When the opening night curtain rises November 22 on an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, it will be one of the largest productions Village Theatre Waterdown (VT) has staged in its 51-year history.
It will also mark the first time the community theatre group has presented this play, amassing 28 cast members, 40 offstage crew and 25 ushers for 11 shows to produce the perennial favourite Christmas tale.
It's a daunting task, admits the show’s director Deb Dagenais, who has performed on community theatre stages throughout Halton and Hamilton, “trying on the directing hat a few years ago.”
Producer Deb Koehler brought the project to her, said Dagenais.
“This is her brainchild. As a relatively new director, I must say that the size of the production was well outside my comfort zone. But Deb is persuasive and has a great deal of confidence,” she said.
The “well oiled” VT production team all supported the process from the get-go, she added.
“One person cannot do it all. I feel blessed to have Ryan Trepanier to assist with directing responsibilities. (Producer) Deb helms a super organized efficient ship full of so many talented, generous volunteers who work long and hard to make the magic come to life.”
After absorbing from past directors, shadowing some, and discovering what works for her, then immersing herself in the production side and directing a couple of award-winning pieces, she took on the challenge of A Christmas Carol.
“I’m still new at this and am learning something every day. At the centre of it all is that we are all volunteers. We all do this for the love of it. We all deserve kindness and a safe place to create. I’m hoping, as a director, I will be able to make that happen for others.”
Despite the play’s origins during the Victorian era, its themes of kindness, compassion and redemption ring true today.
“Those messages need to be heard and are sought after in today’s world,” said Dagenais. “The language style may have changed over the centuries but goodness and kindness and the opportunity to change and improve are eternal. And a bit of nostalgia this time of year goes a long way.”
The play presents an opportunity for cast members like Erik Peters, who portrays miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, to stretch their acting skills.
“The character of Scrooge is such a deep pool in which to immerse oneself as an actor,” said Peters. “He introduces as a cranky and cruel old miser but eventually transforms into a kind and generous benefactor to all.”
Along the way, continued Peters, his emotions switch from anger, contempt and sarcasm to fear, rage, regret and remorse, to joyful surprise, happiness, tenderness and humility.
“That’s one hell of an emotional palette for an actor to engage with. Indeed, Ebenezer Scrooge is the most intricate character I’ve had the privilege of portraying to date.”
To call A Christmas Carol a classic as it heads towards its 200th anniversary, is no stretch, said Peters.
“I think the story’s enduring popularity derives from its successful depiction of a moral aspiration that is truly universal - the triumph of moral redemption over spiritual perdition, of good over evil. Always a popular story arc.”
And, added Peters, “It’s just a darn fine feel-good Christmas story.”
A Christmas Carol runs Nov. 22, 23, 28, Dec. 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 24, Dec. 1, 7 and 8 at 2 p.m. and Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. at Memorial Hall, 317 Dundas St. E.
General tickets are $25, $15 for those 18 and under and those left - ticket sales have been “brisk” - are available through the Burlington Performing Arts Centre box office at 905-681-6000 or online at https://burlingtonpac.ca/
In conjunction with the presentation, Village Theatre is holding A Dickens of a Food Drive. Ticket holders are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or make a monetary donation in support of several local charities.
