R-MC Presents A Christmas Carol

R-MC will present A Christmas Carol  December 7-13.

A Christmas Carol

The Randolph-Macon College Drama Department will present A Christmas Carol Dec. 7-13, 2012 in Cobb Theatre, R-MC Center for Performing Arts. The show, by Communication Studies Professor Marilyn Mattys, is directed by Drama Professor Joe Mattys.

This perennial family favorite returns to begin the holiday season, as do audiences, who come to see favorite characters and hear favorite passages—and to see what new small threads have been woven into the fabric of this beloved classic tale, including selected new set pieces.

Performances: Dec. 7, 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 8-9 at 2:00 p.m.

Call the Box Office at (804) 752-7316.
Tickets are $2.50 per person, $1 for children 12 and under, and free to R-MC faculty, staff and students.

Emily Arnold ’10, a drama and psychology major, is serving as stage manager for A Christmas Carol for the seventh consecutive year. A preschool instructor at Dominion School for Autism, she says that working on this annual favorite is “a labor of love” involving students, alumni and Ashland residents.

“It’s a heartwarming way to ring in the holiday season,” says Arnold, who took on acting and stage-manager roles in many drama productions when she was a student at R-MC. She currently performs at ComedySportz Improv Theatre in Richmond, Virginia.

The Drama Department hosted its first performance of A Christmas Carol in 1990. At that time, the college theatre was located in Old Chapel, and the set consisted of simple black flats and floors with simple costumes. A small troupe of actors played numerous parts. Since that time, the script has evolved and the sets and costumes have become more beautifully designed, but the story remains faithful and maintains the spirit and tone of the original.

R-MC students performing in this year’s show include: Randy Timmerman ’13, Will Gillespie ’13 and Miles Shipman ’13. Alumni in the show include Elicia Porter ’10, Bitsy Johnson ’09, Derek Gayle ’11, and James Murray ’09, who plays Scrooge for the third consecutive year.