Manual Cinema's CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns To The Studebaker Theater This December
The acclaimed Chicago ensemble brings its inventive take on Dickens’s classic to the Fine Arts Building for a limited engagement, December 12–28, 2025.
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 28, 2025
Holiday magic returns to the historic Studebaker Theater this winter as Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol comes home for a limited run, December 12–28, 2025.
Presented by the Fine Arts Building and Manual Cinema, this reimagined version of the Dickens classic combines hundreds of handmade puppets, immersive sound design, and a live original score for a theatrical experience unlike any other.
Each ticket includes a special interactive post-show experience, inviting audiences onto the Studebaker stage for hands-on puppetry demonstrations, conversations with cast members, set tours, and photo opportunities.
Performances will be held Fridays, December 12, 19, and 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, December 13, 20, and 27 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, December 14, 21, and 28 at 2:00 p.m.; Wednesday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, December 24 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets start at $45 with student discounts available; for details, visit fineartsbuilding.com/christmascarol.
In Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol, avowed holiday skeptic Aunt Trudy reluctantly continues her late husband’s tradition of performing a homemade puppet version of A Christmas Carol over Zoom for distant family members. As the story unfolds, Trudy’s solitary evening transforms into a haunting, heartfelt journey of imagination and rediscovery.
“We are delighted to welcome Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol back to the Studebaker,” said Jacob Harvey, Managing Artistic Director of the Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater. “This uniquely imaginative adaptation has become a perfect holiday tradition for our audiences.”
The cast includes LaKecia Harris as Aunt Trudy, with puppeteers Lizi Breit (Dec. 12–21), Felix Mayes, Jeffrey Paschal, and Kevin Michael Wesson (Dec. 21–28), and musicians Nora Barton (cello, keys, bass), Lucy Little (violin, vocals), and Alicia Walter (lead vocals, keys, piano).
The production is adapted from Charles Dickens’s novel and devised by Manual Cinema, with additional writing by Nate Marshall, storyboards and puppet design by Drew Dir, original score and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter, and lighting design by Trey Brazeal.
“As Manual Cinema celebrates its fifteenth year of creating interdisciplinary puppetry, theater, and music, we’re thrilled to share our genre-bending take on Dickens’s classic once again,” said Drew Dir, Co-Artistic Director of Manual Cinema.
Chicago Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)
6.9% of votes
2.
RENT (Highland Park Players)
6.9% of votes
3.
DREAMGIRLS (The Drama Group)
6.6% of votes
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