“A Christmas Carol”, at the Playhouse San Antonio through December 21, 2015, is an opportunity for you and your kids to learn about the meaning of giving during the Christmas season, and to experience live theater at its best.
For months, I had been hearing buzz about this new production of the classic Charles Dickens story. The kids and I went to the Playhouse last weekend to see for ourselves. The play made a big impact on my son, F.T., who is eight years old. He wrote his own review, which I have included below. (I would write “spoiler alert,” except we all know the story by heart, right?)
“A Christmas Carol” is an evergreen tale because it dramatizes the choices we all make in life: whether to be rigid and self-contained, or to be giving and sharing. The story teaches that by showing generosity in the material world, we gain back something priceless in spirit.
This new production at the Playhouse brings together so many elements of great theater: well-chosen dialogue, larger-than-life performances, stage magic (including smoke, flickering lamps, towering shadows, and blacklight), and nostalgic songs. F.T. is no stranger to screen time, but he was completely absorbed by the wintry Victorian world on the stage.
Part of the magic comes from the elegant Russell Hill Rodgers Theater and the Playhouse’s historic building set in San Pedro Springs Park. On our recent visit, the other theater patrons—of all ages—were welcoming to F.T. and little sister G.N., who is five-and-a-half years old.
“A Christmas Carol” will be at the Playhouse on Thurdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through December 21, 2015. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online, and range from $12 for kids to $30 for adults; there are also discounts for seniors, military, police/fire/EMS, and students. The afternoon shows are great for families: catch those on Sunday, December 13 at 3 p.m. and Sunday, December 20 at 3 p.m.
This Sunday, December 13, bring you kids to the theater early for pictures with Santa Claus. There are more special events coming up: Friday, December 11 is Food Truck Friday; there will be ghost tours of the theater following the shows on Saturday, December 12 and Saturday, December 19.
As promised, here is F.T.’s review:
5 sentences of: A Christmas Carol
After a old man named scrooge does not share to 3 people 3 groups of 1 ghost teach him about sharing.
There is a past,present and future ghost.
Each ghost only came to tell scrooge about sharing while & after sleeps at nightime.
Scrooge is an old man that never shares at all.
the next day:Scrooge now becomes a good old guy that does share.
THAT’S ALL EVERYONE
This stage play showed up at: The San Pedro Playhouse.
F.T. chose his typefaces carefully, and can describe them all to you by name; to get the full experience, download the PDF: 5 sentences of “A Christmas Carol”.
Read more:
- “Review: Playhouse’s ‘Christmas Carol’ is a must-see”, Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, December 5, 2015
- “Playhouse tunes up a new ‘Christmas Carol'”, Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, November 27, 2015
Production photographs courtesy of the Playhouse San Antonio and Siggi Ragnar.
