lauren Hamm.
The set is cheerful with a forest of Christmas Trees in the background and the CKOL sign above the stage featuring the radio station’s logo and motto, “CKOL Radio. The people hoodoo great music.”
One side of the stage is reserved for the grand piano used by Sylvia throughout the evening and on the other side of the stage is the sound effects table used to add sounds and highlight emotional moments during the show.
The stage is raked and provides a clear view of the action as characters move from performing in front of the mics to carrying on more private conversations about their personal lives — like perhaps that baby I mentioned earlier who might deserve a word or two of reflection and explanation.
Mark Kazakov in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Morris Ertman.
By gum, I liked Mark Kazakov as Danny. Mark has an infectious enthusiasm and a comic body that reminds me of the wonderful Dick van Dyck’s physical aptitudes. Kazakov brings a fun energy and youthful exuberance to his portrayal of Danny who is basically a loveable, good-hearted, goof.
Nathan Schmidt as Danny’s father P.B. Frank is a more solum soul. He’s a kind man who dives into his work even on Christmas Eve in order to cope with a personal loss that he and his wife Yolanda share. Heather Pattengale as Yolanda is always a delight on stage and she’s often teamed up with Nathan as her significant other and the two together always bring a deep sense of truth to the story. These are both talented actors who never disappoint and I’m always thrilled whenever I get a chance to see them on stage.
Heather Pattengale, Seana-Lee Wood, Nathan Schmidt, and Karyssa Komar, in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Lauren Hamm.
Seana-Lee Wood adds her immense musical talent to the production while also bringing something familiar to her portrayal of Sylvia in the story. We all know people like Sylvia. Good people who find themselves alone in later life or on Christmas Day and yet still have plenty of love and support to give to the world. In one particularly fun segment of the show, Sylvia demonstrates on radio and live for the studio audience how to prepare a festive Christmas yule log. It’s a bright fun moment in the play and Seana-Lee reveals to us that despite being alone Sylvia still has a zest for life and joy in her heart.
Being a mom is never easy. Being a single mom is hard. Being a single mom in 1949 harder still. And Karyssa Komar shows us how Kitty feels under threat that once she reveals herself to be an unwed mother, she’ll lose her job and Danny’s affections. That’s certainly a risk and Komar makes us sympathize with her situation, but of course, with this being a Christmas story there might yet be some hope of a happy ending.
Nathan Schmidt, Heather Pattengale, Karyssa Komar, and Mark Kazakov in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Morris Ertman.
How would I describe this show? It’s sort of like showing up on Christmas morning and playwright Lucia Frangione has left us with a bunch of gifts under the tree. One gift might contain a familiar Christmas Carol such as O Christmas Tree, Joy to the World, or O Come All Ye Faithful or a more recent Christmas tune like Blue Christmas, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, or I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Another oddly shaped gift might contain a favourite Christmas story such as The Gifts of the Magi by O. Henry or Clement Parker Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas complete with sound effects.
But just like Christmas day the big gift isn’t what’s under the tree it’s who you share the day with. The true gift of Christmas is connecting with our family and connecting with our fellow man and making the world a better place. That’s the real gift of theatre and the arts. They connect us. They help us to focus on our common humanity. And this Christmas you can share your hopes for peace on earth and goodwill towards all men with the good folks at CKOL Radio who just want to bring some much needed Christmas Cheer to the world.
Karyssa Komar, Heather Pattengale, Seana-Lee Wood, Nathan Schmidt, and Mark Kazakov in the Rosebud Theatre Production of Christmas on the Air. Photo Morris Ertman.
Christmas on the Air runs at Rosebud Theatre until Sunday, December 22nd with matinee performances from Wednesday to Saturday at 2:00 pm and evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm. Make sure you arrive at least two hours before curtain in order to enjoy Chef Mo’s delicious Christmas on the Air buffet featuring roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, butter chicken with saffron basmati rice, and sticky toffee pudding with caramel & butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream. Tickets can be purchased at www.rosebudtheatre.com or by phone at 1-800-267-7553.
Anna Dalgleish and Caleb Gordon in the Rosebud Theatre Production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Adapted for the stage by Ron Reed and Directed by Morris Ertman.
This holiday season Rosebud Theatre is taking audiences on a magical journey back to Narnia in a fun and family-friendly stage adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
In the original story Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are four children who have been evacuated to the countryside from London during the early days of World War II. The children soon discover a wardrobe in their new home that leads them to the magical land of Narnia. Narnia is locked in a forever winter but never Christmas spell by the White Witch who rules over the land. The story revolves around the promise of spring and end of the Witch’s rule that is prophesized when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve mark the return of Aslan the lion who is the rightful King of Narnia.
