REFLECTIONS & REVELATIONS
​by Janet Allen, Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director 
​
Directing A Christmas Carol this season holds many revelations and reflections for me. As one of the first projects I worked on as a dramaturg at IRT in 1980, it feels very much like coming full circle in this, my final season at the IRT. The Dickens story, and this adaptation in particular, hold a big place in my heart. It was created by my first IRT mentor, artistic director Tom Haas, from whom I learned more than I can ever name about the power of spoken language, the power of simple staging, and the irreplaceable power of the electric connection made between actors and audiences.
 
Tom believed that actors could easily switch from neutral narration to character dialogue, sometimes within a single line; that actors could play many roles with only basic costume changes and magnificent acting; and that audiences would listen attentively and move along with the story effortlessly, thus inviting an experience that brings the book to life in a way that other forms cannot. And audiences and actors have continued this remarkable sharing of Dickens’s words, characters, and story in more than 30 productions at IRT since then.
 
Of course, many things have changed since that first IRT production. There were years with a single lead narrator (sometimes even dressed as Dickens himself), or with a group of lead narrators (a sort of Everyman band of Victorian workers). One memorable year, we introduced the cheeky tradition of English Christmas Pantomime by having a Queen Victoria–clad male actor as Christmas Present (not our most popular experiment). The play has changed shape and length from two hours to 90 minutes and back, depending on the year, replacing or removing a handful of scenes that various directors have deemed less or more expressive. In COVID, we readapted the script for a smaller cast, and that distilling revealed yet more facets of this timeless gem.
 
Throughout the years, there have been many constants. Our desire to gather adults and children—separately in public performances or student matinees, as well as together in family groups—has always been our goal. This is a story best shared inter-generationally, where the youngest to the oldest can gently lift their own takes on the story and learn from one another’s viewpoints. It also serves great purpose in the Central Indiana community, as a much-loved holiday tradition, a steady beacon for gathering and reflection, reminding us of the essential values of the holiday season: generosity, forgiveness, and charity to those less fortunate, removing the blinders that make us self-absorbed, reaching out to others with warmth and care.
 
Almost every year we opine that our world has never needed this story more. In times of world crises, war, economic challenges, political upheavals, and clamorous social concerns, the story’s medicinal power endures. We add now the call to heal, following (or still living in) a worldwide pandemic that has forever altered our world, making us all the more divided, all the more self-absorbed.
 
So again, with new vigor, we pose to ourselves and our community: how can Scrooge’s change of heart be taken into our own lives? As we go along on Scrooge’s journey toward redemption, we witness his long-closed heart crack and open, that he might celebrate with his family and show generosity to the Cratchit family. The story works both as a holiday entertainment and as an allegorical call to all people to examine the Scrooge-like tendencies we cling to, and to take time to remedy our own hearts and actions through the transformational power of the theatre.
 
Thanks for joining us for IRT’s 50th anniversary telling of Dickens’s 179-year-old classic, A Christmas Carol.

Indiana Repertory Theatre celebrates holiday tradition, 50th Anniversary 
A Christmas Carol returns with Artistic Director Janet Allen directing final show

Indianapolis, Ind.— The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s 50th Season Anniversary celebration takes on a festive, snowy layer this month with the opening of the annual tradition Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  This classic story, which has been adapted by Tom Haas, welcomes audiences November 19 – December 24 on the snowy OneAmerica Mainstage.

This year’s production includes the return of many familiar IRT faces, including Rob Johansen in his second year as Ebenezer Scrooge and Ryan Artzberger reprising his role as Bob Cratchit and Marley. In her final year before retirement, IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director Janet Allen will direct this annual treasure for the Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Season.
 
“Directing A Christmas Carol this season holds many revelations and reflections for me. As one of the first projects I worked on as a dramaturg at IRT in 1980, it feels very much like coming full circle in this, my final season at the IRT,” Allen said.

A Christmas Carol celebrates the power of kindness, family, and love in this treasured tale filled with laughter, tears, and redemption. The play, which is an adaptation of the almost 180-year old novel, has taken different forms over the decades at the IRT, the heart of the story remains as it serves as both holiday entertainment and a powerful look at the need for kindness and connection. 

