Christmas classic comes to Vermillion
By Joanne Foxjfox@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Friday, November 28, 2008
Dylan Workman who plays Tiny Tim and his father Dan Workman rehearse a scene from "A Christmas Carol," the next production at the University of South Dakota. (Submitted photo)
VERMILLION, S.D. -- The University of South Dakota Department of Theatre kicks off the Christmas holiday season with the timeless holiday classic of Charles Dickens.
"A Christmas Carol" tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge (Dan Workman) whose tight-fist is loosened and hard-heart is softened one Christmas Eve. Scrooge's transformation is hastened by visits from his former partner Jacob Marley (Bruce Earnest), the Ghost of Christmas Past (Danielle Heeren), Christmas Present (Reese Porter) and Christmas Future (Morgan Halverson). Scrooge is shown the poverty of his clerk, Bob Cratchitt (Ty Hudson) and the disability of his son Tiny Tim (Dylan Workman), which results in a life-affirming transformation.
The university theater's production features a cast of 32 that includes a mix of area professionals, USD students, and community youths. For example, Dan Workman, artistic director of the Children's Theatre Company of South Dakota, and his son, Dylan, play Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim, respectively.
Brian Begley and Nanette Hofer, USD theater alums, play the ebullient Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig while Bruce Earnest, associate professor of theatre at the university and music director for the production, plays Marley's Ghost.
The play, adapted by Romulus Linney, is a fresh interpretation in that it includes children, beyond Tiny Tim, prominently, said director Eric Hagen.
"Linney wanted to explore the idea of Scrooge rediscovering the child within himself as part of his transformation," he explained. "There is a young caroler who returns throughout the piece and Boy Scrooge, both of whom are involved in heartfelt moments that contribute to Scrooge's transformation.
Hagen also characterized this production as extremely theatrical, with complex special effects and some modern twists on presenting the story.
"We also incorporate live music via a fiddler, Owen De Jong," he pointed out. "This adds a fun, pleasing element while also serving as a unifying device."
Hagen recalled the first time he saw the play -- at the Guthrie Theatre in the early 1970s, when he was an undergraduate student at Minot State College.
"We took a theater trip to the Twin Cities and 'A Christmas Carol' was one of the shows we saw," he reminisced. "I was captivated by the theatricality of the piece, in particular the entrance of Marley's Ghost as played by Oliver Cliff."
"A Christmas Carol" is holiday entertainment that supports the true meaning of Christmas, Hagen said.
"The message that advocates for kindness, compassion and generosity and the idea that we all have a child within which, in some cases, needs to be reawakened is what I like best about this show," he said.
Hagen said it was his hope that the audience would come away at the conclusion of the performance with "an appreciation for the story, its message and the power of theater to affect people, deeply."
The University of South Dakota Department of Theatre will present "A Christmas Carol," Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 8-9 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Wayne S. Knutson Theatre in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. Tickets for are $10 for adults, $6 for youths (K-12) and non-USD students, and $4 for USD students. Reservations can be made by calling the box office from noon to 5 p.m. at (605) 677-5400 or by going online at www.usd.edu/cfa/Theatre.
"A Christmas Carol" tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge (Dan Workman) whose tight-fist is loosened and hard-heart is softened one Christmas Eve. Scrooge's transformation is hastened by visits from his former partner Jacob Marley (Bruce Earnest), the Ghost of Christmas Past (Danielle Heeren), Christmas Present (Reese Porter) and Christmas Future (Morgan Halverson). Scrooge is shown the poverty of his clerk, Bob Cratchitt (Ty Hudson) and the disability of his son Tiny Tim (Dylan Workman), which results in a life-affirming transformation.
The university theater's production features a cast of 32 that includes a mix of area professionals, USD students, and community youths. For example, Dan Workman, artistic director of the Children's Theatre Company of South Dakota, and his son, Dylan, play Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim, respectively.
Brian Begley and Nanette Hofer, USD theater alums, play the ebullient Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig while Bruce Earnest, associate professor of theatre at the university and music director for the production, plays Marley's Ghost.
The play, adapted by Romulus Linney, is a fresh interpretation in that it includes children, beyond Tiny Tim, prominently, said director Eric Hagen.
"Linney wanted to explore the idea of Scrooge rediscovering the child within himself as part of his transformation," he explained. "There is a young caroler who returns throughout the piece and Boy Scrooge, both of whom are involved in heartfelt moments that contribute to Scrooge's transformation.
Hagen also characterized this production as extremely theatrical, with complex special effects and some modern twists on presenting the story.
"We also incorporate live music via a fiddler, Owen De Jong," he pointed out. "This adds a fun, pleasing element while also serving as a unifying device."
Hagen recalled the first time he saw the play -- at the Guthrie Theatre in the early 1970s, when he was an undergraduate student at Minot State College.
"We took a theater trip to the Twin Cities and 'A Christmas Carol' was one of the shows we saw," he reminisced. "I was captivated by the theatricality of the piece, in particular the entrance of Marley's Ghost as played by Oliver Cliff."
"A Christmas Carol" is holiday entertainment that supports the true meaning of Christmas, Hagen said.
"The message that advocates for kindness, compassion and generosity and the idea that we all have a child within which, in some cases, needs to be reawakened is what I like best about this show," he said.
Hagen said it was his hope that the audience would come away at the conclusion of the performance with "an appreciation for the story, its message and the power of theater to affect people, deeply."
The University of South Dakota Department of Theatre will present "A Christmas Carol," Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 8-9 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Wayne S. Knutson Theatre in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. Tickets for are $10 for adults, $6 for youths (K-12) and non-USD students, and $4 for USD students. Reservations can be made by calling the box office from noon to 5 p.m. at (605) 677-5400 or by going online at www.usd.edu/cfa/Theatre.
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