In Ron Reed’s stage adaptation Lucy and Peter return to the wardrobe as adults many years later and relive their adventures in the land of Narnia when they were children. The production is directed by Morris Ertman and stars Anna Dalgleish and Caleb Gordon who play Lucy and Peter as well as all the other characters in the story including Aslan, the White Witch, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Father Christmas, and Mr. Tumnus.
I was lucky enough to catch the opening weekend of the play and experience a terrific production that reminds all of us about the joy and imagination of childhood while bringing a beloved story to life. I sat down with the talented stars of the show, Anna and Caleb, to talk with them about the production, their love of theatre, and what they want for Christmas.
ANNA DALGLEISH
For a long time, I’ve been seriously looking at adopting cats and I get an early Christmas gift this weekend. I get to adopt two little kittens and I’m very excited about that. So, Christmas comes early for me. It starts this week.
CALEB GORDON
The last time we did this show I was involved as an assistant stage manager and the gift shop sells Turkish Delight. I never thought I would like Turkish Delight, but I had a bag of their stuff, and I liked it so much that I bought them out. So, let me just hawk for the gift shop. Ten dollars a bag. It’s very tasty. Turkish Delight is my answer.
JAMES HUTCHISON
I’m curious, when did each of you discover your love of theatre and what was it about that experience or moment in time that stirred your soul?
ANNA
Well, I have a very special story that goes along with this because the very first time I saw a play, it was a two-hander version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Pacific Theater had put on a show very similar to this one, but it was a different adaptation. I had never seen a play before. I was a four-year-old, so it was all magic to me.
And then when I was six years old the second show I ever saw was also The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And that was when I fell in love with theatre because I have very strong memories of that. By this point I was an avid reader and already quite an imaginative kid and to see something playing out in real life embodied by people right in front of my very eyes who were profoundly affecting my emotions and whose story I was following along with captivated me. And so, my love of theatre is all tied to this story, and I was very keen to do the show when the chance came around.
Anna Dalgleish and Caleb Gordon in the Rosebud Theatre Production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Adapted for the stage by Ron Reed and Directed by Morris Ertman.
JAMES
What about you, Caleb?
CALEB
I went into theatre when I was in grade nine, and I was very good at it. And I say good at it because I could memorize things very well, but I had no idea about emotions or that maybe I should use them on stage.
And I remember when I had just turned eighteen sitting down and having a really big conversation with myself. I had gone to a summer drama camp, and they had talked about the presence of the fool in a lot of Shakespeare’s plays. And I hated being a fool. I hated not being in control was the real thing. And I remember thinking, maybe that’s not healthy and maybe I should look into that.
And so, I did. I decided, let’s do all the things I’ve never done before. Let’s be the fool. Let’s be okay with being a fool because what we had talked about in summer school was how fools are the only ones who are comfortable in chaos and limbo. Everything and everybody else gets turned upside down, but the fools are the ones who are suddenly the guides and the way keepers in those situations. And I thought, “Wow, that sounds infinitely better than been tossed around and lost at sea and not actually knowing where I’m going.” And so, I would say from that moment onwards is where my love of theatre was truly ignited.
JAMES
Your love of theatre brought you to the Rosebud School of the Arts. Both of you are graduates. So, tell me about your relationship with Rosebud and how you feel it has helped shape you as artists.
ANNA
There’s something so intense about forming an artistic voice in such an immersive education environment. Rosebud is basically a street that crosses another street and when you dip down into the valley it’s like you’re fully immersed in theatre and in your studies. And at times that was incredibly intense and sometimes even overwhelming. But at the end of the day, I think that the immersion into the world of theatre that exists at Rosebud is what has made me such a holistic theatre person and so willing to dive into the deep end every time I get a chance to do something theatrical.
CALEB
I know that when I came to Rosebud, I used to be quite a people pleaser and I would always defer to other people and their needs, but Rosebud was small enough that I couldn’t do that anymore. Instead, I had to actually take the stage and when the light was shone on me I had to step into it. Rosebud is where I started to listen to my own voice as opposed to the voices of others and that was very helpful for me in realizing who I was. Rosebud is a place where when you graduate you are your own artist with your own voice.
JAMES
Did you find the same Anna, that you discovered your individuality as an artist when you were in Rosebud?
ANNA
Absolutely. We were all so different from one another and that’s a comforting feeling when you’re at an audition because auditions are always nerve-wracking. They’re going to see sixty people today and how in the world am I going to stand out? But my training here taught me that it is not about outshining, it’s about bringing what only you have to offer to the audition.
