Craig Wallace to Reprise the Role of Ebenezer Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Ford's Theatre

Acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace will return to Ford's Theatre to reprise the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the company's holiday production of A Christmas Carol. Performances of the classic Charles Dickens story begin November 18, 2022 and continue for a six-week engagement through December 31, 2022. This production is adapted by Michael Wilson and directed by Michael Baron.

"The fully staged production of this holiday tradition returns with the revelry and magical moments our audiences have come to love. With Craig Wallace leading this timeless story of redemption and transformation, we can experience the true spirit of Christmas on our stage," said Paul R. Tetreault, director of Ford's Theatre. "We are especially excited to welcome back our youth company after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic."

Tickets for in-person performances of A Christmas Carol are now on sale and range from $26 to $132. The performance runs approximately 2 hours with one intermission. It is abundant with caroling, spooky stage tricks and cheerful dancing for the holiday season.


COVID-19 Health and Safety:

Face coverings are strongly encouraged. Ford's Theatre COVID-19 guidance is developed in collaboration with the George Washington Medical Faculty Associates (GW MFA). As one of the largest physician groups in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, GW MFA is recognized for excellence in clinical care, research and training of future care providers. The advice and expertise of the medical staff at the GW MFA, which is based on data and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has helped Ford's Theatre Society strengthen its safety procedures to better serve and protect patrons, artists and staff as productions and daytime visits resume. For more information about Ford's Theatre health and safety protocols, visit www.fords.org/performance-safety.

The Director

Michael Baron made his Ford's Theatre directorial debut with the 2009 production of A Christmas Carol. He also served as associate director of the 2008 Ford's production of The Civil War. Regional directorial credits include: LaChiusa's Ladies; The Little Dog Laughed; A Year with Frog and Toad (Helen Hayes Award); December Divas; Lost Songs of Broadway I and II; Sex Habits of American Women; Songs for a New World; Ricky, Joe, and Michael John for Signature Theatre; School for Scandal and A Christmas Carol for Trinity Repertory; and productions for La Mama, Adventure Theatre and the Washington Savoyards. Baron holds an MFA from Trinity Repertory and has taught at American University, Brown University and College of the Holy Cross. Baron is currently Producing Artistic Director of the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

The Cast

Craig Wallace was most recently featured at Ford's in our 2021 production of A Christmas Carol and the Necessary Sacrifices radio play. A Ford's Theatre Associate Artist, Wallace has also portrayed Troy in August Wilson's Fences and been featured in stage productions of Death of a Salesman, The Guard, Driving Miss Daisy, Necessary Sacrifices, and others. Additional recent credits include Mosaic Theater Company's Satchmo at the Waldorf, All the Way at Arena Stage and How I Learned to Drive at Round House Theatre, among others. He is an Ex-Officio member of the Ford's Theatre Board of Trustees.

The Ford's production also includes Stephen F. Schmidt as Jacob Marley, Rayanne Gonzales as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Justine "Icy" Moral as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Jonathan Atkinson as Bob Cratchit and Emily Kester as Mrs. Cratchit. They are joined by actors Michael Bunce, Debora Crabbe, Maria Egler, John Floyd, Kristen Garaffo, Tyler Herman, Joe Mallon, Christopher Mueller, Awa Sal Secka, Chris Stinson, Tom Story, and Emily Zickler.

The Creative Team

José Carrasquillo recreates Michael Baron's original direction, assisted by Associate Directors Craig A. Horness and Erika Scott. Designs for A Christmas Carol include Scenic Designer Lee Savage's striking iron work, which evokes London's Covent Garden marketplace. The cast is outfitted in Alejo Vietti's festive Victorian costumes. The design team also includes Lighting Design by Rui Rita, Original Music and Sound Design by Josh Schmidt, Wig Design by Charles G. LaPointe, Choreography by Shea Sullivan, Choral Direction by Jay Crowder, and Dialects and Vocal Direction by Rachel Hirshorn-Johnston.

Special Events and Performances

Audio-described performances of A Christmas Carol are December 7, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. and December 17, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. A sign-interpreted performance is December 15, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. A Sensory-Friendly performance is scheduled for December 11, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

Beginning November 18, 2022, performances of A Christmas Carol will be captioned via the GalaPro App. GalaPro is available from the App Store or Google Play and allows patrons to access captioning on demand through their phone or tablet device. Patrons set their phones to airplane mode and connect to the local GalaPro Wifi network before the performance begins. More information at https://www.fords.org/visit/accessibility/galapro-captioning.