“This is a story best shared inter-generationally, where the youngest to the oldest can gently lift their own takes on the story and learn from one another’s viewpoints. It also serves great purpose in the Central Indiana community, reminding us of the essential values of the holiday season: generosity, forgiveness, and charity to those less fortunate, removing the blinders that make us self-absorbed, reaching out to others with warmth and care,” Allen said.

The IRT will have a Sensory Friendly performance on November 26 and offer ASL and Audio Described services on December 4. After select performances, patrons can attend a post-show discussion Talk Back with staff and cast. In celebration of the holiday season and the monumental anniversary, the IRT will have commemorative books ($55) and puzzles ($22) available for purchase during the run. 

Tickets are available now for Indy’s favorite holiday tradition!

DETAILS

WHERE: Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington Street, OneAmerica Mainstage

RUN DATES:  November 19 – December 24, various times. A Christmas Carol is approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission. Tickets and performance schedule available at IRTlive.com. 

TICKETS: Tickets start at $25. Click to buy. 

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
RYAN ARTZBERGER | Bob Cratchit, Marley, Topper, & Ensemble
SEAN BLAKE | Fezziwig, Christmas Present, Pawnbroker, & Ensemble
WEEZIE CHAVERS | Child Scrooge, Tiny Tim, & Ensemble
CAROLINE CHU | Felicity, Belle, Laundress, & Ensemble
JENNIFER JOHANSEN | Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Cratchit, Prudence, & Ensemble
ROB JOHANSEN | Scrooge
ELLIOT SAGAY | Fred, Young Scrooge, Christmas Future, & Ensemble
MARIA ARGENTINA SOUZA | Christmas Past, Penelope, Charwoman, & Ensemble
BELLE TAYLOR-MOORE | Child Scrooge, Tiny Tim, & Ensemble

JANET ALLEN | Director
RUSSELL METHENY | Scenic Designer
LINDA PISANO | Costume Designer
MICHAEL LINCOLN | Lighting Designer
BENTLEY HEYDT | Associate Lighting Designer
MICHAEL KECK | Composer
NICHOLAS A. OWENS | Choreographer
RICHARD J ROBERTS | Dramaturg
ERIN ROBSON-SMITH | Stage Manager
BECKY ROEBER | Assistant Stage Manager
MATT SHIVES | Assistant Stage Manager
ISAIAH MOORE | Second Assistant Stage Manager

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING:
TALK BACK | Saturday, November 19, 2022 | Following the 2 PM performance
Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes.

YOUTH WORKSHOP: DO-SI-DO AND DICKENS | Saturday, November 19, 2022 
Bring your youth group to an afternoon of holiday fun at the IRT! When you arrive at the Theatre, enjoy a traditional Christmas snack tasty enough for the Cratchit’s feast. Then enjoy the 1:30 PM matinee of A Christmas Carol. After the show you will have the opportunity to meet Scrooge himself in a question and answer session, and then have a dance party where you will learn a jig that will be the envy of the Fezziwigs’ guests. It will be a Dickens of a time at the IRT! For more event information, please click here.
Questions or to register contact Anna Barnett at education@irtlive.com or 317-916-4841.

SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE | Saturday, November 26, 2022 | Performance at 2 PM
Sensory Friendly performances are designed to create a welcoming experience for all, including those with autism or other sensory sensitivities. Elements of this performance may be adapted to ensure the comfort of all of our audience members.

TALK BACK | Friday, November 27, 2022 | Following the 2 PM performance
Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes.

ASL/AD PERFORMANCE & TALK BACK | Sunday, December 4, 2022 | Talk Back following the 2 PM performance
The IRT offers ASL/AD services to our patrons with vision and hearing needs. Patrons with hearing needs are encouraged to sit in the interpretation zone and meet with the interpreter before the show. We also offer Assisted Listening Devices free of charge at each performance. To learn more visit irtlive.com/accessibility. 

Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes. 

TALK BACK | Saturday, December 10, 2022 | Following the 2 PM performance 
Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes. 

TALK BACK | Saturday, December 17, 2022 | Following the 2 PM performance
Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes.
 

For more information contact Kerry Barmann, Associate Director of Marketing, at kbarmann@irtlive.com or 317.916.4824.

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ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA): The IRT strives to celebrate and serve the diverse people and cultures that make up our whole community. The IRT is committed to providing access for all; to creating and maintaining an antiracist theatre that is inclusive, safe, and respectful.