The Ghosts of Christmas Past Staged Reading at The Archive Theater
Dates: 11/30/2023 - 12/3/2023
Theatre:The Archive Theater |
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3310 W. Braker Ln, Bld. II Ste 300 - 531
Austin,TX 78758
Phone: 1 (512) 890-9923
Tickets: $10-20
For one weekend only, The Archive Theater will bring you a unique preview of their Victorian Christmas production The Ghosts of Christmas Past. The Merriwether family invites you to their family parlor to celebrate a true Victorian Christmas by telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve for a thrilling, chilling holiday event. Enjoy a family-friendly production with traditional holiday desserts, spiced cider, live music, a carol sing-along, and deliciously spooky tales. But be on your best behavior because Krampus is coming. We hope you’ll join us for The Ghosts of Christmas Past - Staged Reading (absolutely no part of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will be included). If you haven't been to a staged reading before, here's what you can expect. Actors in Victorian costume will be reading from scripts and acting out portions of the show on a minimal holiday-themed set with live music accompaniment. Afterward, we'll have opportunities for guests to give us feedback on our script as we work to bring it to full production for 2024. Come early and enjoy the Tavern atmosphere. Doors will open 1 hour before the show. You can even wear your favorite Christmas or Victorian outfit and be part of the fun. Visit our Christmas Market to find the coolest gifts and art. All proceeds go to support our actors and artists.
Cast and Creative team for The Ghosts of Christmas Past Staged Reading at The Archive Theater
Cast
Jason Graf
Horace Merriwether (Father)
Jason Graf is incredibly excited to be returning to Archive Theater. Jason was most recently seen as The Cat in “The Cat In The Hat” at Zach Theatre and played the title role in Archive Theatre’s production of “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. When not on stage, Jason can be found explaining, to anyone who will listen, how great the 2004 ALCS was, and how Macbeth was actually a heroic and noble person, whose good name will forever be tainted because of some hack playwright.
Christine Bush
Gwendolen Merriwether (Mother)
Christine Bush is returning to The Archive Theater after recently performing in the Georgetown Palace Playhouse production of Leading Ladies. Previous Archive credits include Mrs. Oakshott in A Sherlock Holmes Christmas and Malcolm in Macbeth. When not on stage, Chris can often be found watching or talking about the New York Yankees and researching long-dead ancestors. She'd like to dedicate this performance to her grandma, Joan Trybus, who has always been one of her biggest creative inspirations. I love you a bushel and peck, Grandma.
Gene Storie
Clarence Merriwether (Grandfather)
Gene is delighted to make his debut with The Archive Theater and to be reunited with Jen and Lynn. He last appeared at The Curtain with the Baron’s Men as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night. He was Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Jen, and received a BIP ensemble nomination. Other shows with The Baron’s Men include Henry V, The Merchant of Venice, Measure For Measure, As You Like It, and a second production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Quince) which also garnered a BIP ensemble nomination.
Gene has performed many times at the Sam Bass Community Theatre in Round Rock. Favorite characters include Hercule Poirot, Maitland, Padre, Ira Drew, Stefano, Grandpa Joe, Polonius, and Wild Bill Boudreau. Gene also was Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady at the Georgetown Palace. Gene is very happily married to his darling wife, Tracie, and has two wonderful adult children.
Chris Humphrey
Evelyn Merriwether (Grandmother)
Chris Humphrey is an actor, musician, and aerialist. In addition to performing either as a musician or an actor (or both) in every Archive Theater production to date, Chris recently hosted and performed in Sky Candy’s aerial/burlesque production of Catz, clowned around in Austin Opera’s production of Pagliacci, and was the accordionist in the B Iden Payne award winning Klezmer trio featured in Austin Playhouse’s production of Indecent. When not performing, Chris spends most of her time taking aerial classes at Sky Candy or, now that the weather is cooler, reading and drinking hot tea while a kitty naps on her lap.
Evan Bonds
Jonny Merriwether (Son)
Evan Bonds is returning to The Archive Theater this time as a cast member! Evan has worked as crew on many shows for The ArchiveTheater, most recently Raven Winged Hours. But he has done stand-in crew for many other companies such as the Georgetown Palace Playhouse. When not doing theater you can find him drawing, cosplaying, or being engrossed in a new video game.
Lynn S. Beaver
Director
Lynn S Beaver has been working in Austin area theatre for the past 28 years. She has directed too many shows to count, but her favorites include, Leading Ladies, Sweet Delilah Swim Club, Hamlet, Lend Me A Tenor, Much Ado About Nothing, A Sherlock Holmes Christmas and Taming Of The Shrew. Most recently Lynn has gone back to her roots as Stage Manager for dozens of shows including Archive Theatre’s productions of Raven-Winged Hours, Macbeth and Cyrano de Bergerac, TILT’s When She Had Wings and Strange Faces, Different Stages Gliders, and Lost In Yonkers (BWW’s Best Play 2021) at the Palace Playhouse. When she's not backstage, Lynn is busy as Editor for BroadwayWorld Austin or spending time with her husband of 44 years. She is especially proud to work with her eldest grandchild Evan Bonds on this production.
Jennifer Rose Davis
Producer, Costumer, Propsmaker, Set Designer
Jennifer Rose Davis is an all-around Renaissance woman. She designed costumes for Henry VIII and Wolf Hall (Austin Shakespeare), Pride and Prejudice (St. Edward’s University), The Little Mermaid (Zilker Theatre Productions), and Beauty and The Beast (Magnolia Musical Theatre). She founded The Archive Theater along with Garrison Martt to produce her translation of Cyrano de Bergerac.
Victoria Schwarz
Music Director, Pianist
Vikki Schwarz (she/her) is an Austin-area composer and arranger working in church music, elementary music, and local theater. She is the Music Director and Lead Composer/Arranger for Archive Theatre (Cyrano, Macbeth [nominated for Broadway World and B. Iden Payne Awards], A Sherlock Holmes Christmas, Raven-Winged Hours). She also composes and directs music for Diverse Dance Space Theatre, Austin Children’s Theatre, and Interwoven Theatre. Other works include My Big Fat Bahookie, Far From Avalon, Not My Mother, and A Fat Search for Love. Upcoming projects include Archive Theatre’s Spring 2024 show, Lockdown (short form opera), and False Starts, Falls, Fouls or The art of making mistakes (Diverse Dance Space Theatre).
Sheilava
Flautist
Sheilava (Sheila Victoria Anne) is an award-winning producer, director, composer, singer, songwriter, SAG-E actress, and Master Flautist based in Austin, TX. She also enjoys writing, modeling, performing live music, hosting indie film & music festivals, teaching private music lessons in her home studio, and working with under privileged and at-risk children with the non-profit organization Anthropos Arts. You can find her work and follow her endeavors on most social media platforms including Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud.
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The Archive Theater is at 3310 W. Braker Ln, Bld. II Ste 300 - 531 , Austin, TX.
Raven-Winged Hours: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe at Wells Branch Community Center (9/21/23-10/1/23)
Raven-Winged Hours: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe at Pioneer Farms (9/7/23-9/17/23)
A Sherlock Holmes Christmas (11/17/22-12/18/22)
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