And then at the end of the day, if that’s a fit for the show, fantastic. If it’s not a fit for the show, it’s not because you’re a bad actor, it’s because you have shown them what you have to offer and they’re going with someone who has a different thing to offer. So, you never have to pretend to be someone you’re not. You just have to bring your unique gift. And I think that Rosebud grads are encouraged to have that sense of self and that sense of individuality and to put their own quirky stamp on who they are and what they bring.
Anna Dalgleish and Caleb Gordon in the Rosebud Theatre Production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Adapted for the stage by Ron Reed and Directed by Morris Ertman.
JAMES
There’s a famous quote by George Bernard Shaw. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.” And I think that’s an interesting idea when we look at this particular adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe because Lucy and Peter are adults and they’re remembering their childhood adventures.
CALEB
One of my favourite parts of this show is when Aslan comes back and we just play tag for a few moments. The exuberance that I feel in that moment not only from myself but from the audience as well is so exciting. Who would’ve thought that watching two people run around on a stage playing tag was exciting? And yet it is. Even today, we just came out of a show and oh goodness, people were excited and chattering, and all I’m doing is running around on stage out of breath.
And I think I have a sense of play. I play a lot of video games and tabletop games and that sort of thing, but I’m realizing just how much a sense of play is actually something to be celebrated because it’s not that people don’t have a sense of play it’s that people can’t express it fully because they’ve been told that’s a thing that you leave as a child and now that you’re older you have responsibilities. You can have responsibility, but you can do it with a wink in the eye and a sense of play.
ANNA
This question makes me think of the dedication in the novel that C.S. Lewis wrote to his goddaughter who was named Lucy. And he says something like this, by the time I’m finished writing this book, you may have grown out of fairy tales but there will come a day – one day where you’re old enough to read fairy tales again, and I hope this book will find you then.
And I think that’s true of the characters in the story. I think Peter and Lucy are far enough away from their adventures as children and are far enough into their lives in England as adults where they need to remember how to read fairy tales and how to play again. And I think it is that sense of play and embracing that childhood belief and courage and adventure that brings a taste of that Narnian magic back to them in the present moment.
CALEB
And in this play, at one point I’m Peter playing Edmond watching Lucy play the Witch Queen and she levitates her wand. And the wand does levitate because a Narnian is holding it up for her. And there’s that moment where Peter’s thinking, “Did I just see that? Is that what’s really going on right now?” And those moments in our adulthood are just a trick of the light but as a child those moments are not a trick of the light they really happen.
ANNA
That’s another magical thing that is brought to life in this particular production because even though we have two primary storytellers we have two other actors Christopher Allen and Lacey Cornelsen involved in the process. We start out in this dusty old room and because of these two other actors the whole room bursts with magic and the involvement of these two Narnian characters makes you really believe that the magic has come back.
Anna Dalgleish, Caleb Gordon, Christopher Allen and Lacey Cornelsen in the Rosebud Theatre Production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Adapted for the stage by Ron Reed and Directed by Morris Ertman.
JAMES
When Lucy and Peter first discovered Narnia, it’s a land of perpetual winter and never Christmas. In fact, the White Witch’s magic keeps Father Christmas from being able to visit Narnia. And the story is about the arrival of Aslan and the breaking of that spell. And the story takes place in England during World War II and it’s about living through tough times with a vision of better times in the future. What is it about Christmas do you think that renews our hopes for a more compassionate and better world?
ANNA
I think for one thing winter is a very desolate time and if it goes on for too long you begin to wonder if we are ever going to see tulips again or crocus again or all these beautiful springtime miracles. And I think that Christmas is representative of that miraculous life springing forth.
And I know that for C.S. Lewis a ton of his interest and passion was in the Christ story and of course that’s remembered at Christmas time where out of nowhere a miracle is born that turns the whole world upside down. And I think, in this story Father Christmas who comes in with this boisterous energy and gifts galore represents the turning point. And he comes with the good news that Aslan is in fact here and the balance of power is shifting, and the melt will come and you will have what you need to be prepared for the coming world.
CALEB
I remember being very young and thinking Christmas is about getting presents and it’s all about getting the Fisher-Price Knights and Castle set or whatever it was that I really wanted. And then of course you go through a little bit more and you realize, ok, maybe it’s actually more about getting socks and more about the people that I spend it with.
