Cape May Stage Puts A New Twist On A Christmas Classic

Providing a fresh take on Dickens's timeless A Christmas Carolis Charles Evered's AnActor's Carol. It tells the tale Hugh Pendleton, an actor drained of artistic passion or love for the theatre after having played the character of Scrooge one too many times. Pendleton encounters three ghosts of his own. A cast of 4 plays 17 characters in this hilarious new look at a classic that reminds us that the most jaded among us can find magic in the holiday season- and in the theater as well.

Directing this stellar cast is award-winning director, producer, actor, and producing artistic director of Cape May Stage, Roy Steinberg. Roy has directed classical and contemporary plays as well as world premieres all over the United States. For Cape May Stage's 2016 season, he directed Sex with Strangers, Buyer and Cellar, This Wonderful Life, and Disgraced, which received The Best Director Award NJ and Best Play NJ from broadwayworld.com. In 2017 he directed The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, The Gin Game, Outside Mullingar, and The Ultimate Christmas Show. This season, Steinberg hasdirectedChapter Two and the World Premiere ofThe Shuck.

Playing Hugh Pendleton, a weary and cynical actor who has played the role of Scrooge too many times is John Little. John is delighted to appear at Cape May Stage. His recent work includes the National Tour of the Roundabout Theatre's Cabaret and Ragtime at Barrington Stage. His regional work includes Yale Rep, Pioneer Theater and Goodspeed. On television, he has appeared in Law and Order and Boardwalk Empire. John is a proud graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

Making her Cape May Stage debut is Kirsten Hopkins. Kirsten will be performing the role of Player 1. But this role is not for the weak of heart, as Kirsten will be playing six completely different roles including the Stage Manager of Christmas Past. Kirsten is a proud member of the NYC artist collective The Playground Experiment, which is dedicated to fostering new theater work. Her New York credits include The Last Cyclist, Your Boyfriend May Be Imaginary, and Lonesome Winter.

Performing as George the adoring nephew, the spicy Usher of Christmas Past, the Critic of Christmas Yet To Come, and others is Kevin Cristaldi. Kevin has appeared in Numb3rs, Medium, The Unit, Gilmore Girls, Criminal Minds, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His Off-Broadway credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Dish for the Gods, and Dirty Talk.

Rounding out the cast is Karack Osborn, playing a variety of comedic roles. Karack was the recipient of the 2015 Mawson Award and was nominated for a Toronto Theatre Award for his work at the Stratford Festival. Karack is best known for his roles in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Anthony and Cleopatra, and his recent portrayal of Sam Phillips in Million Dollar Quartet at the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company.

An Actor's Carol made its premiere in 2015 in Palm Springs in a production starring Hal Linden, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actor, best known for starring on the 1970s sitcom "Barney Miller." The play won the Outstanding Original Writing Award in the staged reading category of the Desert Theatre League Awards. The playwright, Charles Evered, an award-winning playwright and filmmaker, is a graduate of the famed Yale School of Drama and a former naval officer. He has written screenplays for major studios and directed two features of his own. Evered also wrote for the hit TV shows Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub. Currently, he is Professor of Playwriting at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where he served as the department's first artistic director.

Evered says "An Actor's Carolis a comedy, but unlike other spoofs and satires of A Christmas Carol, it has heart and truth, particularly about theater." Don't miss this twist on a holiday classic, opening on November 14th-December 30thplaying Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 PM and Saturday & Sunday at 3:00 PM. Join us for a special opening night with a Pre-Celebration starting at 6:00 PM in the Robert Shackleton Playhouse Courtyard with food provided by Eat Well & a cash bar, then directly following the performance join cast & crew for an afterparty at Fins Bar & Grille.

For more information on any performance call the box office at 609-770-8311 or visit the website at www.capemaystage.org. For this Holiday Season give the gift of theatre. Memberships & Packages are available for the 2019 season.

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