ALLEY THEATRE
Gregory Boyd, Artistic Director
Paul R. Tetreault, Managing Director
www.alleytheatre.org

ALLEY THEATRE RINGS IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH
CHARLES DICKENS’
A CHRISTMAS CAROL


James Belcher as Scrooge. The Alley Theatre Rings in the Holidays with Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL Presented from November 23 - December 30, 2001. Call 713-228-8421 or log onto www.alleytheatre.org for more information.

WHAT:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

By Charles Dickens
Adapted and Directed by Stephen Rayne

Providing warm holiday merriment for adults and children alike, the Alley’s chilling rendition of Charles Dickens’ “ghostly little book” reminds audiences of Dickens’ timeless theme of redemption. “The Holiday Season acts as a catalyst to bring people back together and bring compassion back in their lives,” said Alley Resident Company Actor James Belcher, who played Scrooge last season. “A Christmas Carol has been able to convey a human emotion and feeling that everyone recognizes. Isn’t that genius!”

The touching story of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, where the miserly old Scrooge goes from “Bah, Humbug!” to “Merry Christmas!,” is a well - known tale that has become part of our holiday folklore. From youngsters to the young at heart, audiences laugh with delight and scream with fright throughout Dickens’ entertaining story of Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Adapted and originally directed by Stephen Rayne, this ambitious physical production with a cast of more than 30 - incorporates projections and other contemporary techniques to create the nightmarish dream world that Dickens originally described in 1843. The 2001 production of A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas is presented by Conoco and sponsored by Cooper Industries and Lyondell Chemical Company.

WHEN: November 23 - December 30, 2001

WHERE:
Alley Theatre, Large Stage
615 Texas Avenue, Houston, Texas

TICKETS: Tickets to a Christmas Carol can be purchased at www.alleytheatre.org at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, or by calling 713-228-8421. Tickets to preview performances before December 11 are $37 - $54; Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate by calling 713-228-9341, ext. 346.

From youngsters to the young at heart, audiences laugh with delight and scream with fright throughout Dickens' entertaining story of Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Call 713-228-8421 or log onto www.alleytheatre.org for more information.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
A GHOST STORY OF CHRISTMAS
Come Home to a Timeless Christmas Tale
to Share with Family and Friends!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
November 28 - December 30, 2001

As families come together to remember life’s priorities, the Alley Theatre gears up for its traditional holiday offering, Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL, A Ghost Story of Christmas. The chilling tale featuring everybody’s favorite miser Ebenezer Scrooge reminds audiences of the true meaning of holiday spirit and provides an opportunity for a quality family experience. This year’s production opens Wednesday November 28, 2001 and runs through Sunday December 30, 2001. British director Stephen Rayne, who adapted this production from Charles Dickens original “ghostly little book,” returns to the Alley to direct.

The 2001 production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, A Ghost Story of Christmas is presented by Conoco and co - sponsored by Lyondell Chemical Company and Cooper Industries. The production also benefits from a generous gift from Stanford Financial Group, the Alley Theatre’s 2002 - 2002 Large Stage Season Sponsor.

Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL was an immediate success the moment it was published in 1843 and quickly became an international best seller. The heart - warming story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey from inconsiderate curmudgeon to generous and charitable soul slowly unravels through visits from the ghost of his former business partner and each of the Christmas Spirits: Past, Present and Future. This sometimes - spooky adventure reminds Scrooge of values long ago lost, and tragic futures that could lie ahead should he continue along his current path of greed and selfishness. Though A CHRISTMAS CAROL has been told many times in countless renditions on stage and screen, the story never fails to lift audience spirits and spread the message that it is never too late for redemption.

Charles Dickens was born in 1812, the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. When his father was jailed for debt in 1824, the 12-year old Dickens was sent to work at a shoe polish factory. He returned to school when his father was released later that year, but the miserable experience is said to have shaped many of his later stories. In 1829, he became a reporter at Doctor Commons Courts and published his first story in 1833. He continued to write stories while working as an editor for Bentley’s Miscellany and in 1839 became a full - time novelist. Over the years, he completed works such as Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, Barnavy Rudge, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, among countless others. Dickens continued giving public readings and writing until he suffered a stroke and died shortly after in 1870.