And I have always enjoyed the Christmases that I’ve experienced in Rosebud. I worked in the Mercantile for quite a few years while I was a student, and I remember having so many good memories of the place. Closing down and we’ve sent all the patrons home and it’s dark and there’s just a little bit of excitement because even though it’s cold outside and it’s freezing and Kevin’s car won’t start we know that we have a community out here in the middle of nowhere who gather and find warmth with each other’s kindness.
And I remember thinking in the early days of COVID that we might never have theatre again. I tried a few ZOOM readings where I read Shakespeare with a bunch of other players to an audience and it just does not feel the same. There’s no life through the digital ether, unfortunately. I think technology is great but realizing it’s never going to bridge that gap like real live theatre can was very worrisome.
So, it’s reassuring to come out of it now and I’m dealing with a cold but instead of saying sorry everybody I have a cold and you’re just going to have to deal with that I can say sorry everyone I’m going to be masked up for the next little while because I don’t want to spread that to everybody. COVID brought a lot of realities to the forefront. Theatre is a precarious career at times. It’s precarious and it’s a gift to be able to be in front of people and I should take care of myself and others while I do it.
Anna Dalgleish and Caleb Gordon in the Rosebud Theatre Production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Adapted for the stage by Ron Reed and Directed by Morris Ertman.
ANNA
Theatre artists have always been adaptive and the fact that it’s a live art means that at any moment anything can happen and you have to adapt to it. We’ve always been good at that. But I think COVID taught us on an industry scale, just how flexible we can be and how creative we can be about solutions.
And I think bringing all of that adaptation and creativity back into the theatre when audiences have been allowed to return, has made us care for each other better and has made us even more grateful for the gift that is being inches away from your scene partner and being just feet away from the audience.
There’s nothing like a full theatre of well-fed, excited individuals ready to watch a show and Rosebud does that unlike anyone else. It’s been a glorious and joy-filled homecoming, these returns to full audiences. And now I think none of us take it for granted. So, there’s extra magic in that for sure.
***
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis adapted for the stage by Ron Reed stars Anna Dalgleish as Lucy and Caleb Gordon as Peter along with Christopher Allan and Lacey Cornelsen as Narnians. Director Morris Ertman, Fight Director Nathan Schmidt, Scenic Designer Morris Ertman, Costume Designer Hanne Loosen, Lighting Designer Michael K. Hewitt, Sound Designer/Composer Luke Ertman, Stage Manager Samantha Showalter, Assistant Stage Manager Koayla Cormack.
This interview was conducted on Friday, November 11, 2022, and has been edited for length and clarity. Last Revised on December 22, 2022.
A Christmas Carol at Pipers Opera House: If there’s a ghost of a chance that the spirit of Charles Dickens will turn up at a production of one of my adaptations of A Christmas Carol this year then I’d have to say that the most likely place will be the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City Nevada. Which would be fitting considering that A Christmas Carol is not only a story of redemption but it’s also a ghost story and in some ways even a time-travelling story. And those storytelling elements along with its central message of redemption are some of the reasons I think it remains popular today.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
Last spring, I was contacted by Jennifer Hunt who asked if she could customize my adaptation of a Christmas Carol to reflect the history and real-life characters from Virginia City around the time of the gold and silver rush back in 1860. I said sure why don’t we give it a try and see how it works and some months later A Comstock Christmas Carol with a Scrooge named William Sharon hit the stage at the Piper’s Opera House. I connected with Jennifer the first week of December to talk with her about Virginia City, spirits and the production of the play.
JAMES HUTCHISON
Tell me a little bit about Virginia City.
JENNIFER HUNT
Virginia City is about forty minutes south of Reno Nevada and is an incredibly small community with a population of five hundred. However, in the summer months, it can easily swell to 8000 people depending on what activity the town has going on such as our Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival. I don’t know if you know what Rocky Mountain oysters are.
Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Virginia City, Nevada 1920 – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Outhouse Races – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Chili on the Comstock – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Wahoe Club – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Chili on the Comstock – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry Parade – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Virginia Truckee Railroad – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Vist Virginia City
Chollar Mine – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Virginia City Mining Co. – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Gold Stamp Mill – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Virginia City Fiesta Del Charro at the Virginia City Fairgrounds on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018. Photo by Candice Vivien/Nevada Momentum
Firehouse BBQ – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Red Dog Bar and Grill – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Red Dog Saloon – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Merchant Sidewalk – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
Virginia City Living Legends – Virginia City Nevada – Photo Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
JENNIFER
There you go. Yeah, I’ve heard they’re called all sorts of things. Virginia City has been able to crawl out of obscurity because of tourism. Tourism is our life’s blood. And we are very good at tourism. In fact, I believe Virginia City has more parades than any other small town in the United States. I joke that if someone sneezes on the north end, we have a parade on the south end.
