Wheaton Drama to present 'A Christmas Carol'

Charles Dickens ' "A Christmas Carol" will be presented in the style of readers theater by Wheaton Drama as its winter fundraiser.

Director Pam Turlow explained how readers theater works.

"The readers theater style can be either very complicated and take months to finesse, or can be simplified, which is what I'll be doing, since we have only three rehearsals," she said.

"Movement and blocking will be kept to a minimum. The focus of my vision is to really allow the actors, by using their faces, voices and minimal movement, to tell this story, take the audience along on Scrooge's journey, and to bring this classic piece of literature to life."

Performances begin at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 15 to 17, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at Playhouse 111, 111 N. Hale St., Wheaton. Tickets are $15. For tickets and information, visit wheatondrama.org or call (630) 260-1820.

Turlow said she chose to direct "A Christmas Carol" because of its universal story of redemption.

"We've all had that 'dark night of the soul,'" she said. "We've all pulled ourselves out of the darkness into the light. Finding that brilliant light at the end - that's what it's all about."

Turlow, a voice-over artist herself, finds a connection through Dickens' timeless words and emotions conveyed through human speech. She will be crafting her cast of actors into a touching rendition of the holiday classic.

"It is my hope that Scrooge's final epiphany will bring a tearful smile to your face, because his journey is our journey," she said.