Production of A Christmas Carol featured over 1,000 Community Performers and raised over $57k for RI Community Food Bank
PROVIDENCE, RI: Trinity Repertory Company broke its all-time box office sales and attendance records with its 2018 production of A Christmas Carol, surpassing the record set last year by the same show. This season’s incarnation of the holiday tradition, which ran November 9-December 30, 2018, was the 41st consecutive mounting of the Dickens classic. Completely re-invented each season with a new director, cast, and designers, the 2018 production was directed by Mark Valdez, who also directed Fuente Ovejuna, or Like Sheep to Water at Trinity Rep in 2017. Beloved acting company member, Stephen Thorne, played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
With this production, director Mark Valdez was inspired to bring Rhode Islanders together. “This show means something to the state,” says Mark, “and it’s such a beautiful thing to me.” To do this, Trinity Rep invited different choirs from around Rhode Island and Massachusetts to perform choral selections as a part of each performance. With this impressive feat, Trinity Rep included over 1,000 community performers from over 35 choirs in its production.
Additionally, Trinity Rep is pleased to announce $57,669.67 was raised for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank from A Christmas Carol audiences. Since 2006, this tradition has been a part of the theater’s commitment to its community and a reminder to audiences to bring the spirit of Dickens’ story into their lives and the rest of Rhode Island. This year’s collection brings the total raised over the past twelve years to over $500,000.
“Trinity Rep’s A Christmas Carol is such a valued and popular holiday tradition in Southeast New England, and this year’s production was glorious,” added Executive Director Tom Parrish. “Placing community at the heart of the show, through both the choral performances and the money raised for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, really helped people get into the spirit of the season.”
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 41 years and made memories for over a million audience members.
The 2018-19 Season includes Pride & Prejudice by Kate Hamill, black odyssey by Marcus Gardley, a special limited-engagement of An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, The Song of Summer by Lauren Yee, Little Shop of Horrors with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, and José Rivera’s Marisol.
For more information on our 2018-19 Season, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep’s website at www.TrinityRep.com.