We’re also an old mining town. The whole town looks very Western when you drive through it. We still have the western storefronts and the wooden boardwalks. Any improvements that are done have to be done in a historical fashion. We’re very proud of our little historical town. In fact, the mantra is, “Come to Virginia City and come to the past.”
JAMES
Pipers Opera house is where you perform and that’s a historic site. Tell me a little bit about that.
JENNIFER
Piper’s Opera House was built in 1863. It burnt down in 1875 during the great fire that ravaged Virginia City. There have been a couple of fires that have threatened the town, but the 1875 fire was the major one. It destroyed 80 percent of the buildings in the town. The opera house was rebuilt in 1878 and it burned down again in 1883 and then was rebuilt in 1885.
Piper’s Opera House – Virginia City, Nevada – Photo Asa Gilmore
JAMES
I imagining you’ve had some interesting historical folks perform in Virginia City over the years.
JENNIFER
If a theatre company was touring the circuit which included San Francisco, Sacramento, and Carson City then Virginia City was one of the stops. Some of the big names that have been here include Mark Twain, Houdini, Lillie Langtry, and Maude Adams. All of the actors or actresses of that era would have stopped and performed on our stage.
JAMES
Well then, I have to ask. You’ve got an old opera house here, so…
JENNIFER
Is it haunted? (Laughs) I get that question every day. I have worked at the opera house for three years now and I’ve seen some weird things but everything I’ve seen could easily be explained logically. I used to tell people that if you want to see ghosts then you will probably see something.
The actors and the people that are backstage at the opera house and pouring their emotions into the stage and the show they’re doing I have found more susceptible to seeing things than I am. For example, I was walking a group of actors out at the end of their show last season, and I was locking up the building and it was dark and just as I was about to lock the door a little girl, I think she was four at the time, said, “Don’t lock the door, there is a guy trying to get out.”
And I looked at the door and there’s no one there so what do you say to a four-year-old? I said, “Well you need to tell that man to come back during operating hours.” And she looked at the door and then she looked away from the door and she said, “Oh, you can close it now. He already left.” I’m like, “Oh, okay, I’ll just close the door.”
We had a school tour that was going through the opera house about a month ago and one of the kids got a picture of an apparition up on the third floor. But that’s so random. In November, we had a paranormal group that went through the building and they tried for hours and they couldn’t get a whisper.
Built in 1885 and still in use, Piper’s Opera House stage once welcomed President Grant, Buffalo Bill, Al Jolson, Lotta Crabtree, Mark Twain, and more recently Hal Holbrook. Phot Courtesy of Visit Virginia City
JAMES
Did they have any kids with them?
JENNIFER
No, I don’t believe they had any children. They were all adults. But I tried to tell them that what I’ve found is that most people will experience activity when the opera house is full because there is life in the opera house and when everyone leaves and you turn off the lights it’s almost like blowing out a candle and the life of the opera house is put on hold until it’s full of people again.
JAMES
So, you’ve adjusted the play a little bit to reflect some of the historical figures in Virginia City. Tell me a little bit about who the Scrooge character is based on now.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
The Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
JENNIFER
Last season we incorporated the notion of mining and saloon girls in our last show. And I thought that’s what made the show special. It was very centralized around Virginia City. And people have a connection with Virginia City. When people come into town, I can’t tell you how often I hear people say, “This town is so special. I feel a connection here. I can see why you love it. It’s like coming home.” And that’s the allure of our town. I don’t believe in reincarnation, but many people feel a very strong emotional connection to our town.
And so, we decided to continue bringing those elements into our productions to make them special to Virginia City and when I started thinking about the Scrooge character I started thinking about who would be a good Scrooge.
Scrooge is that character that really makes it all pivotal. At first, I thought, well, one of our big icons is William Mackey. He was one of the silver barons and I thought I should use Mackey because everyone knows his name. But historically speaking, Mackey was a philanthropist and he treated his workers better and he paid them more and he tried to take care of them and that didn’t really make him a good Scrooge character.
JAMES
I think that’s good of you to consider the real legacy of a person and not just use them because their name has recognition especially if they don’t fit.
JENNIFER
You’re right. It needed to mean something. So, I went online, and I put Virginia City into Wikipedia, and I just started looking for names. And finally, I found the name of William Sharon. Apparently, William Sharon owned the Bank of California branch in Virginia City.
