Sheboygan Theater Company Presents A Christmas Carol

I think we are all familiar with the classic Dicken’s tale A Christmas Carol, whether that be by the book, the movie adaptations, or a live performance. It’s been a beloved Christmas tale since its first publication back in 1843. The primary character, Ebenezer Scrooge, may be best known for his “Bah, Humbug!” lines, grouchy attitude, and journey with Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Christmas to Come. But did you know that Dicken’s is credited for reinventing the Christmas season we know today with his classic novella? The year it was published, the industrial revolution was taking shape, and not many workers had the luxury of time for celebrating the holiday. Furthermore, the Christmas traditions that’s roots traced back to medieval times, Pagan, and Germanic celebrations were under scrutiny. Christmas was losing its traditions and popularity in the rapidly changing society, but the tale of A Christmas Carol captivated the hearts of readers and renatured an appreciation and adoration for the holiday.

I had the opportunity to attend the premier of the Sheboygan Theater Company’s production of A Christmas Carol. This was my first time seeing the story performed live, however I have read the novella and have seen various movie adaptations (primarily the Muppets and Disney versions).

I was in awe the moment I stepped into the theater. It’s a beautiful and spacious theater without a bad seat in the house! I elected to sit close to the middle but the stage was set in such a way that you could see the whole set well no matter where you were seated. The stage and set itself were equally impressive, a 3-dimensional 19^th century England street with painted buildings that provide a genuine sense of depth perception to the audience. There are rolling additions to the set throughout the show, to accommodate multiple physical scenes, and two sections of the stage that rise and fall from the orchestra pit. One of my favorite stage effects incorporated a very atmospheric fog machine that brought the cast of Christmas ghosts even further to life.

The costumes were captivating to say the least. Not only did they pay homage to the time and the fashions associated with the Victorian era, but they were vibrant at times, and dull and worn at others. You could almost tell what the plot was by costume alone; the scenes that focus on the Cratchit family the costumes appropriately describe the family and their situation. Layering to stay warm, well-worn from being some of their only clothes- whereas, when we see other characters who have more money we see the contrast in the material and colors of the costume. The ghost’s costumes also set them apart from the other actors as they are seemingly transcendent from anything else we see any other characters’ wear on the set and can be most whimsical, or disturbing.

I am offering another round of applause in this blog to the whole cast of the show. The amount of talent among each actor and actress across a wide range of ages. I was astonished by the performance of the cast, and reading through the program, my astonishment increased learning about which actors have been performing for years and those whose first performance was A Christmas Carol. To me, it seemed everyone was a natural and belonged on the stage. The enthusiasm of the characters, the commanding presence of the ghosts, the whimsicalness the children exhibited about Christmastime, the assuredness of speech. Probably my favorite aspect of the performance was the inclusion of an actor playing Charles Dickens himself, narrating specific introductions and the inner turmoil of Scrooge himself while the audience could watch the actor of Scrooge twist his face and sob to match his internal dialogue.

To conclude, the performance was immersive, exciting, engaging, and very enjoyable! I am so thankful I got the opportunity to go and watch these very talented actors perform, and the see how the hard work of the stage, set, costume, and light crew compliment the show so perfectly. The Sheboygan Theater Company will be performing A Christmas Carol Dec. 7th-9th, 2023 and you can buy tickets in advance or at the ticket booth.  

*Photographs courtesy of the Sheboygan Theater Company