PROVIDENCE: Trinity Repertory Company presents its 47th annual production of A Christmas Carol, adapted from the novella by Charles Dickens, with original music by Richard Cumming. Directed and adapted by resident company member Stephen Thorne, this year’s production will be a joyous reimagining of the holiday classic. Set in the Victorian era, the colorful and spectacle-filled show honors the original story while adding fresh inspiration to the timeless tale of transformation and generosity.
“I am so thrilled to be working on this incredible story,” Stephen Thorne, the production’s director and resident company member, said. “Trinity Rep’s A Christmas Carol is unlike any other because we get to rediscover it every year from top to bottom. We get to create A Christmas Carol for right now. This 150+ year-old story is so rich and speaks to us with increasing urgency year after year with its universal questions. How can we effect change – real change – in our own lives? How do we break down walls that isolate us? And that examination leads to such an explosion of joy – a joy that feels so necessary right now. I’m so excited to share this experience with our audience!”
Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Ticket Office on 201 Washington St., online at trinityrep.com/carol, or by calling (401) 351-4242.
ABOUT A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Founding Artistic Director Adrian Hall first added A Christmas Carol to Trinity Rep’s lineup in 1977, four years after moving into the company’s current home at the Lederer Theater Center on Washington Street. Since then, the production has become a holiday tradition for generations of families in Southern New England.
Trinity Rep’s production is set apart from others in that it is reimagined every year by a new director, cast, and set of designers to be relevant and timely for contemporary audiences. Nearly two million people have seen the show since its inception more than four decades ago.
THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Stephen Thorne has been a resident artistic company member at Trinity Rep since 2000. In addition to his numerous acting credits at Trinity Rep, on stages across the country, and in film and television, he co-directed 2017’s A Christmas Carol with his wife, fellow company member Angela Brazil.
Stephen will lead a creative team of returning Trinity Rep collaborators including Michael Rice (music director), yaTande Whitney V. Hunter (choreographer), Michael McGarty (set designer), Toni Spadafora-Sadler (costume designer), James Horban (lighting designer), and Peter Sasha Hurowitz (sound designer).
Resident company member Mauro Hantman returns to the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the first time since 2010. Joining him on stage in multiple roles are fellow company members Jackie Davis, Taavon Gamble, and Phyllis Kay; Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program in Acting student Sara States; Brown/Trinity Rep alum Rodney Witherspoon II; and local guest artists Jeff Church, Richard Donelly, Nina Giselle, Kevin Patrick Martin, Alison Russo, and Jenna Lea Scott.
As another element of the Trinity Rep tradition, twelve young performers from across southern New England will appear on stage as the children’s cast: Lily Altomari (Rumford, RI), Luca Anderson (Wakefield, RI), Hadley Boyle (Seekonk, MA), Eleanor Brown-Araujo (Cranston, RI), Riley Hewes (West Warwick, RI), Olivia Jarbadan (Warwick, RI), Kelser Michael (Pawtucket, RI), Grace Perkins (Barrington, RI), Eleanor Pinsker (Cranston, RI), Danasia Scurry (East Providence, RI), Philip Vaile-Lucason (Coventry, RI), and Lou Wechsler (Tiverton, RI).
SPECIAL EVENTS
Continuing Trinity Rep’s tradition of offering affordable tickets for all, the theater will hold a Pay What You Wish performance of A Christmas Carol on Thursday, November 9, at 7:30 pm. Pay What You Wish tickets go on sale at 2:00 pm the day of the performance and are limited to two per person.
New this season, to welcome families from across the state, are Neighborhood Nights, where Rhode Island residents can get a 20% discount based on where they live. The first, second, and third Sunday evening performances are Neighborhood Nights for Kent, Washington, and Bristol & Newport Counties, respectively. For performances of A Christmas Carol, Providence County residents are eligible for a Neighborhood Night discount on each of the three aforementioned Sunday evening performances. Guests may claim this discount by entering their county name in all capital letters at checkout (i.e. PROVIDENCE).
