'A Christmas Carol' at the Players Ring -- Always beloved. Always new

PORTSMOUTH – Come experience “A Christmas Carol,” – The Ring way, directed by Joshua Goldberg on stage from Nov. 28 through Dec. 27.
Faithful to the spirit of the original novella, this production invites you to rediscover a story you thought you knew, and perhaps leave knowing it a little better, and feeling its message a little deeper.

“‘A Christmas Carol’ is a story that has been told a million times in a million different ways, and yet every time I come back to it, I find something new thanks to the unique perspectives bringing it to life,” said Director Joshua Goldberg. 
 
“I am excited to bring my own perspective to it, because I am, but I’m even more excited to showcase the unique youth, teen, and adult voices who have joined forces to tell Scrooge’s tale. 
 
“Their balance of wisdom, innocence, hope, and heartbreak enriches the experience as they play a litany of characters (often against ‘type’). We are stripping away the layers of artifice: these people are in the room with you, telling you this story, on this night. Their props and costumes are created from the world around them. They have nowhere to hide, and so they and the audience are forced to live in the moment with just their words and the feelings that they conjure.”
 
The Players Ring had Goldberg re-adapt the play with its original author Ben Bagley.
 
“When The Ring approached me about taking on ‘A Christmas Carol’ this year I was hesitant – not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t think it was possible to write a more compelling adaption than Ben Bagley’s, which The Ring has produced the past two seasons,” Goldberg said. “Luckily, he was completely game to tackle the challenge of evolving his script into something recognizable and yet completely reimagined.” 
 
Goldberg said they wanted to reframe the play as a group of London street-dwellers telling the story.
 
“Once we created the world they were going to live in, the process moved very quickly,” he said. “We were careful not to make any changes for the sake of being new or different, but instead pulled from some of the novella's themes and imagery that don't always make it to the stage. We were able to reinvent the staging (especially the ghosts!) in a way that will feel fresh to audiences and still remain truthful to Dickens' book and the goals of Ben’s adaptation.”
 
This year, Scrooge is cast with a female actor, Constance Witman.


“Scrooge is a challenging role,” Goldberg said. “It’s easy to make him larger than life, and yet the crux of the story is this person’s humanity. I couldn’t think of a better person for the job than Constance Witman. I remember telling her that I’d never seen someone else look like they wanted to kick a kid and give them a giant hug all at the same time. She doesn’t play Scrooge, she embodies him; with bitterness, empathy, regret, and joy. Once the top hat is on, he’s alive.”
 
The set will be unlike anything seen at The Ring. 
 
“This new arrangement gives the actors opportunities to linger, and blurs the line between observers and participants,” Goldberg said. “It’s a fun challenge, with most of the cast onstage for the entire show. We also have Andrew Strout on piano, whose beautiful and haunting score becomes an additional character. The audience should also expect some unannounced special guests rotating throughout the run – there’s no end to the surprises.”
 
The Ring’s executive director, Margherita Giacobbi, said that Goldberg has said it all. 

“One of the things I take greatest pride in at The Ring is our commitment to innovative storytelling, even – especially – when the material is as beloved and familiar as ‘A Christmas Carol’,” she said. 

“I love the idea of audiences leaving our theater thinking, ‘I never noticed that character said that!’ or ‘I never realized that was part of the story,’ she added.
“This adaptation is remarkably faithful to Dickens’ original novella, yet, in true Ring fashion, it invites us to notice more, discover something new, and feel a little more deeply.”

Giacobbi said Goldberg himself is a wonderful example of what The Ring stands for. 

“We first came to know him through his extraordinary work in youth theatre,” she said. “Today, he is not only leading our new RingRISING education program, but also directing a professional ensemble on our Mainstage, while bringing along some younger performers, something he does so beautifully.”
“So yes, you are warmly invited,” said Giacobbi. “And as I often say, even if you think you know this story, let us surprise you!”

In addition to Witman, the cast also includes Chris Bradley, Ryan Charland, Max Jagentenfl, Tim Hackney, Sam Kovick, Charlotte McClain, Ciara Neidlinger, Lucy Schnaars, Andrew Strout and Kaia Williams.

The creative team has Ben Bagley on set, lighting and props design; Shauna Siebach on costume design and Abbie Hordon as stage manager. Carl and Pat Nicolino are Production Champions.

The Ring’s neighbor, The Puddle Dock restaurant, and its sister restaurant, Tour on Lafayette Road, are both offering a 10% discount on food to Players Ring patrons. Visit their websites to reserve, and present your ticket when you ask for your check.

The Players Ring is grateful for the support of its donors and sponsors.
Patrons of the Arts: New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, New England Foundation for The Arts, The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The John Bickford Foundation, TOUR Golf & Grill, The Puddle Dock Restaurant, Southport Printing Company and Raka Creative. 

Season Supporters: The Rosamond Thaxter Foundation, Portsmouth Recreation Department, Business Cents, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Kittery Community Center, ACE Handyman Services Seacoast, Dowling HVAC, Port City Makerspace. Media Partners: Portsmouthnh.com and Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. The Ring Works New Play Lab is supported by Kennebunk Savings Bank.

Go & Do
What: “A Christmas Carol,” directed by Joshua Goldberg 
Where:  Players Ring, 105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth NH. Phone: 603-436-8123
When: Nov. 28 – Dec. 27. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and select Sundays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Duration: 90 minutes with one brief intermission.
Cost: General Admission: $36; Seniors (65+)/Students/Veterans/First Responders: $34; Children under 12: $25. Visit www.playersring.org for tickets. Inquire about group discounts at the Box Office.
The show will begin on time. Due to the intimate nature of our space, late seating is not permitted.