Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs 'A Christmas Carol.' Again.
The Building Stage
In 1853, ten years after having dashed off his surprisingly successful holiday story, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens gave his first public reading of the work. The effort was so well received, as well as providing much needed cash, that Dickens continued to perform these celebrated readings for the rest of his career. Now, almost 160 years later, performances of A Christmas Carol have become one of our most enduring holiday traditions.
In Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs 'A Christmas Carol.' Again., the only problem is that Dickens, himself, has long grown tired of this annual reading. Reports of his death in 1870 were greatly exaggerated, and year after year he has sustained himself with these solo performances — albeit with dwindling enthusiasm as he has moved from the grand concert halls of London to finally, this year, The Building Stage in Chicago's industrial West Loop. Now, as the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth, Dickens has finally reached the breaking point. He knows he must grant the holiday wishes of his audience but desperately hopes to entertain them with anything but another performance of A Christmas Carol.
Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs 'A Christmas Carol.' Again.
The Building Stage, Nov 29 - Dec 24, 2012
Director: Blake Montgomery
Set: Blake Montgomery
Costumes: Izumi Inaba
Stage Management: Nathan Wonder
In Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs 'A Christmas Carol.' Again., the only problem is that Dickens, himself, has long grown tired of this annual reading. Reports of his death in 1870 were greatly exaggerated, and year after year he has sustained himself with these solo performances — albeit with dwindling enthusiasm as he has moved from the grand concert halls of London to finally, this year, The Building Stage in Chicago's industrial West Loop. Now, as the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth, Dickens has finally reached the breaking point. He knows he must grant the holiday wishes of his audience but desperately hopes to entertain them with anything but another performance of A Christmas Carol.
Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs 'A Christmas Carol.' Again.
The Building Stage, Nov 29 - Dec 24, 2012
Director: Blake Montgomery
Set: Blake Montgomery
Costumes: Izumi Inaba
Stage Management: Nathan Wonder
