Civic Ensemble to Present BAH HUMBUG! A RHINER COMMEDIA CAROL

Civic Ensemble, in collaboration with The History Center, presents Bah Humbug! A Rhiner Commedia Carol, a mashup of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Ithaca's own history of the Rhiners and performed in the style of Commedia Dell'Arte.

At the heart of Dickens story are his concerns about poverty and social injustice, themes that continue to resonate with our community. Bah Humbug! examines the hardscrabble lives of the Rhiners in order to illuminate the issues of housing, food security and community sustainability that Ithacans face today.

Bah Humbug! A Rhiner Commedia Carol is Civic Ensemble's second annual holiday offering. It is the next phase in the long-term development of a larger piece by conceived and director Freddy Villano.

"Last year's play, [The Spirit of Christmas Present: a Poetic Carol] was performed in Larval masks that cover the entire face so there was no speaking," according to Villano."The performative quality had more to do with corporeal mime than conventional theater. The instigation was to demonstrate to audiences that theatrical tales can unfold through simple actions and relationships and don't always have to rely on text. Think more Cirque du Soleil than Shakespeare. "

This year, the play will be placed in the world of Commedia dell'arte, which Villano describes as "an acting style performed in half mask. Unlike last year, these characters speak. And they speak not only amongst themselves, but with the audience too."

Bah Humbug! A Rhiner Commedia Carol continues Civic's tradition of inclusion and innovation. Civic Ensemble has been working with the History Center doing research on Silent City and the Rhiners in Ithaca. The heydey of the Rhiners was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, overlapping the Victorian era in which Dickens was writing. This year we dive deeper into the Rhiner history to challenge our audience to judge if Dickens words still ring true for us today: "Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

The performance will feature Ithaca Actors SherRon Brown, Sarah K. Chalmers, Alyssa Duerksen, Heather Duke, and Susan Lin. Civic Ensemble is thrilled to be producing another show this season that features both theater practitioners and Tompkins County community members -- all of whom have participated in Civic's work.

In addition to Villano's direction, Emily Goldman is the Vocal Director, Liz Kitney is the Costume Designer, and Civic Ensemble Associate Artist Ella Carr is the Assistant Director/Stage Manager.

IF YOU GO:

Bah Humbug! A Rhiner Commedia Carol
Conceived by Freddy Villano and created by Civic Ensemble
December 15-18, 2016; Thurs, Fri, Sat at 7:30 pm; Sun at 4 pm
At The History Center in Tompkins County, 401 E State St #100, Ithaca, NY 14850
Tickets: Pay What You Can; Patrons encouraged to reserve online in advance at humbug.bpt.me. Seating is limited.

Civic Ensemble is a non-profit theatre company that produces new plays by or about women and people of color, re-imaginings of classics, and community-based plays that explore and explode the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. Through the production of plays, after-school and in-school education programs for young people, and civic engagement programs with Ithaca community members, the company works to bring audiences of different races, classes, and experiences together in a public forum on the American experiment.