City Circle offers unique take on classic story

City Circle - City Circle Acting Company of Coralville will present A Christmas Carol Radio Play December 11-13 and 17-19 at the Iowa Children’s Museum at Coral Ridge Mall. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday performance is at 2 p.m.

A Christmas Carol Radio Play follows one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time. Complete with audio and dramatic effects, this play captures the sounds of old-time radio theater in the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Adapted by Tony Palermo from the novel by Charles Dickens, this heartwarming production features a cast of 31 adults and children with live music, choral singing, and a few musical surprises. The cast members play all the roles, provide all the music, and create a magical world through sound.

This version of the Dickens story is faithful to the original story in many ways, but the production will be a unique experience for the audience. Set in a radio studio where the theater audience is literally the in-studio audience, the play will unfold as told by a troupe of radio actors and the sound effects technicians who support them.

For example, when Scrooge trudges across the snow or Marley rattles his chains, the audience will see a team of six people creating these sound effects on stage.

In addition, as actors were cast on vocal talent alone, there are several playing roles they never would in a typical theatrical presentation.

This is a must-see for the whole family because the play has many important messages — a timeless and perhaps timely reminder of the simple value of the holiday spirit, that greed and ill-temper lead us to unhappiness and solitude, and that it is never too late to embrace humanity.

Under the direction of Chris Okiishi, his creative team includes Emil Rinderspacher as stage manager and assistant director, lighting design by Soren Olsen, sound design by David Medin, technical supervision by Maria Schroeder, and costumes by Noel and Leah VanDerBosch.

As Okiishi explains, "We are excited to tell this classic story in an unusual way—a way that encourages the audience to imagine the world of Dickens, Scrooge, and the ghosts for themselves and focuses on the sounds and words in the story. Indeed, this production gets back to the storytelling roots of live theater. We invite everyone to come join us for one heck of a good ghost story!"

Tickets are $8 for youth and seniors and $10 for adults and are available at the Coralville Recreation Center and J. Frahm Music in Iowa City, or by calling 319-248-1750. The theater box office at the Iowa Children’s Museum will open 45 minutes prior to each performance for walk up sales or will call pickup.

Cast:

Noel VanDerBosch (Iowa City)
Leah VanDerBosch (Iowa City)
Abi Leveille (North Liberty)
Josh Sazon (North Liberty)
Roxanne Gustaveson (Iowa City)
Lily Reitz (Iowa City)
Heidi Brown (Iowa City)
Michael Kammerer (Iowa City)
Matthew James (Iowa City)
Amy Ostrem (Iowa City)
Andrew Wilkes (Iowa City)
Jason Millsap (Iowa City)
Crystal Danger (North Liberty)
Melissa Malloy (Iowa City)
Kehry Lane (Iowa City)
John Bednarik (North Liberty)
David Medin (Cedar Rapids)
Dawson Medin (Cedar Rapids)
Rachel Howell (Iowa City)
Wendy Ostrem (Iowa City)
Elaine Hayes Reitz (Iowa City)
Mikayla Reighley (Iowa City)
Ariel Marie Hayes (Coralville)
Katie Eaton (Coralville)
Ashley Blair (Hills)
Rachel Stewart (Iowa City)
Laurel Tippe (Iowa City)
Jeff Stewart (Iowa City)
Tim Waldron (Iowa City)
Michael Cicha (Iowa City)
Alicia Hoecherl (Iowa City)