UA Theatre presents 'A Christmas Carol'
Ashley Hutchins
Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: Lifestyles
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"A Christmas Carol" is a joint performance by the University Theatre and the Walton Arts Center. The planning and collaboration of this production began last year and cast member auditions began in August and September.
"A Christmas Carol" is a holiday tale that involves emotions, choices, consequences and hope. The play adheres to the original story line of a morality tale set during the Victorian era and focuses on Ebenezer Scrooge's bitterness, love of money, and contemptuous judgment on everyone and the season of Christmas.
Dickens' use of ghosts to portray the past, the present and the future based on Scrooge's greedy decisions illustrates the cost of his actions.
"One of the challenging aspects of presenting 'A Christmas Carol' on set is how to present the ghosts," Landman said. "We have a magical way of creating these spirits. These spirits are both magical and beautiful."
The audience can expect to be entertained by the music, plot and cast members' performances.
"The cast includes about 30 people with 11 children from the ages of eight to 12, a senior fiddler and 18 University of Arkansas students," Landman said.
Not all of the students are drama students. There are five graduate students and the rest are undergraduate students whose majors range from music to political science, he said.
Derek Kolluri, a UA drama graduate student, will portray the infamous Scrooge. A veteran of nine other university-produced plays, Kolluri has the ability and experience to bring an exceptional blend of himself and the character of Scrooge to the stage. Kolluri said the greatest challenge for him was the age difference between himself and Scrooge.
"I was really thrilled [to audition for the role], but didn't expect to get the part," he said. "I don't fit the typical description of Scrooge, but I must have given the director what he wanted."
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