Sol Children Theatre Presents CHARLES DICKENS' THE CHRISTMAS CAROL

The beloved tale of the penny-pinching miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, and the awakening of his long-forgotten festive spirit is a seasonal tradition for many. Sol Children Theatre will revisit Charles Dickens' ghostly tale of the Past, Present, and Future when they present Brian Way's faithful adaptation of Dickens' timeless classic. The production will run from December 2nd through December 18th at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton.

First published on December 19th, 1843, Dickens' novella immediately met with critical and popular acclaim, and has never been out of print. A Christmas Carol illustrates the author's concerns about time, family, and society's ills; however Dickens also used his own humiliating childhood experiences, along with his sympathy for the poor, and various fairy tales and seasonal stories to enhance his tale.

Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol will be directed by Christopher Mitchell, and will feature a cast composed of adults and children.

"With it paying homage to both a cherished story and treasured holiday, I'm thrilled to be directing this production," Mitchell says. "It's eerie spooky undertones and touching story line have been great fun to play with. Everyone loves a good ghost story and a great Christmas story. And with this play, you get both!"

Director Mitchell's adult cast includes Jim Gibbons as Ebenezer Scrooge; Murphy Hayes as Jacob Marley and Joe; Robert Fabano as Bob Cratchit. Other adult cast members include Sara Grant, Barry Katz, Fern Katz, Constance Moreau, Jenna Wyatt, Jeremy Wershoven, Amy Coker, John Maher, Neil Evangelista, Shafer Ross, and Melanie Leivers. Younger cast members include Eden Wexler as Tiny Tim, as well as Faith Alfieri, and Sabrina Lipp.

Boca Raton's Sol Children Theatre is a not-for-profit theatre organization founded by veteran director and actor Rosalie Grant fifteen years ago. The company's mission is to provide children with a safe, secure, and highly professional theatre experience. Those children in then in turn provide quality theatre experiences for audiences. In this production of Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol, Sol students will have the opportunity to work with adult professional actors as well as with their contemporaries.

Brian Way (1923 - 2006), a British teacher, director, and writer, is often credited with originating educational theater for children. He and Margaret Faulkes, in founding the Theatre Center in London, introduced the concept of informal theatrical performances in school, and the expansion of arts education. In his lifetime he wrote over 50 plays, including Pinocchio, The Mirrorman, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as the renowned text Audience Participation.

Tickets for Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol are on sale now and can be purchased on line at www.solchildren.org or by calling 561-447-8829. Tickets are $20; $12 for children aged 11 or younger. Sol Children Theatre is located at 3333 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton (33431).

For more information about Sol Children Theatre, a complete list of upcoming productions, as well as the company's popular summer camp program, visit http://www.solchildren.org.

Credit: Carol Kassie