Theatre News Wire

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy, continues its 2022/23 Season with Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, a Manual Cinema production adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens, devised by Manual Cinema with additional writing by Nate Marshall. Told through puppetry and music, this striking holiday experience comes to brilliant life on stage for the first time. Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol will be presented November 29 - December 24, 2022 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. .

An avowed holiday skeptic, Aunt Trudy has been recruited to channel her late husband Joe's famous Christmas cheer over a Zoom call with family. But as Trudy becomes more absorbed in her own version of the Ebeneezer Scrooge story, the puppets take on a life of their own, and the family's call transforms into a stunning cinematic adaptation of Dickens's classic ghost story.

After the stunning success of its online Christmas Carol, Manual Cinema uses its groundbreaking creativity and powerful storytelling to elevate one of the most famous holiday stories ever told to new heights in this unique theatrical experience. Featuring the combined talents of actors, puppeteers and musicians, come experience a new holiday tradition unlike anything else you've seen before.

"Back in 2020, when the pandemic suddenly closed theaters around the world, we discovered an unexpected opportunity to spend some time making our dream project. In addition to adapting some of the most beloved parts of Dickens' Yuletide ghost story, we added some contemporary elements that spoke to our collective experience of the pandemic and living in the year 2020," noted Manual Cinema's co-Artistic Directors Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter. "While proud of its success, we missed the presence of a live, in-person audience. We're so grateful to Writers Theatre for inviting us to mount the world premiere live production of Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol here in Glencoe."

The cast includes LaKecia Harris (Aunt Trudy, Puppeteer), Lizi Breit (Puppeteer), Julia Miller (Puppeteer), Jeffrey Paschal (Puppeteer), Ben Kauffman (Lead Vocals, Keys, Piano, Voice Over), Emily Meyer (Violin, Vocals), Kyle Vegter (Cello, Keys, Bass, Vocals, Voice Over) and Sarah Fornace (Puppeteer Understudy).

The creative team includes Manual Cinema's Drew Dir (Storyboards and Puppet Design), Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter (Original Score and Sound Design); Trey Brazeal (Lighting Design), Hannah Wien (Associate Lighting Design) Chicago Puppet Studio artists Caitlin McLeod, Jackie Kelsey, Sion Silvio and Tom Lee (additional Puppet Design and Fabrication), Julia Miller (Costume Design), Lizi Breit and Julia Miller (Manual Cinema Puppet Build Assistants), and Mike Usrey (Sound Engineer). Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter serve as Co-Artistic Directors for Manual Cinema.

For a list of all Holiday Plays in Chicago, visit our Holiday Plays In Chicago page.