Faction of Fools' A COMMEDIA CHRISTMAS CAROL Opens Tonight

"Bah!" by popular demand! Faction of Fools Theatre Company brings back the 2013 nominee for the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play: A COMMEDIA CHRISTMAS CAROL, a fun-filled Commedia dell'Arte adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The show runs tonight, Nov 29 - Dec 22.

Masks, acrobatics, and holiday cheer abound in A COMMEDIA CHRISTMAS CAROL, written and directed by two-time Helen Hayes Award nominee Matthew R. Wilson and with Paul Reisman returning in the lead role.

When Pantalone Scrooge is visited by his old friend Dottore Marley, an unforgettable adventure of ghosts, yuletides, and omens sets the greedy old man on the rocky road to redemption. Dickens' unforgettable story features the Fools' characteristic blend of historical Commedia archetypes, inventive masks, and exciting ensemble physicality. A COMMEDIA CHRISTMAS CAROL is a treat for the whole family and a hilarious, heart-felt celebration of the holiday season.

A COMMEDIA CHRISTMAS CAROL enjoyed critical success in November and December of 2012. DC Theatre Scene called it a "fast, funny and honest playing of the time-honored story." The Washington Post raved "high-spirited revelry" with "emotional depth," and wrote, "'A Commedia Christmas Carol' crackles and amuses with abandon"!

This remounting of the show is supported in part by a grant generously awarded by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, which supports activities, projects and organizations that enrich the lives of residents and celebrate the history of the Capitol Hill community. Since its founding in 1989, the Foundation has directed more than $6.2 million to a broad range of projects.

After being nominated in 2013 for the Helen Hayes' Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play, the script was selected for publication by Playscripts, Inc. The remount is produced by special arrangement with the publisher.

Artistic Director Matthew R. Wilson, one of America's leading experts in Commedia dell'Arte (Director of Hub's Act a Lady; Faction's Don Juan and A Commedia Romeo and Juliet; Co-creator of dog & pony's Beertown), adapts and directs. Paul Reisman (STC, The Servant of Two Masters, Julius Caesar; Faction, R&J) plays Ebenezer Scrooge by way of the greedy Commedia miser, Pantalone. Joel David Santner (STC, Dog in the Manger; Constellation, Gilgamesh; Kennedy Center, Shear Madness) plays the cheerfully diligent Bob Cratchit as inspired by the Commedia servant Arlecchino. The cast of ghosts, carolers, and townsfolk is played by the wonderfully versatile Julie Garner (Constellation, Blood Wedding; Forum, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot), Tyler Herman (WSC, Night and Day; Adventure Theatre, The Cat in the Hat; Faction, The Mandrake), Toby Mulford (Roundhouse, Amadeus; Faction, Hamlecchino, R&J), Amelia Hensley (Faction, The Lady Becomes Him, Hamlecchino), Sandra Mae Frank, and Lance Hall. Gallaudet University alumnus Michael Sprouse returns as Tiny Tim.

The Commedia dell'Arte tradition meets Dickens' 19th-century London, as imagined by some of DC's finest theatrical designers. Scenic Design by Gallaudet Theatre Coordinator Ethan Sinnott (Constellation's Gilgamesh; Imagination's P.Nokio!; Faction's Hamlecchino), Lighting Design by Helen Hayes Awards winner Andrew Griffin (Folger; Woolly Mammoth; Synetic; Faction's Hamlecchino), Music by Jesse Terrill (Folger; Constellation; Faction's Hamlecchino, R&J), and Masks conceived specifically for this production by Tara Cariaso (Waxing Moon Masks). Denise Umland (Rep Stage; Wolf Trap; WSC; Faction's Don Juan, Hamlecchino) designs the Costumes, with Sound by Thomas Sowers (Hub; Faction's R&J), Props by Kristen Pilgrim (WSC; Faction's The Lady Becomes Him), and Projections by Joel David Santner (DC Shorts' award-winning filmmaker).

This holiday season, see the Christmas Carol you've never seen in this foolish, festive fable.

For more information, visit www.factionoffools.org/ccc.

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