Trinity Rep's A Christmas Carol Comes to PPAC
Trinity Repertory Company presents its 48th annual production of A Christmas Carol, adapted from the novella by Charles Dickens, with original music by Richard Cumming. Due to planned renovations of Trinity Rep’s Chace Theater, the production will run at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC).
“We are so excited to hold A Christmas Carol, New England's favorite holiday tradition for nearly 50 years, at a different location for the first time!” said Trinity Rep’s Laura H. Harris Artistic Director Curt Columbus. “The Providence Performing Arts Center is one of our city’s crown jewels, and we are thrilled to bring Trinity Rep’s version of Dickens’ classic to such a welcoming partner. Charles Dickens’ Carol is as powerful, moving, and relevant today as it was when he wrote it almost two centuries ago.”
Added J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, president and CEO of PPAC, “This presentation of Trinity Rep’s A Christmas Carol at the Providence Performing Arts Center is historic – marking the first collaboration of its kind by two of Rhode Island’s iconic arts organizations. We are pleased that this beloved holiday tradition will continue to be enjoyed by all, thanks to this special partnership.”
A Christmas Carol runs November 23 – December 4 and December 26 – 29. Tickets are available at the PPAC Box Office on 220 Weybosset St., Providence, RI 02903, by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787), and online at ppacri.org. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and two hours prior to curtain time(s) on performance dates.
Trinity Rep’s upcoming renovation includes state-of-the-art improvements to its upstairs Chace Theater, a brand-new elevator to reach every story of the building, and a new addition that will better interconnect all the building’s spaces. More details to come.
ABOUT A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Founding Artistic Director Adrian Hall first added A Christmas Carol to Trinity Rep’s lineup in 1976, four years after moving into the company’s current home at the Lederer Theater Center on Washington Street. Since then, the production has become a holiday tradition for generations of families in Southern New England. Seen by nearly 2 million people since 1976, Trinity Rep’s A Christmas Carol is set apart from other holiday productions in that it is reimagined every year by a new director, cast, and designers.
“The fact that Trinity Rep invests time and money into a different A Christmas Carol each year is a testament to how much we care about and trust this story,” the production’s director Tatyana-Marie Carlo said. “Each year is different, but the heart is always the same.”
THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Tatyana-Marie Carlo is a proud Puerto Rican director from Miami, Florida. A Trinity Rep resident artistic company member since 2021, and a graduate of the Brown/Trinity MFA Program in Directing, she has directed past productions of La Broa’ (Broad Street), The Inferior Sex, Sueño, and Fade at Trinity Rep. Other recent credits include La Egoísta (Philadelphia Theatre Company), Native Gardens (Dorset Theatre Festival), Pride & Prejudice (Hartford Stage), La Gringa (American Stage), Vámonos (INTAR Theater), and Carmela Full of Wishes (Children’s Theatre Company). She also directed Tanta Bulla …Y Pa’ Qué?/Much Ado About Nothing and La Tempestad/The Tempest for Teatro en El Verano, Rhode Island Latino Arts and Trinity Rep’s bilingual summer theater program.
Tatyana will lead a creative team including Garrett Taylor (music director), resident company member Taavon Gamble (choreographer), Michael McGarty (scenic designer), Amanda Downing Carney (costume designer), Dawn Chiang (lighting designer), Germán Martínez (sound designer), and resident company member Rebecca Gibel (vocal & dialect coach).
Having appeared in over 100 productions over 45 years, Anne Scurria is one of Trinity Rep’s longest-serving resident artistic company members. Her first show was 1979’s A Christmas Carol. This year, she will play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the fourth time. She last portrayed Scrooge in 2002.
Joining Anne on stage in multiple roles are fellow resident company members Taavon Gamble and Mauro Hantman; Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program in Acting student Katsuto Sakogashira; Brown/Trinity Rep alum Tobias Wilson; returning guest artists Rudy Cabrera (La Broa’ (Broad Street)), Alex LeBlanc (La Cage aux Folles), Jenna Lea Scott (POTUS...), Hannah Spacone (Oklahoma!), and Shaffany Terrell (A Christmas Carol); and the Trinity Rep debuts of Nora Eschenheimer and Annmarie Kelly.
Twelve young performers from across southern New England will appear on stage as the children’s cast: Carlos DaSilva, Jr. (Cumberland, RI), Richard Gemma IV (Cranston, RI), Isabella Gonzalez (Providence, RI), Olivia Jarbadan (Warwick, RI), Lynden Ley (Bristol, RI), Brandon Lopes (Swansea, MA), Cameron Blake Miller (Pawtucket, RI), Firo Oliva Ridge (Brookline, MA), Zahra Perez (Barrington, RI), Nicholas Shay (Westwood, MA), Corinne Sweeney (Holden, MA), and Abigail Winsor (Bristol, RI).
SPECIAL EVENTS
The Sensory Friendly performance of A Christmas Carol, designed to meet the needs of guests with sensitivities to light and sound, will be held on Saturday, November 30 at 12:00 pm. The audience lights will remain on a low setting throughout this performance (no blackouts), audiences are welcome to move and vocalize throughout the show, and there will be cooldown areas with fidget toys in the lobby. A Sensory Friendly guide with content warnings will be available at trinityrep.com/sensory-friendly.
Through Trinity Rep’s Project Discovery program, schools can arrange for students to experience this live production with tickets to a student matinee performance, a study guide that can be used in the classroom to prepare for the play, and a post-show discussion with the production team. The Project Discovery performance dates for A Christmas Carol are December 3 and 4 at 10:30 am. Visit trinityrep.com/project-discovery for more information and to book your school.
A Christmas Carol is presented by Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses. Amica Insurance is the supporting sponsor for this production. Trinity Rep’s 2024-25 Season is sponsored by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and the Providence Tourism Council. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of Trinity Rep.
ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.
Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for nearly two million audience members.
Trinity Rep’s 2024-25 Season runs through June 2025, and includes productions of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B, A Christmas Carol, Someone Will Remember Us, La Tempestad – The Tempest, and Blues for an Alabama Sky. Subscriptions are on sale now. For more information, visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.
ABOUT THE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) presents touring Broadway productions and some of the biggest names in comedy and concerts. Since 2008, PPAC has been the theater of choice for launching 24 national tours. These include the recent national tour launch of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical and this week’s national tour launch of SHUCKED in PPAC’s 2024/2025 Broadway Season.
Located in the heart of Providence’s arts and entertainment district, PPAC is the second-largest theatre of its kind in New England, with a seating capacity of 3100. The Loew’s Theatre Building, which is the historic home of PPAC, opened in October 1928 and is acclaimed for its beauty and grandeur. PPAC is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been consistently ranked as one of the top ten entertainment venues of its size in the United States by industry publications Pollstar, Billboard Magazine and VenuesNow. Learn more about PPAC at www.ppacri.org