And Adolph Sutro who was building this amazing tunnel system underneath all the mines so he could funnel out hot water to them always blamed the failure of his project on William Sharon because Sharon wouldn’t give him the loans he needed. When Sutro wrote about Sharon it was horrible. It was nasty. Apparently, Sharon gave out loans to miners and then upped the interest rates and then took their mines when they couldn’t pay back the loans. Sharon was an awful guy and that got my brain going.
And I started looking into Sharon and he had a partner in San Francisco named William Ralston. And he was the bank Manger in San Franciso and Sharon was the bank manager in Virginia City. And Ralston was not the best of guys. He did so much internal dealings with the bank that he threw himself into San Franciso Bay when he was found out. And I’m like wow that kind of fits you know. And so, Ralston became our Marley and Sharon became our Scrooge.
JAMES
You’re calling the play a Comstock Christmas Carol. Where does the word Comstock come from?
JENNIFER
It comes from Henry Comstock. Apparently, he was one of those slimy car dealership type of guys. When a mine was booming, he’d say he owned part of it and he should be getting some money for it. Because at the time they didn’t keep very good records of who owned what mines and he was able to finagle his way into owning parts of these mines even though he had never owned them or put any money into them. He actually died in obscurity but somehow his name, Comstock, stuck to that booming era of the 1860s to the 1880s. When you drive into Virginia City Comstock is everywhere.
JAMES
Tell me a little bit about the actor you’ve got playing Scrooge.
JENNIFER
Jerry Reyes is our Scrooge and has been on the stage before and he’s also been an extra in films including being one of Jack Sparrow’s crew in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. He moved back to Nevada and he wanted to start doing some live theater again. He’s very charismatic. He comes with all his own costumes and props, which is great and he’s excited to be up there and he’s doing a fantastic job.
Jerry Reyes as Scrooge in the Piper’s Players Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Melody Hoover Photography.
JAMES
As the playwright, I’m curious about why you picked my particular play. There’s no shortage of adaptations.
JENNIFER
What I started looking for was Christmas Carol scripts and I found yours and I was looking through the pages and I really enjoyed how you adapted it. I liked how you brought the characters in and I just thought it was so classic and so memorable. And it brought in enough of Dickens but made it easy to understand. And that’s what I loved about your script. And that’s why I was so thankful you were willing to work with us and allow us to make it more local because it has been a blessing. This script is so easy. The scenes are short. The actors are really loving all the energy that you pulled in with your words. It’s just phenomenal.
JAMES
Thanks, I appreciate hearing that and I appreciate you sharing my adaptation with your audience. So, why do you think the story of Scrooge and his redemption is still so popular?
JENNIFER
Scrooge is so focused on his needs that he’s forgotten other people’s needs. And we do that in our everyday lives, whether it’s Christmas or whether it’s spring or whether it’s summer we sometimes get these blinders on and we forget about everyone else.
And I think as we watch the story we see ourselves in every character. We can be that selfish Scrooge sometimes in our lives. We can be the regretful Marley where we wish we could have said and done things differently. And we see ourselves in the love and hope of the Cratchits where you’re always hoping for the best regardless of what’s going on. And in my opinion, I think that’s what makes it special. We get to sit back and see ourselves in everything.
And Scourge is so dynamic he goes through so many changes that there’s always empathy for this character. He grovels and he’s a miser and then he’s scared and then he’s worried and then he’s sad and then he’s happy. I mean, how often do you see a character go through such a metamorphosis? And as we watch him go through it, we are also going through it. The audience gets to go through it with him especially when it’s a really good actor.
JAMES
Yes. And it sounds to me like you’ve got a really good actor playing Scrooge.
JENNIFER
I do. I’m very blessed with everyone. I’ve met friends in the theatre that started as acquaintances and turned into something special. And during the season, while we’re working on a play, it’s tough. The lines are tough, and the blocking is tough and learning all these things is tough, but there’s that moment of magic when you get on stage that makes the last three or four months you’ve been working on it mean something. And it makes it special. And it’s a joy to see them on stage. And the best part about theatre is sharing that joy with other people.
“You may find me cold and unfeeling sir, but I would venture to say I am a man of my word; a man whose word carries weight; a man whose word allows him the ability to strike a deal and back it up with his signature. My signature is worth something. Yours it would appear – if you continue to treat your financial obligations and business dealings in this manner – will soon be worthless.”
Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison. Directed by David Stacey. Photograph Simon Vail Photography
These are the words of a man who hates Christmas! A man who hates anything that does not make him richer and so he hates Christmas most of all. These are the words of a man filled with pride who has forsaken humanity and measures his life in dollars or pounds sterling only. These are the words of Ebenezer Scrooge.
