This holiday season, West Virginia Public Theatre returns to live theater
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
Ready for a holiday treat? After 20 months of dark theaters and empty seats, live performances are returning to West Virginia Public Theatre. WVPT announces it will kick off its 2021-22 season, with a holiday tradition — “A Christmas Carol” directed by Jerry McGonigle, adapted by Andy Lyons.
WVPT has been presenting “A Christmas Carol” to Morgantown for years. It has not only become a tradition for families in town, but also for the wider community. Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16-18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18-19. This rendition of “A Christmas Carol” is an original West Virginia Public Theatre adaptation.
“We are working from scratch with this brand new version of the script,” McGonigle said. “It’s going to be an exciting theatrical production incorporating innovative technical wizardry.”
Audiences will experience Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey from an embittered, stingy creature whose outlook on the world is very dark into a giving, caring human being who sees the world in color.
“This is in essence a ghost story about a man who has isolated himself from the very experience of what it means to be human,” McGonigle said. “These visitations in the night rekindle his love for mankind. After being isolated ourselves, it is a good reminder of a message that rings true — we all have an obligation to humanity. Mankind is our business, personally and globally.”
McGonigle added that while the pandemic makes putting on a live show difficult, it is something those at WVPT feels compelled to do.
“It’s hard to put on a performance right now in the world we’re living in,” he said. “It’s even harder to not put on a performance right now in the world we’re living in and that’s why we’re going for it. We’ve been working with setting the right protocols in place because we just can’t wait any longer. We’ve got to bring this to you.”
In order to accomplish this production, all company members were required to be vaccinated. All audience members will be required to wear masks as required by the venue. Tickets will be sold as general admission so that audience members can sit where they feel the most comfortable.
In addition to “A Christmas Carol,” WVPT in early January will host a developmental workshop of a new musical with book by Stephen King and music by John Mellencamp. This event will be free to the public, feature actors from around the country, as well as Tony Award winning Broadway director Jeff Calhoun. Lastly, WVPT is planning for a summer 2022 season that features “I Do, I Do,” “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” and “Thurgood.”
Ticket information
Single tickets are on sale and may be purchased online at Eventbrite or in person at the College of Creative Arts Box Office lobby from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Learn more at wvpublictheatre.org/.
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