TheatreSquared’s A Christmas Carol—a beloved Northwest Arkansas tradition that debuted with the company’s new building in 2019—will return to the stage December 1 and continue performances through Christmas Eve. Adapted by T2 co-founders Amy Herzberg and Robert Ford, the inventive, magic-filled T2 original production is directed by Herzberg and associate director Bryce Kemph.
T2’s adaptation is set in a Victorian library on Christmas Eve, days after Dickens’ novel was released—selling out in just six days. As a boy awaits his parents long after closing hour, a librarian takes pity on him and opens her last copy of the brand-new book. Soon, their world is transformed and they journey along with Ebenezer Scrooge on a fantastic journey through past, present, and future. The ghosts have arrived with a timely message—but will it be enough to save him? With song, dance and more than a little holiday magic, this lively stage adaptation will delight audiences of all ages.
"Charles Dickens himself performed A Christmas Carol hundreds of times on stage, playing every role from Scrooge to Fezziwig," said Robert Ford. "He started a grand tradition. His story — of four ghosts rudely waking a grumpy old miser and taking him, literally, on the ride of his life — has justly become one of the world's best-known holiday tales. We're delighted to bring this new Northwest Arkansas tradition back to the beautiful West Theatre at TheatreSquared. "
Herzberg has been drawn to Dickens’ work for much of her career—she has adapted several versions of "Carol" over three decades, and directed Ford’s adaptation of Great Expectations for T2 in 2016.
"Dickens empathizes profoundly with children, revels in family," she says of her fascination with his work. "He trains our eyes on the forgotten corners of humanity. His characters are indelible. And he finds hope for redemption in even the least hospitable London counting houses. There’s more than one reason we all look forward to returning to the story of Ebenezer Scrooge so wholeheartedly each holiday season."
James Taylor Odom returns as Ebeneezer Scrooge, a role he originated in 2019. The ensemble includes Michelle Jasso, Hollis Gipson, James Taylor Odom, Christopher Collier, Trent Dahlin, Chris Hecke, Steven Marzolf, Beck Crabb, Charlie Clark, Beatrice McCue, Grace Taylor, Leah Smith, Elizabeth Ofodile, Tatiana Watts, Cora Kemph, and Emme Fletcher.
Production staff includes Set Designer Martin Andrew, Costume Designer Ruby Kemph, Lighting Designer Megan Reilly, Sound Designer Tommy Rosati, Stage Manager Emely Zepeda, Assistant Stage Manager Fior Tat, Assistant Stage Manager Emy Herrera, Dialect Coach Steven Marzolf, Assistant Choreographer Leah Smith, Associate Lighting Designer Kimberly Pukay and Associate Sound Designer Cameron Griffiths.
Tickets
Performances of A Christmas Carol are scheduled from December 1 through December 24, with 7:00 pm performances Tuesday through Saturday and 2:00 pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday through December 18. Special matinee performances include a 2 pm performance on Friday, December 23; a 10 am performance on Saturday, December 24; and a 3 pm performance on Saturday, December 24. The play is in the West Theatre at TheatreSquared, 477 W. Spring Street in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas. Tickets range from $20-$54; discounted tickets are available for children. All fees are included, with no additional charges at checkout.
Subscription packages for TheatreSquared include full five-play packages starting at $125, with four-to-six-play flex packages starting at $89. Benefits for season ticket holders include savings of up to 20% on every show, free unlimited exchanges, discounted reserved parking, and same-day discounts in The Commons Bar/Café and other T2 Restaurant & Hotel Partners.
Through T2’s Lights Up! For Access program, with lead support from the Walmart Foundation and the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, SNAP benefit recipients can purchase $1 tickets, while students and patrons under the age of 30 can purchase $10 tickets. Fully subsidized, free tickets are also available for clients of a number of local community service organizations. For more information, visit theatre2.org/lights-up.
Subscription packages and single tickets can be reserved by calling TheatreSquared at (479) 777-7477 or by visiting theatre2.org/subscribe.
About TheatreSquared
TheatreSquared’s signature offering of bold new plays in an intimate setting has driven its growth to become the state’s largest theatre, welcoming more than 80,000 community members to 350 performances and events each year. The company offers a unique audience experience of immersive, professional productions in an intimate setting. Its work has been recognized with critical acclaim by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, NPR’s All Things Considered, and the American Theater Wing, founder of the Tony Awards.
The playwright-led company is one of mid-America’s leading laboratories for new work, having launched more than 70 new plays. Notable collaborators have includedBryna Turner, Candrice Jones, José Cruz Gonzáles, Sarah Gancher, The Kilbanes, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Anne García-Romero, Rachel Lynett, Tony Meneses, Lisa D’Amour, Qui Nguyen, Mona Mansour, Karen Zacarías, and many others. TheatreSquared’s remarkable expansion—with a twentyfold increase in audience in just the past decade—parallels the emergence of its home region in the northwest corner of Arkansas as a booming population center and destination for American art.
Get your tickets to A Christmas Carol by clicking here.
