DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to the Hatbox

The Hatbox Theatre presents Dickens' A Christmas Carol for three weekends from November 29 through December 16. Shows are Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, Thursday and Saturday shows at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00pm. Tickets are $17, $14 for members, seniors, and students, and $12 for senior members. Tickets can be purchased online at http://hatboxnh.com and can be reserved by calling 603-715-2315.

In this original adaptation, the Hatbox Theatre production has everything you might expect from Charles Dickens' classic tale, but with an intriguing twist. Taking Scrooge's statement, "You may be an undigested bit of beef..."-a line in the original story-at face value, the show is crafted from the perspective that this may, indeed, just all be a bad dream that ultimately leads to redemption. Projections, costumes, environmental sound, and a re-imagined opening to the tale coupled with hyper-naturalistic acting to draw audiences into Scrooge's journey through the past, present, and future of his mind. Audience members, too, will wonder if they are dreaming when they are immersed in sound, lights, and effects that bring out some of the eerier aspects of Scrooge's fateful night.

Ebenezer Scrooge is portrayed dramatically by Bruce MacDonald who was last seen as Benjamin Franklin in 1776. The other cast members come from all over New Hampshire to portray multiple roles throughout the production. They include Deb Lund, Madison Lee, and Toby H. Paul as the ghosts (Marley, Past, Present and Future, respectively), Erik Shaffer, Tina Annis, Paige Annis, Ella Sherwood, and Kazi Fichera (the Cratchit family), and the company is rounded out by Zachary Peacock and Monique Forrester (Fred and Belle) and Laura Hoglund (Charwoman). Audiences can expect to feel a wide range of emotions from this production, from fear to grief, sorrow to joy and ultimately delight and wonder.

Audiences looking for a traditional Carol will be pleased with period costuming, accents and settings reflecting the Victorian roots of the story, but will also be delighted by the surprising new experience from a story they thought they knew.

The Hatbox Theatre is a live performance arts space located on the bell tower side of the Steeplegate Mall, at 270 Loudon Road, in Concord NH with a mission to create a cooperative community to develop unique, intimate experiences for both audiences and artists.