Independent Shakespeare Co. Presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS, Now thru 12/20

By: Dec. 06, 2014
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Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), producers of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS. In his lifetime, Charles Dickens was recognized not only as a great writer, but as an actor. His greatest successes on the stages of Britain and the United States were his solo performances of his own work. (Women were known to faint in horror at his portrayal of Sikes murdering Nancy when he performed Oliver Twist.) One of the first pieces he presented to great acclaim was A Christmas Carol. A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS will perform today, December 6 at 2:00pm; Saturday, December 13 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm and Saturday, December 20 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm at theIndependent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

In what has become a holiday tradition, ISC re-creates (with a little artistic license) the experience of a public reading given by Mr. Dickens himself. Based on the novelist's own adaptation, A Christmas Carol With Charles Dickens is performed by ISC co-founder David Melville as Charles Dickens, playing nearly every character in the story with musical accompaniment and dramatic interjections by a young American actress, Miss Aks.

This is ISC's tenth year presenting A Christmas Carol with Charles Dickens. David Melville is also currently appearing as Charles Dickens in The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord at the Geffen Playhouse. Says Melville, "I can't believe it's been 10 years since I started playing Charles Dickens. To work on Discord been great because I've done so much biographical research this year on Dickens. It's fun to work on A Christmas Carol back to back with Discord because it's two different interpretations of who Dickens was. In Discord he's impish, imaginative and playful with all his flaws on display. A Christmas Carol underscores all that's best about the man: his sense of social justice and his big heart."

The performance A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS is full of the acting pyrotechnics Dickens was famous for as the two actors conjure a magical evening full of wry humor, ghosts, romance, and redemption.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST:

MELISSA CHALSMA (Director) is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Independent Shakespeare Co. Under Melissa's leadership, thecompany created the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, which has grown into the largest theater event of its kind in Los Angeles. She directs many ISC productions, including last season's Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice Twelfth Night at the Griffith Park FreeShakespeare Festival, and at Independent Studio, Romeo & Juliet and Doctor Faustus. Other directing projects include the Western Premiere of Akio Miyazawa's Hinemi (California State University, Northridge). As an actor, she has been seen in leading roles in ISC productions, including Katharine in last season's The Taming of the Shrew and has performed at Shakespeare festivals across the US, on Broadway (including the American premiere of Harold Pinter's Moonlight with Jason Robards, Blythe Danner and Liev Schreiber) and in the UK, including at the Derby playhouse and London's Battersea Arts Center.

DAVID MELVILLE (Charles Dickens) is co-founder of Independent Shakespeare Co. and the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival. Roles for ISC include Hamlet, Richard II, Iago, Macbeth, Henry V, Benedick, Dr. Pinch, Feste, 9 seasons as Charles Dickens performingA Christmas Carol, a one-person Nicholas Nickleby, Charles Dickens in The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord, WH Ireland in the one man show Solemn Mockeries and Beauty Smith in the original musical Red Barn. As a composer David has written the music for most of ISC's Shakespeare productions, Red Barn, and many of the songs for Dr. Pinch's vaudeville show. London appearances include the Almeida Theatre productions of Hamlet (also Broadway) and Ivanov (both of which featured Ralph Fiennes), Mother Courage (with Glenda Jackson) and Henry VI in The Wax King (The Man in the Moon). TV and film includes: Lawrence of America; Ironclad; The Understudy and Perfection. Earlier in his career, David was a private detective and then brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire - traveling the United States preaching the virtues of gin and discussing golf with liquor executives. David trained at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

JULIA AKS (Miss Aks) Julia Aks is a proud member of the Independent Shakespeare Co. and has performed the roles of Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Fabian in Twelfth Night, and Pimple in She Stoops To Conquer at the Griffith Park Free ShakespeareFestival. A trained mezzo-soprano, she has sung the roles of Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Nicklausse in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, and Dorabella in Così fan tutte. She also sings seasonally with the L.A. Opera Chorus. Regional musical theater roles include Cinderella in Into the Woods, Ulla in The Producers, and Mary Moore in ISC's Red Barn. Ms. Aks is also a member of the Ovation Award-winning Fugitive Kind Theater Company. On screen, Julia can be seen as Kelsey Peterson in the horror comedy feature film Clinger and as The Artist in the feature The Watermelon. She is also leading lady Scarlet Ruby Müller in the groundbreaking transmedia romance series The Elements Club. In 2012, Ms. Aks graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a Special Bachelor's Degree in Contemporary Opera Performance.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS will perform on Saturday, December 6 at 2:00pm; Saturday, December 13 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm and Saturday, December 20 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm at the Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, CA 90039. Free, ample lot and street parking. Tickets are $25, $20 for Students. For tickets, call (818) 710-6306 or buy online at www.iscla.org.



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