DIRECTOR’S NOTE
November 1st, 2022, roughly one month ago, the day we first gathered and began creating this show. There was no script, no plan, no overarching idea beyond this simple fact: it would follow, or at least include, Dickens’ famous story of that squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, covetous old sinner.
From there it was a shared collective creation. The group would decide what was to be rehearsed on a daily basis, what was a priority in the story, and how we would bring Christmas Carol to life. Artists of our team then explored everything from playwriting to properties, improvisation to physical theatre, choreography, elements of set and costume design, even puppetry.
Our time together was as invigorating as it was short. Scripts and scenes changed on a daily, if not hourly basis. Every idea had worth. Each notion was explored as time permitted. Within days, The Hart & Sole Players, a Victorian acting troupe was born. The troupe was scrappy, rough, and new, as was our telling.
Which, inevitably, is the joy of this particular story. No doubt you’ve seen, or will see, Christmas Carol adapted dozens of times, on stage, on screen, as a cartoon, with puppets, through CGI, or on black and white celluloid. For many reasons it is enduring. And one of the myriad is the thrill of rediscovery.
Dramatically speaking, it’s peak irony. You already know everything. As you read this program, you most likely have the insight of every ghost who will visit Scrooge tonight. Even still, I’d wager your interest is buoyed by the curiosity as to how we will execute this familiar morality play.
After a month of devising and flux, I feel confident in telling you, dear audience member, two things I am certain of about this show.
It is deeply loyal to the ideas, themes, and allegories of Dickens without being slavish to them. If you are here to see Christmas Carol, I promise you, you will see it. At the same time it will be different. New threads of drama from the troupe itself unspool in this adaptation. It shifts tone and style, and may keep you on your toes. So here, prior to your experience, I invite you to be like Scrooge at the end of the tale: be joyous of this show’s life, embrace change, and see the world (and this story) anew.
I hope you enjoy this exclusive presentation of The Hart & Sole Players.
READ AN EARLY DRAFT OF HART & SOLE’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL