Back by Popular Demand Dickens' A Christmas Carol
at the Clarence Brown Theatre
Our holiday gift to the community, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will run November 29 through December 22 on the Clarence Brown Theatre mainstage. Featuring a cast of 30, lavish costumes and set, and music and merriment, this production has all the trimmings for a joyous family event.
“We’re creating a production which is a highly theatrical, and yet, fairly specific, “realistic” representation of time and place. Wonderful, textured costumes take us from the London of 1842 to Scrooge’s 18th century boyhood, and then all around the world. We meet poor Cockney folk and respectable Londoners. The multi-layered set conjures the dingy, crowded London streets and easily moves us from outside to inside locations while embracing the audience in a kind of storyteller’s frame. It’s an exciting set,” said visiting guest Director, Edward Morgan.
Originally written to help Dickens pay off a debt, A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843. Instantly successful, the morality tale about Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption has become one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time.
Morgan was formerly Associate Artistic Director at Milwaukee Rep, where he directed nearly 30 productions. He has also worked as a director, actor or music director at Virginia Stage Company, The Shakespeare Theatre, Trinity Rep, The Kennedy Center, the Rep Theatre of St. Louis, Round House, the Studio, Next Act and others, and has guest directed and taught for numerous colleges and universities. He is a graduate of Trinity Rep Conservatory, a recipient of the Drama League of NY Director's Project fellowship, and his work has been honored in Washington D.C. with Helen Hayes nominations and awards.
“Jed Diamond is a terrific actor and his Scrooge will truly be memorable – cruel, crusty, comical and finally quite moving,” Morgan said. “Around Jed is a cast of nearly 30 talented actors, including locals, graduate and undergraduate students and a handful of charming kids. This is going be a special event for the theatre, the University and the Knoxville community.”
Diamond (Ebenezer Scrooge) is head of the graduate Acting program at UT. He has appeared on the Clarence Brown stage in A Flea in Her Ear, Born Yesterday, All the Way Home, and as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol in 2005. Tiny Tim is Knoxville native Gregory Croisdale who is 7 years old. William “Phil” Childress, a 2nd grade student at Green Magnet Math and Science Academy also will play Tiny Tim. David Brian Alley (Bob Cratchit) is a CBT Resident Artist now in his eighth season, and also teaches acting for the Department of Theatre. Christopher Tramantana (Jacob Marley/Old Joe/Ensemble) is a third year Acting MFA student. Zack Fine (Fred) is in his third year of graduate Acting training.
Completing the spectacular cast are: William Brockmeier (Scadger/Ensemble); Erica Bundy (Fan/Ensemble); Amelia Reed Bryant (Alice Cratchit); Quinn Cason (Twyce/Ensemble); Jessica Culaciati (Christmas Past/Madeline/Ensemble); Rebecca Haden (Lisa/Ensemble); Lena Hurt (Catherine/Miggot/Ensemble); James McGuire (Christmas Future/Ensemble); Brady Seymore (Reverend/Businessman/Ensemble); Jonathan Seymore (Oatway/Mudd/Barnaby);
Lindsay Torre (Belle/Lucy/Ensemble); Shinnerrie Jackson (Mrs. Dilber/Mrs. Fezziwig/
Ensemble); Amber Rose Wilson (Alice/Ensemble); Mallory W. Turner (Forgiveness/Want/Ensemble); Will Stone (Dick Wilkins/Peter/Ensemble); Maggie Kohlbusch (Mary Cratchit); Julianna Steimer (Belinda); Clay McCammon (Smudge/Boy Scrooge);
Jon Liddiard (Charles Lomax); Steve Fitchpatrick (Philpot/Grimgrind/Ensemble); Casey Smith (Martha/Ensemble); Julie Stelter (Mrs. Cratchit/Ensemble); Donald Thorne (Fezziwig/Ensemble) and Ben Croisdale (Remembrance/Ignorance).
Musical Director, Terry Silver-Alford, is a member of the UT Theatre faculty and teaches Musical Theatre Performance, Acting, and Introduction to the Theatre. He has directed or musically directed over 100 productions and has created the scores for four original musicals and a variety of chamber and vocal music pieces. He is also creating original music for the upcoming production of The Life of Galileo, and directing the CBT spring musical Guys and Dolls.
Visiting Costume Designer, Kathryn Rohe, designs in New York for the Drama Desk and Obie award winning Transport Group. Prior to that, she was a tenured professor at the University of Virginia, which enabled her to design professionally for several theatres, among them the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Visiting Lighting Designer, Beverly Emmons, has designed for Broadway, Off-Broadway and Regional Theaters, Dance and Opera both in the USA and abroad. Her Broadway credits include: Annie Get Your Gun, Jekyll & Hyde, The Heiress, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, High Rollers, Stepping Out, The Elephant Man, A Day in Hollywood A Night in the Ukraine, The Dresser, Piaf and Doonesbury. She has been awarded seven Tony nominations, the 1976 Luman award, 1984 and 1986 Bessies, and a 1980 Obie for Distinguished Lighting, and several Maharam/American Theater Wing Design Awards. Visiting Set Designer, James Kronzer, resides in Washington D.C. where his work has been seen at The Shakespeare Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, Signature Theatre and Round House among others. Regionally he has worked Off-Broadway and in Philadelphia, Vermont, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, San Diego and Florida. He has designed numerous national tours including Seussical the Musical and Showboat. He has also designed a new musical for Disney called Twice Charmed. He has won the Helen Hayes Award in D.C. eight times and also has received the Barrymore Award in Philadelphia. Mike Ponder has been the Resident Sound Designer for the UT theatre program and its associated Clarence Brown Professional Company for 10 years, designing for almost every production. Choreographer, Casey Sams, is on the faculty at UT where she teaches movement to both graduate and undergraduate students, and where she serves as the theatre department’s head of undergraduate studies. Children’s Director, Katie Alley, is a 1993 graduate of the UT Theatre Department and co-founder of the Actors Co-Op. She currently teaches speech and theatre part-time at Roane State Community College.
Preview for A Christmas Carol is Thursday, November 29, followed by Opening Night Friday, November 30. The show runs through Saturday, December 22. UT faculty/staff, senior citizens, children and students receive discounts. For tickets, call the Clarence Brown Theatre box office at 865-974-5161, Tickets Unlimited at 865-656-4444 or online at www.clarencebrowntheatre.com