LEWISTON, ME — Over 1,300 students from 25 schools and organizations throughout Maine recently attended five Student Matinee performances of The Public Theatre’s acclaimed production of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ The Public Theatre’s student matinee program enables schools to attend a performance at the Lewiston theatre for the reduced rate of only $5.00 a ticket, offering the majority of students the chance to experience live professional theatre for the very first time. Students who attended the show also participated in a post-show discussion with the Cast and Director. A study guide written by a Bates College Professor was also provided.

In addition to the five student matinee performances, The Public Theatre also offered four public performances of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ In total, nearly 2,300 children and their families attended.

Written and developed in 1993 by The Public Theatre’s Co-Artistic Director, Christpher Schario, The Public Theatre’s inventive version of the beloved holiday classic is performed by six actors and a fiddler and has since been published and performed by theatres around the world.

With all the different versions of A Christmas Carol out in the world, The Public Theatre’s adaptation remains many people’s favorite and is now a Lewiston/Auburn Tradition. “We stay true to the heart of the story, while at the same time telling it with a sense of playfulness and imagination”, says Schario. “Much of Dickens’ original text is used, as six actors and a fiddler grab a handful of props and your imagination and joyfully bring Dickens’ language and characters to life. Creating a magical atmosphere with live music, a hand-cranked wind machine and a thunder sheet, the audience’s imagination is free to soar, and this classic story comes to life in a way you’ve never seen before.”

‘A Christmas Carol’ was performed by a professional cast of actors that included Dale Place as Scrooge, Russell Berrigan as Marley, Nicholas Perron as Christmas Present, Sheila Stasack as Mrs. Cratchit, McKenna Canty as Belle and local young actor Simon Golob in the role of the child/Tiny Tim. Music for the production was performed by local fiddler Beck Welling.

‘A Christmas Carol’ was sponsored by Androscoggin Home Health Care & Hospice, Dirigo Federal Credit Union, Evergreen Subaru and Lewiston Pawn Shop with educational support from Austin Associates, Cross Insurance, the Ladd Foundation, the Onion Foundation, and the Shubert Foundation. Their generous support makes the reduced $5.00 Student Matinee Ticket possible and allows The Public Theatre to continue their commitment of making high quality live entertainment affordable for most families.