The Devil's Christmas Carol
A World Premiere Musical
By Penny Eileen Martin
Directed by Betsy Marks Delaney
Produced by Glen Nelson
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Synopsis of our play
Production Notes
Our Cast
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Theatre is Hell...or is it?
Production Information
AUDITIONS
The Devil's Christmas Carol
a World Premiere performance at the Capital Fringe Festival, July 9-26th 2009.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
LEAD CHARACTERS:
TINY TIM/TIM (Male 40-60 Tenor) – doesn't limp and is not handicapped in any visible way. Condemned to Hell for his inability to forgive or forget the past, he has been playing Tiny Tim in Hell's own Christmas Carol for a very long time. This play is the story of his redemption.
GABRIELA (Female 20+ Soprano) – is TIM'S daughter and plays the female lead to TINY TIM'S male lead. She has a limp and possibly wears a leg brace. While the DIRECTOR is Hell's agent, she is Heaven's.
SCROOGE (Female 25-40 Mezzo Soprano) – is an insecure youngish woman. The woman who plays Scrooge is Tim's protégé and friend and has a romantic relationship with FRED.
FRED (Male 25-40 Tenor) – is an easygoing guy, who gets along with everyone. He and SCROOGE have a romantic relationship.
DIRECTOR (Male or Female) – is one of Satan's Lieutenants. His purpose is to make sure that everyone is suitably educated /punished. He acts as Satan's spy. Non-singing role. (Role is not gender or age specific.)
FEATURED ROLES:
MRS. CRATCHIT (Female 45-60) – has never understood what she is doing in a theatrical company in Hell, and is dedicated to whipping the cast into shape. She plays the Stage Manager and Mrs. Cratchit.
BOB CRATCHIT (Male 40-60) – really is optimistic all the time. The other actors find his relentless cheerfulness almost unendurable at times.
MR. FEZZIWIG (Male 50+) – is "a good old boy." He also plays the Assistant Director. He and Mrs. Cratchit are united in trying to keep order.
MRS. FEZZIWIG (Female 14-25) – is an anorexic Goth/Emo girl. She reminds you a lot of someone who might play "Ophelia" and she would really prefer to play the part of "Christmas Past."
JACOB MARLEY (Male 14-25) – is a teenager who has a cell phone at one ear, an iPod on his belt and plays with a Nintendo DS (or other handheld video device). He pays little attention to what's going on around him.
CHARITIABLE WOMAN (Female 40s+) – is a comfortably built woman who believes that charity begins in the home and is certain that she is being treated unfairly.
BELLE (Female 50+) – never understood what she's doing in Hell anyway, but if she HAS to be in Christmas Carol, she feels that she ought to have a larger part.
CAMEO ROLES:
THE DOCTOR (Male 30+ Baritone) – made a mistake early in his medical career that caused GABRIELA to be born with a damaged leg. His life was blighted by his error.
MARIAN (TIM's WIFE) (Female 30+ Mezzo Soprano) – is a strong, loving woman who raised GABRIELA on her own after the premature death of her husband TIM.
MONSIEUR/MADAME FRIDEAUX (Male or Female) – could be Hell's agent or victim. Brought in by the DIRECTOR to choreograph a dance number, he puts the actors through the dance rehearsal from Hell. (Role is not gender or age specific.)
CHRISTMAS PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE (Male or Female) – is played three actors acting together. This character answers every question addressed to them in the past / present / future. (Role is not gender or age specific.)
TURKEY BOY (Male, young teen, 12+) – is a smart-mouthed teenager.
URCHINS (Male or Female) – mostly run around and get in the actor's way. Mrs. Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig are the main "URCHIN wranglers" during the show. (Roles are not age or gender specific)
NOTE ABOUT CHARACTERS: It shouldn't ever be entirely clear to the other actors or the audience which of the characters in the show are on Hell's team and which are damned souls or imps (with a few exceptions). However, the actors should always know whether they ally with Heaven or Hell.
NOTE ABOUT HELL: in The Devil's Christmas Carol, Hell is not a place where sinners are punished eternally for the wrongs they did in their life. Hell is more like a "Reform School." Almost everyone spends some time in Hell. Hell is where you go to learn what mistakes you made when you were alive and to repay the "debts" you incurred. Many people never get out of Hell because they never realize that they did anything wrong. There is no purgatory. Everyone starts in Hell (usually) or Heaven (very occasionally). Hell's goal is that, at the other end of eternity, Hell will be empty of human souls.
FURTHER NOTES ON CAST:
Minimum Voices:
1 Soprano (Gabriela)
2 Mezzo Soprano (Scrooge, Mrs. Tim)
2 Tenor (Tim, Fred)
1 Baritone (Doctor)
