Trinity Rep’s 32nd Annual Production Runs November 21- December 31

PROVIDENCE, RI: Trinity Rep is proud to present the magic and wonder of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming, presented by Cardi’s Furniture Superstores. Performances begin on November 21st and run through December 31st in the Chace Theater. Heralded as "The crowning jewel of holiday theatre here in Rhode Island" by EDGE Providence, Trinity Rep is celebrating its 32nd year of presenting this beloved New England holiday tradition under the direction of Liesl Tommy. Tickets may be purchased by phone at (401) 351-4242, on line at www.trinityrep.com, or in person at the theater’s box office. Trinity Rep’s A Christmas Carol is presented by Cardi’s Furniture Superstores along with supporting sponsor Amica Insurance and media partner 93.3 Coast FM. Trinity Rep’s 45th season is sponsored by NBC 10, with supporting sponsors Cox Media, Rhode Island Monthly, RIPTA, and RISCA.

Adult ticket prices for A Christmas Carol are $25-$60, with best prices available for pre-Thanksgiving and post-Christmas shows. Tickets for children (age 2-12) for pre-Thanksgiving and post-Christmas performances start at $12.50. The first performance on November 21st at 8:00pm is Pay What You Can (PWYC). PWYC tickets go on sale in the box office at 7:00 pm that evening with a limit of one ticket per person. New this year are two performances on New Year’s Eve at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Trinity Rep will continue to offer affordable $10 seats on the Chace Theater's 12th row bench for all performances. Additional discounted and rush tickets are also available; call box office for details. For information on group rates (parties of 20 or more) contact Denise Giblin at (401) 453-9223.

Appealing to young and old alike, this timeless tale of the power of forgiveness is a welcome reminder of the magic of the holidays. Ebenezer Scrooge is confronted on Christmas Eve by the eerie apparition of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. The ghost bears a stern warning that he has one last chance to mend the errors of his ways. Three spirits visit him that Christmas Eve — the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Through their magical travels that night, Scrooge greets Christmas morning with newfound hope and seizes the chance to redeem his ways.

“I’m thrilled to be back in Providence as a guest director,” states Liesl Tommy, “Dickens is one of my favorite authors. I think the message of A Christmas Carol has never had more relevance than in our current culture.” She goes on to say that “Scrooge this year is played by acting company members Mauro Hantman and Joe Wilson, Jr. We want to inject a different energy into Scrooge this year to make him a more dangerous, edgy bad guy. These two actors are the perfect choice to drive the play in that direction.”

When asked about this year’s production, which is set in Dickensian London, Tommy explains, “We’re going traditional all the way, but with a few surprises – we’re planning on a lot of flying special effects and live music will be a huge part of this year’s show.”

The production's design team includes Michael McGarty (Set Designer), Ron Cesario (Costume Designer), Brian J. Lilienthal (Lighting Designer) and Peter Sasha Hurowitz (Sound Designer) along with Doug Brandt (Musical Director) and Christopher Windom (Choreographer).

This year’s production once again features two rotating casts. In addition to Mauro Hantman and Joe Wilson, Jr. as Scrooge, the show features Trinity Rep resident acting company members Phyllis Kay, Barbara Meek, Anne Scurria, Fred Sullivan, Jr. and Rachael Warren; associate artist Richard Donelly; guest artists Bob Casey, D’Arcy Dersham, Tom Gleadow, Nick Newell, Dean Robinson, Molly Schreiber and Angela Williams; and Brown/Trinity Consortium actors (Class of ’09) Parker Leventer, Nate Dendy, Craig Divino, Michael Propster, Joe Short, Paola Grande, Russ Salmon, Jimmy King and Patricia Lynn. Back this year is the lively music and dancing courtesy of Trinity Rep's "house musicians": Rachel Maloney, Chris Turner, Steve Jobe, Kevin Fallon and Chris Lussier. The children’s cast will be announced shortly.

Liesl Tommy’s (Director) regional theater credits include In the Continuum at Playmakers Rep; The Stick Fly at Contemporary American Theatre Festival; Angela’s Mixtape at Synchronicity Performance Group; Flight at City Theatre; The Good Negro at the Dallas Theater Center, Public Theatre and the Sundance Theatre Institute; Small Tragedy at NYU/Strasberg Institute; Camino Real at Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium; Isaac and Ishmael at Chautauqua Theatre Institute; Uncle Vanya at Juilliard; Split Ends at La MAMA; Our Lady of 121st Street at Juilliard; Bus and Family Ties by at the Play Company, Romania; Hydriotaphia at Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium; Misterioso 119 at Berkshire Theatre Festival and Act French Festival/Lark Theatre; Adventures of Barrio Grrrl at SPF; and A Stone’s Throw at Women’s Project. She was awarded the NEA/TCG Directors Grant, the New York Theatre Workshop Casting/Directing Fellowship and is a member of the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab and the Lincoln Centre Director’s Lab. Liesl taught directing at Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium and acting at NYU-Tisch School of the Arts. A native of South Africa, Liesl Tommy was born and raised in Cape Town, studied at Oxford and the Claire Davidson Drama Centre in London, and is a graduate of the Trinity Rep Conservatory.

The 32nd annual production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is sponsored by Cardi’s Furniture Superstores along with supporting sponsor Amica Insurance.

"Cardi's Furniture has a strong commitment to the Southeastern New England community," said Nick, Ron and Pete Cardi, NIROPE of Cardi's Furniture Superstores, "That is why we are so proud to continue our tradition of sponsoring Trinity Rep's classic production of A Christmas Carol for all local families to enjoy this holiday season."

"Amica Insurance is pleased to once again sponsor Trinity' Rep's annual production of A Christmas Carol," said Robert A. DiMuccio, president and CEO of supporting sponsor Amica Insurance. "We are proud to help make this spirited show a beloved holiday tradition for all local families to enjoy."

Through the generous support of their education funders, Trinity Rep's Project Discovery program offers 26 student matinee performances of A Christmas Carol at a reduced admission price. Thousands of elementary, middle and high school students from throughout Southeastern New England take advantage of these discounted matinees. For reservations or more information about Project Discovery performances, contact Caroline Azano, Assistant Education Director at (401) 521-1100 X114.