FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Kevin Kopjak, Charles Zukow Associates |415.296.0677 | [email protected] Press photos and kits: act-­‐sf.org/press AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER USHERS IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ITS CELEBRATED PRODUCTION OF THE CHARLES DICKENS CLASSIC, A CHRISTMAS CAROL Now in its 40th year, A Christmas Carol will feature legendary Bay Area actors James Carpenter as Ebenezer Scrooge and Ken Ruta as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. November 25–December 24, 2016 SAN FRANCISCO (October 17, 2016) – Featuring a lively cast of dozens, delightful music, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition returns with American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)’s celebrated production of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Now in its 40th year, this version of A Christmas Carol—adapted by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff—stays true to the heart of Dickens’s timeless story of redemption and brings a playful sensibility to his rich language. A Christmas Carol runs November 25–December 24, 2016 at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Wednesday, December 7 at 7 p.m. Tickets (ranging in price from $17.50–$110) are available by calling the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-­‐sf.org. Groups of 15 or more save up to 50% and enjoy free tickets for group leaders. For group sales, call 415.439.2309. Hailed as “the best Christmas Carol ever…a guaranteed good time!” by KCBS AM & FM’s Jan Wahl, A Christmas Carol is a cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory and has become a holiday tradition for families all around the San Francisco Bay Area. Since it began performances at A.C.T. 40 years ago (and continuing in its second adaptation, which premiered in 2005), A Christmas Carol has been performed more than 1,200 times to date to a collective audience of more than 1,150,000 and has employed nearly 1,900 actors and 750 backstage staff members. A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol features a multigenerational cast of performers led by James Carpenter as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, with Anthony Fusco as the Scrooge alternate. Joining Carpenter and Fusco is legendary Bay Area actor Ken Ruta (who originated this role in the 2005 production) as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s nightmarish late-­‐night visitor; Nick Gabriel as Bob Cratchit and Delia MacDougall as his wife, Anne Cratchit; Colin Thomson and Sharon Lockwood as the ever-­‐festive Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig; along with Catherine Castellanos as the Ghost of Christmas Present. The adult cast also includes Cindy Goldfield and Howard Swain. 11 students from the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Program are also featured in this year’s production. The M.F.A. Program performers—many of whom traditionally receive their Actors’ Equity cards as a result of their participation in A Christmas Carol—are: Julie Adamo, Emily Brown, Alexa Erbach, Diana Gonzalez-­‐Morett, Thom.Green, Patrick Andrew Jones, Narea Kang, Alan Littlehales, Albert Rubio, Akilah A. Walker, and Stephen Wattrus. Rounding out the cast are 29 talented young actors from the A.C.T. Young Conservatory (YC). Hailing from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the young actors portray a range of characters, including the Cratchit children, Tiny Tim, Young Scrooge, and a delectable array of Spanish onions, Turkish figs, and French plums. They are: Bess Blackburn, Helena Chuang, Mattea Fountain, Kana Gehrman, Isabel Folkers, Charles Gibson, Skylar Goldberg, Rowan Hamilton, Cassidy Hurabiell Trader, Ruth Keith, Orion Kolodny, Elinor Kry, Ellie Lauter, Oxford Lewis, William Lipton, Kabir McNeely, Christophe Mitchell, Evelyn Ongpin, Dylan Palmer, Ella Ramrayka Rogers, Pilar Rivas, Noemy Rodriguez, Gemma Strauss, Samuel Sutton, Alexandra Van De Poel, Tatiana von Bothmer, Joshua Liam von Holder, Maximilian Wix, and Alejandra Zavala. Directed by Domenique Lozano, the creative team for A Christmas Carol includes Tony Award–winning scenic designer John Arnone with period costumes by Beaver Bauer. With original songs and score by composer Karl Lundeberg and choreography by Val Caniparoli of the San Francisco Ballet, A Christmas Carol also features lighting design by Nancy Schertler, sound design by Jake Rodriguez, and music direction by Daniel Feyer. A.C.T. would like to acknowledge its 2016–17 lead education partner Wells Fargo, season partner PG&E, 50th anniversary season airline sponsor United Airlines, and official hotel sponsor Hotel G. Ringing in 2017, A.C.T. will present the world-­‐premiere theatrical adaption of Khaled Hosseini’s best-­‐selling novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns (February 1–26, 2017). Next, A.C.T. will present Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Annie Baker’s new play, John (February 22–April 23, 2017). In spring 2017, A.C.T. will present a reimagined version of Robert Lepage’s internationally acclaimed play Needles and Opium (March 30–April 23, 2017). Following his remarkable worldwide success with The Suit, which played to standing ovations and sold-­‐
out houses at A.C.T. in 2014, legendary director Peter Brook is back with Battlefield (April 26–May 21, 2017). A.C.T. will close out its 2016–17 season with Here Lies Love (beginning June 2017), the acclaimed musical created by pop icon David Byrne of Talking Heads and award-­‐winning music producer Fatboy Slim. # # # A CHRISTMAS CAROL FACT SHEET WHAT: The Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition returns with a sparkling, music-­‐infused production of A Christmas Carol, featuring a lively cast of dozens, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts. Bring your family, bring your friends, and check your “humbugs” at the door! WHO: by Charles Dickens Adapted by Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh Music by Karl Lundeberg Choreography by Val Caniparoli Directed by Domenique Lozano Based on the original direction by Carey Perloff John Arnone (scenic designer), Beaver Bauer (costume designer), Nancy Schertler (lighting designer), Jake Rodriguez (sound designer), Daniel Feyer (music director) WHERE: A.C.T.’s Geary Theater 415 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 WHEN: November 25–December 24, 2016 Tuesdays–Saturdays at 7 p.m. (no evening performance on December 24) Sundays at 5:30 p.m. 2 p.m. matinee on December 3, 7, 10, 17 1 p.m. matinee on December 4, 11, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24 InterACT Events Bike to the Theater night……………………..November 26 PlayTime………………………………………………December 3 (prior to the matinee) TICKETS: Range in price from $17.50–$110 Groups of 15 or more are eligible for discounts of up to 50%; please call 415.439.2373 to purchase or for more information. PHOTOS: www.act-­‐sf.org/press TICKETS & INFO: 415.749.2228 | www.act-­‐sf.org