And this Christmas those words, which happen to be from my adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, are being brought to life in Wokingham England where Wokingham Theatre is producing my small cast version of the play from December 4th to 14th. The production is being directed by David Stacey who I connected with in early November to talk with him about Wokingham Theatre and his production of the play.
JAMES HUTCHISON
Tell me a little bit about Wokingham. The community and the theatre.
Director David Stacey
DAVID STACEY
It’s quite a traditional lovely old English town that has a good community atmosphere. The theatre group itself started back in the 1940s. And through community spirit and amateur theatre clubs it developed and sustained itself and in the 1980s they built a theatre. Unlike a lot of other theatre groups who have to either rent accommodation or share the space with other societies or groups Wokingham Theatre has its own space.
JAMES
Why do you think A Christmas Carol still resonates so many years after it was originally written?
DAVID
The Christmas that we know, certainly here in Britain, with the roast turkey or roast goose, the Victorian Christmas carols and all those kinds of traditions come from Dickens. Everybody, when they’re celebrating Christmas, encounters all of those as part of the Christmas season. So that’s partly it, but it’s also a lovely moral story that taps into what is important about Christmas. And that’s not necessarily anything to do with religion, even though it’s obviously a religious feast, but for those that aren’t religious they can still tap into the spirit of the story and what Christmas means. And everybody knows the story and they like to listen to it, again and again, year after year, and it has a happy ending which audiences love.
Vicky Lawford as Mrs. Dilber and Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph Simon Vail Photography
JAMES
What are some of the unique things that you’re bringing to your production?
DAVID
When the spirits arrive there will be some video projection onto the stage to add special effects. And we’ve got music that has been written for the show. It’s not a musical or anything but rather than just taking pre-recorded Christmas carols or Christmas music, which everyone will have heard before, we’re composing music. I also wanted to keep it traditional. So, we’re still using the Victorian setting and we still have the Victorian imagery and everything, but we’re doing things slightly different with how the spirits look and how that’s played.
So, for example, the second spirit rather than dressed exactly in the costume, as described in the book, our second spirit is going to be on stilts. So, he’s quite the giant but a bit more like a circus or Willy Wonka type of character rather than a Santa Claus character in the big beard and costume. And the third spirit is traditionally done as a grim reaper, so I wanted to do something different with that. He’s quite creepy. You look at his face that has a mask on and a black suit and he has these long fingers. And we have an interactive set that moves and hopefully the audience will be magically surprised by that.
JAMES
What do you like about directing?
DAVID
It’s the creativity. I do acting as well as directing. And when I act in something I tend to miss the directing and when I direct something I tend to miss the acting. But I really like directing and trying to get my vision of the story out and seeing it created. Whether that’s doing a small black box studio theatre show or something larger on the stage in Wokingham with more people involved. It’s about bringing the magic of the story to the audience. And I will read the script and think this is my vision of it. And I want to then be able to turn that into a reality and that’s why I really enjoy reading play scripts, rather than novels. Because the play script is written for somebody else to take and to visualize it and to physically produce it and turn it into something for people to watch. And I find that really exciting, rather than books which stay in your head, you’re not expected to physically recreate the physicality of it. And I like that the audience is watching it from the front, and then from behind you have all of these sets that are actually all fake. And it’s all people in makeup and costumes that are taking on a character and I really, really like that.
Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph Simon Vail Photography
Peter Pearson as Jacob Marley and Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph by Simon Vail Photography.
Becca Tizzard as the First Spirit and Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph by Simon Vail Photography
Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph by Simon Vail Photography
Vicky Lawford as Mrs. Dilber and Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph Simon Vail Photography
Wokingham Theatre Production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photography Simon Vail Photography
JAMES
One of the things I tried to do in my adaptation was have Scrooge interact more with the spirits or speaking to the people that are memories and making him more resistant to changing by having him argue more with the spirits than what’s in the book. Scrooge has to take the whole night to change and that’s a process and a journey and I wonder if you’ve found that playing well and just how the actors are using it.
DAVID
That’s one of the things that attracted me to this particular script. And also because you introduced the device of the letters. The letters allow Scrooge to have more regret at the end. In the original book he wakes up the next morning and is going to change but there needs to be some sort of regret as well because he’s lost out on marrying his childhood sweetheart because he didn’t behave very well. And that’s life. You can’t go through life behaving badly and then decided to change your mind and get everything back that you’ve missed out on. The letters are a lovely, lovely device to really emphasize that and as you say the talking to the spirits is good fun. He’s particularly argumentative with the first spirit and we’re having the first spirit be quite argumentative back. She’s not playing it all nice. Because even though it’s not a complete nightmare, it isn’t a pleasant dream he’s having in any way.
