Improv Playhouse to stage radio version of Dickens classic
Submitted by David Stuart, Improv Playhouse
Back before television, a holiday season tradition in America was listening to “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens as performed on radio by Lionel Barrymore and narrated by Orson Welles with the Mercury Theatre group.
Few actors ever gave more meaning to the character of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge than Barrymore, who first took on the radio role in 1934. Now this heartwarming, historic broadcast will be re-enacted by the actors of Improv Playhouse, in cooperation with The GreenStick Theater Company-Libertyville.
David Brian Stuart, executive producer at Improv Playhouse and director/actor in this season’s “A Christmas Carol,” says that the production should resonate with people of all ages looking for the holiday spirit.
“Originally aired live on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1939, this dramatized radio play on the Improv Playhouse stage will, for a lifetime, live in the memories of those that heard the original broadcast,” Stuart said.
The dramatization features the actors re-enacting the original commercials from the time period and sound affects to enrich the story.
“If you remember listening, and want to recapture those magical days of your childhood Christmas,” Stuart continued, “or have never heard it, but want to experience the magic of seeing this in an intimate setting and create new memories for you and your family, this production will fulfill that for you.”
Suburban audiences are yearning for holiday traditions that support the values and entertainment that interest families. Traditions like regional theater productions of the Dickens’ tale and the Improv Playhouse’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” from years past fit into busy schedules.
“The radio classics we perform are short and sweet … not much longer than an hour from start to finish. A perfect amount of time for young and old to see something of excellence locally without the hassle of the city commute and parking fees,” Stuart said.
George Elliot, Hainesville resident and a member of Chicago’s AFTRA/SAG Radio Players, has performed in a number of the Improv Playhouse radio dramas. He calls the process of putting together the production “friendly and professional.”
“It’s a fun and disciplined rehearsal process at the same time,” Elliot said. “David is the consummate director, great performer. The whole group is like a family really.”
Stuart will be playing Robert “Bob” Cratchit, the abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge. Libertyville resident Egon Shein will be playing Scrooge. Libertyville’s Victor Sartain, a student at Oak Grove School, will play Tiny Tim. The cast is rounded out with Amy Billings of Gurnee, Debbie Schreiner of Mount Prospect, and David Retseck of Antioch, who will play Orson Welles. Each actor plays several roles in the story.
Remaining performances for the Improv Playhouse “A Christmas Carol” will be 2, 7:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Dec. 18. Pre-sale tickets are $12.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors, students and military. Tickets at the door are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, students and military.
Tickets can be ordered from the Improv Playhouse website, improvplayhouse.com, or by calling (847) 968-4529. It is recommended that tickets be ordered in advance.
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