The cast of more than 30 features many of the Alley Theatre Resident Company of Actors including James Belcher as Ebenezer Scrooge;
Bettye Fitzpatrick as Miss Goodleigh and Mrs. Dilver;
K. Todd Freeman as Deedles; Paul Hope as Coutts and Fezziwig;
Ty Mayberry as Fred; David Rainey as the Spirit of Christmas Present and Poor Man; John Tyson as Bob Cratchit; and Todd Waite as Marley, Priest, and Old Joe.

The design team for A Christmas Carol includes Scenic Designer Douglas Schmidt (Alley and Broadway’s Civil War), Costume Designer Esther Marquis (Alley’s Closer), Lighting Designer Rui Rita (Broadway’s The Price and the Alley’s Misalliance), Sound Designer Malcolm Nicholls (Alley’s The Devil’s Disciple), and British Composer Steve Edis (Alley’s world premiere of Not About Nightingales).

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(L-R) Paul Hope as Fezziwig, James Belcher as Scrooge and Shelley Calene - Black as Mrs. Fezziwig. The Alley Theatre Rings in the Holidays with Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL Presented from November 23 - December 30, 2001. Call 713-228-8421 or log onto www.alleytheatre.org for more information.


This season the Alley Theatre will produce a challenging array of classics and new plays including JITNEY, August Wilson’s examination of 1970’s Pittsburgh; OF MICE AND MEN, John Steinbeck’s tale of friendship in an unfriendly world; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, an Alley audience favorite adapted by Dale Wasserman from the novel of Ken Kesey; House and Garden, the two linked Alan Ayckbourn plays that are performed simultaneously on two stages with the same cast; and lastly, Tom Stoppard’s fantastical look at the life of A. E. Housman, The Invention of Love.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS

RED RIBBON TOY DRIVE
The Alley Theatre has teamed up with AIDS Foundation Houston, Texas Children’s Hospital and The University of Texas - Houston Health Science Center to make this holiday season brighter for children infected and affected by HIV / AIDS. From Monday, November 19 through Friday, December 14, 2001, Houstonians are invited to share in the holiday spirity by bringing new unwrapped toys to the Alley Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, to receive a 20% discount off a full - priced ticket to performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Offers are valid for new purchases only, cannot be used in combination with any other discount offers and are good for up to four tickets. Toys may also be dropped off at AIDS Foundation Houston, 3202 Weslayan Annex. For more information, call the Alley Theatre Box Office 713-228-8421, or AIDS Foundation Houston at 713-623-6796.

ICE SKATING DISCOUNT
The Alley Theatre offers patrons of a Christmas Carol special discounts to the Dynegy Ice Plaza, the holiday ice skating rink at Fish Plaza (in front of the Wortham Theatre Center), just a few steps from the Alley Theatre through January 6, 2001. Receive $2 off the price of admission when you present your ticket stub from A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Patrons can also bring their Dynegy Ice Skating Rink ticket to the Alley Theatre Box office and receive $5 off the purchase of a full price ticket to A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This offer cannot be used in combination with any other discount and is valid at the time of purchase only. For more information about the Dynegy Ice Plaza call 1-800-4-HOUSTON.

PAY WHAT YOU CAN
The Alley Theatre continues its efforts to make the theatre accessible to patrons who may not otherwise be able to attend performances for financial reasons by offering PAY WHAT YOU CAN performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at 7:30pm Sunday December 30, 2001. This offer is available for select seats, limit two per person - cash or check only - with a $2 minimum for each ticket. PAY WHAT YOU CAN tickets are available in person, the day of the performance only.

AUDIO DESCRIPTION, CAPTIONING AND ASL INTERPRETATION
There will also be an open - captioned, audio - described and American Sign Language - interpreted performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL on Sunday December 23, 2001 at 2:30pm. Funded in part by the Tx Commission on the Arts.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to A CHRISTMAS CAROL can be purchased at www.alleytheatre.org at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue at all Ticketmaster outlets including Foleys and Fiesta, or by calling the Alley Box Office at 713-228-8421.
Tickets to performances before December 11, 2001 are $37 - $50;
Tickets to performances after December 11, 2001 range from $39 - $54.
Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate by calling 713-228-9341, ext. 346.

The Alley Theatre is funded in part by the City of Houston and the Texas Commission on the Arts through the Cultural Arts Countil of Houston and Harris County.