JAMES
Well as a playwright I’m not set in you having to produce the play as I’ve described it. Generally when I write I try to minimize the amount of character description and character action I put in my scripts because I believe those things are going to be discovered by how you design the set, by the actors you cast, by how you want to stage the play, by the size of your stage, all of these things that I can’t anticipate. So, it’s absolutely wonderful and so fascinating to see the different takes on telling the story that all come from the same script.
DAVID
And because our audience is an adult audience we’re not trying to do anything that’s too saccharine or anything like that. It’s not really targeted to a child or family audience so we can have some bits that are maybe a little bit more unpleasant or you don’t have to worry about scaring kids or getting them upset.
And so one of the other things I’ve introduced for when Scrooge travels with the spirits is to make the journey quite unpleasant. Particularly with the first spirit. When she says, “I will take you or let’s go and see somebody else or the Fezziwigs – that kind of stuff – she grabs hold of Scrooge and it’s almost as if he’s being electrocuted. So, there’s going to be lots of special effects of electricity and sparks and things like that. And it’s painful for him. And then with the second spirit, it’s a bit more wonderous and swirly and everything is going to get spun around and he’s going to get physically thrown around as if he’s on a sort of like a roller coaster. I didn’t want it to be where they all just float off into the sky like Peter Pan and drift around pleasantly, because then I’m not convinced that Scrooge has changed. Or why would he change if it’s all been a nice dream? No, it’s because he’s been taught a lesson in a painful way and I think the script allows for that.
JAMES
I think you found my big cast version of the script first and then I sent you my smaller cast version for you to read. That version has one actor play Scrooge and then the other actors play multiple roles. How is that working for you in terms of staging the play and telling the story
DAVID
Wokingham Theatre is a relatively large group, but we certainly couldn’t have cast a thirty strong production. So, I really liked how you reduced it down and have the multi rolling and have it as an ensemble piece. And, that’s the main reason I went with the smaller cast version although we didn’t go strictly with the casting as you have it in your script. But I like the idea of the actors taking on more than one role because it gives them more to do and they do enjoy that in my experience, and it gives them a bit more stage time.
Peter Pearson as Jacob Marley and Jerry Radburn as Scrooge in the Wokingham Theatre Production of a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by James Hutchison and directed by David Stacey. Photograph by Simon Vail Photography.
JAMES
Tell me a little bit about the cast.
DAVID
Jerry Radburn who is playing Scrooge and has been acting at Wokingham Theatre and at various other theatres for a very long time is someone I know very well. I’ve been in lots of plays with him but I haven’t directed him before. Most of the cast I know and I’ve worked with in various guises either being in plays with several of them or directed them in other shows but there’s one or two that I’d never met before who turned up because we have open auditions. And so, it’s really, really nice when we get new people coming along. And as part of this season I had a policy that I sent to all of my directors that you needed to cast at least one new person for each show if they’re suitable for a particular role just to expand the diversity of the group. And we have a youth theatre group, as part of Wokingham Theater, which runs classes and so we often tap into that to find keen youngsters who want to take parts and be in our main season shows. And so that’s kind of good fun to work with the youth cast as well. The key thing is that everybody’s doing it because they love it. Everyone has fun and that’s the main priority.
Wokingham Theatre – A Christmas Carol – Cast & Crew
Jerry Radburn – Scrooge
Matthew Lugg – Fred
Claire Bray – Bob Cratchit, Scrooge as a young man
Peter Pearson – Mr. Bentley, Jacob Marley, Thomas
Chris Westgate – Mr. Granger, Second Spirit, Mr. Fezziwig
Gary Smith – Mr. Harrington, Old Joe
Vicky Lawford – Mrs. Dilber, Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Cratchit
Becca Tizzard – First Spirit, Martha Cratchit. Rose
Louise Punter – Cook
Sophie Marsden – Belle, Emma, Caroline
Andi Lee – Granny Cratchit
Youth Cast:
Oliver Lees, Nicholas Zezula, Amber Pearce, Annabel Brittain, Jonathan Willis, Joseph Rea
Director – David Stacey
Assistant Director – Heather Maceachern
Production Manager – Claire Lawrence
Stage Manager – Mike Rogers
Costume – Rosemary Matthews & Sue deQuidt
Props/models – Claire Willis
Lights – Nick Gill & Richard Field
Sound – John Gold
Original Music – Charlie Lester
Choreography – Lesley Richards
Set Design – Henry Ball