Free Tickets to First Performance

Ford's Theatre Partners with TodayTix to give out free tickets for the first performance of each mainstage production in our theatrical season. One-hundred and fifty tickets for the November 17, 7:30 p.m. performance will be available via the TodayTix app lottery beginning November 10 at 10 a.m. The TodayTix app is available in Apple App Store, the Google Play or Amazon AppStore. Visit www.fords.org/free for lottery entry details.

Donation Drive for Local Charity

For the 13th year, the company of A Christmas Carol will devote time and energy to raising money for a Washington charity. Their efforts coupled with our audience's generous support have raised nearly a million dollars for local charities including Bright Beginnings, Homeless Children's Playtime Project, House of Ruth, N Street Village, Bread for the City, Covenant House Washington, Food and Friends, Martha's Table, Miriam's Kitchen, So Others Might Eat, Thrive DC and Taking Care Fund. This year's Washington charity recipient is For Love of Children (FLOC), which provides out-of-classroom educational services to DC's under-resourced youth to help students succeed from second grade to college and beyond. Serving 600 students annually with the support of over 400 volunteers, 100% of FLOC's City Leaders Program Scholars graduate from high school. Learn more about the FLOC at https://floc.org/.

Ford's Theatre Society

One of the most visited sites in the nation's capital, Ford's Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford's Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford's Theatre is the premier destination in the nation's capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy.

Ford's Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford's as a living, Working Theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatre-going public have recognized Ford's for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the Tony-nominated Come From Away and the nationally acclaimed Big River, to the world premieres of Grace, Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith, Necessary Sacrifices, The Widow Lincoln and The Guard, Ford's Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. Under the current leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Phebe N. Novakovic and through the lens of Lincoln's leadership and legacy, Ford's today endeavors to advance Lincoln's "unfinished work" with programs and performances that cultivate empathy, encourage dialogue and bridge divides in American life.

For more information on Ford's Theatre and the Ford's Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org.

Performance Details

By Charles Dickens | Adapted by Michael Wilson | Directed by Michael Baron

Experience Charles Dickens' beloved Yuletide story of transformation and redemption at Ford's Theatre. Craig Wallace returns as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who encounters the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future on a memorable journey.

Dates: November 18 to December 31, 2022
Private Donor Performance: December 3, 2022 (matinee)

Location: Ford's Theatre is located at 511 10th Street NW, between E and F streets.

Times: Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. (except November 24, December 24 & 25); Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. (except December 3, 24 and 25). Weekday noon matinees are December 1 and 8. Weekday 2:00 p.m. matinees are November 23 and 25, December 8, 15, 21, 22, 23, 26, and 30.

Tickets: $26-$132

COVID-19 Safety: Masks are strongly encouraged.

Accessibility: Ford's Theatre is accessible to persons with disabilities, offering wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms and audio enhancement.

Audio-described performances of A Christmas Carol are December 7, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. and December 17, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. A sign-interpreted performance is December 15, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. A Sensory-Friendly performance is scheduled for December 11, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

Beginning November 18, 2022, all performances of A Christmas Carol will be captioned via the GalaPro App. GalaPro is available from the App Store or Google Play, and allows patrons to access captioning on demand through their phone or tablet device. Patrons set their phones to airplane mode and connect to the local GalaPro Wifi network before the performance begins. More information at https://www.fords.org/visit/accessibility/galapro-captioning.

Free Tickets to First Performance
Ford's Theatre Partners with TodayTix to give out free tickets for the first preview of each mainstage production in our theatrical season. One-hundred and fifty tickets will be available via the TodayTix app, beginning November 10 for the November 18, 7:30 p.m. performance of A Christmas Carol. Visit www.fords.org/free for lottery entry details.

Parking:
Paid parking is available at several independent neighborhood garages: the 24-hour QuickPark at the Grand Hyatt (entrance on 10th Street between G and H Streets NW), the Central Parking Garage (entrance on 11th Street between E and F Streets NW), and the One Parking garage below Ford's Theatre (at 511 10th Street, NW). Please note that the entrance from the garage directly into the theatre lobby will be closed; all patrons must exit the garage via an alternative elevator and enter Ford's Theatre through the main lobby doors.

Metro:
Metro Center station (Red, Blue, Orange and Silver Lines) is two and one-half blocks north of the theatre from the Eleventh Street exit. Gallery Pl-Chinatown station (Red, Yellow and Green Lines) is two and one-half blocks north of the theatre from the G Street exit. For further information, call Metro at (202) 637-7000.