Open Captioned performances are on December 9 and 10 at 12:00 pm; December 9 and 10 at 6:00 pm; and December 6, 7, and 8 at 7:30 pm. The Sensory Friendly Plus! performance of A Christmas Carol, designed to meet the needs of guests with sensitivities to light and sound, will be held on November 18 at 12:00 pm.
Through Trinity Rep’s Project Discovery program, schools can arrange for students to experience this live production with tickets to a student matinee performance, a study guide that can be used in the classroom to prepare for the play, and a post-show discussion with the production team. The Project Discovery performance dates for A Christmas Carol are November 17, 21, 29, 30 and December 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 10:30 am. Visit trinityrep.com/project-discovery for more information and to book your school.
A Christmas Carol is presented by Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses. Amica Insurance is the production’s supporting sponsor. Trinity Rep’s 2023-24 Season is sponsored by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) with supporting sponsorship by the Providence Tourism Council. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of Trinity Rep.
ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.
Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for nearly two million audience members.
Trinity Rep’s 60th Anniversary Season runs through June 2024, and includes productions of The Good John Proctor, Becky Nurse of Salem, A Christmas Carol, La Broa’ (Broad Street), August Wilson’s Fences, and La Cage aux Folles. For more information, visit Trinity Rep’s website at www.trinityrep.com.
AT A GLANCE
A Christmas Carol
By Charles Dickens
Original music by Richard Cumming
Adapted by Stephen Thorne
Director – Stephen Thorne
Assistant Director – Gia Yarn
Music Director – Michael Rice
Choreographer – yaTande Whitney V. Hunter
Set Designer – Michael McGarty
Costume Designer – Toni Spadafora-Sadler
Lighting Designer – James Horban
Sound Designer – Peter Sasha Hurowitz
Stage Manager – Amanda Kosack
Assistant Stage Manager – Shoshana Adler
Cast – Featuring company member Jackie Davis, Taavon Gamble, Mauro Hantman, and Phyllis Kay. Including MFA student Sara States and MFA alum Rodney Witherspoon II (’22). Featuring guest artists Jeff Church, Richard Donelly, Nina Giselle, Kevin Patrick Martin, Alison Russo, and Jenna Lea Scott. Featuring the children’s cast: Lily Altomari, Luca Anderson, Eleanor Brown-Araujo, Hadley Boyle, Riley Hewes, Olivia Jarbadan, Kelser Michael, Grace Perkins, Eleanor Pinsker, Danasia Scurry, Philip Vaile-Lucason, and Lou Wechsler.
A Christmas Carol Opening Press Night | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Invitations and RSVP instructions to come
Pay What You Wish – November 9 at 7:30 pm
Neighborhood Nights – Patrons can receive 20% off tickets for the 6:00 pm evening performance on the following Sundays:
November 26 (Kent County residents using discount code KENT at checkout)
December 10 (Washington County residents using discount code WASHINGTON at checkout)
December 17 (Bristol & Newport County residents using discount code BRISTOL or NEWPORT)
November 26, December 10, and 17 (Providence County residents using discount code PROVIDENCE)
Open Caption Performances – December 9 and 10 at 12:00 pm; December 9 and 10 at 6:00 pm; December 6, 7, and 8 at 7:30 pm
Sensory-Friendly Plus! Performance – November 18 at 12:00 pm
Masked Matinee Performance – December 3 at 12:00 pm
Project Discovery Performances – November 17, 21, 29, 30 and December 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 10:30 am
Ticket Office – (401) 351-4242; 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903
Group Sales – (401) 259-0477; discounts for groups of 10 or more
Website – trinityrep.com/carol
Presenting Sponsor – Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses
Supporting Sponsor – Amica Insurance
Season Sponsor – Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)
Supporting Season Sponsor – Providence Tourism Council
Official Airline of Trinity Rep – Southwest Airlines