Players’ Ring has a full line-up of holiday performances --'A Christmas Carol' now in its 29th season at the Players' Ring Theatre

PORTSMOUTH – The Players’ Ring Theatre has a full line-up of holiday shows, with something sure to please everyone.
 
In addition to its yearly performance of “A Christmas Carol,” running Dec. 6 through Dec. 23, the Ring presents “A Tuna Christmas” (Nov. 22 – Dec. 1); “What The Dickens” (Nov. 24 and Dec. 1) and “Discovering Magic” (Dec. 27, 28 and 29).
 
“Will you believe it – the Players' Ring has been presenting ‘A Christmas Carol’ for 29 consecutive years,” said the Ring’s Executive Director Margherita Giacobbi.  “In fact, I was excited to discover that ‘A Christmas Carol’ was the very first show ever produced by the Ring after its foundation in December of 1992.” 
 
What Giacobbi finds incredibly fascinating, though, is that each production has been completely different. 
 
“Holiday season after holiday season, different directors have embraced different theatrical adaptations of Dickens' short story and worked with different designers to showcase it in a new light. A new concept, a new set, a new atmosphere and, of course, a new cast. Over 600 actors have been involved in this magical tradition since the early 1990s,” she said.
 
“So, while ‘A Christmas Carol’ is undeniably a super classic, that our patrons surely have the chance to catch in many different venues across the globe, I am very proud to say that ours – year after year – honors our mission of supporting original work. We take great pride in surprising our patrons, even with a beloved, notorious story like this one!” 
 
This is particularly true of this year's version, adapted and directed by Ben Bagley, and of his overall approach to the story as a director. 
 
“You will leave the theatre feeling that you have just experienced your favorite fairy tale in a way that you might not have expected and that, I think, will make you want to chat about it with your friends and family and encourage them to come to the theatre,” Giacobbi said.
 
Bagley said his love for “A Christmas Carol” probably started with the “Muppets Christmas Carol,” still one of his favorites. He had also seen a few stage productions when he was a kid and was really caught up in the magic. 
 
“It was a story that was accessible to kids but didn’t pull punches when it came to some intense subjects,” he said. “I first thought about adapting ‘A Christmas Carol’ about 10 years ago. I actually started writing a script and sketched some set designs and everything, but I was much younger and less experienced and the weight of the ideas kind of swallowed me up. I got overwhelmed and never went back to it.”
 
Bagley had seen and worked on some stage productions of "A Christmas Carol" and said they all had their pros and cons. 
 
“The thing that really cracked it open for me was the humour in Dickens' original writing,” he said. “The tone of the narrator is full of British dry wit and irony that I haven’t seen in many adaptations. The vehicle in which Dickens presents the story is lighthearted and has a springiness to it. So, I really wanted to deliver on that – to provide the audience with the chance to experience some of that Holiday cheer that the characters within the story talk about.”
 
The audience can expect a fast paced and engaging telling of this very familiar story. 
 
“I have this incredible cast which is really the secret to this show's success,” Bagley said. 
“We’re all on board for this promise of dialing up these moments to their maximum potential, and one of the ways we do that is by realizing these characters as authentic and genuine human beings.”
 
Nick Tavares is the stage manager; Josh Goldberg, set crafter/propsmith; Teddy Ragge and Ben Bagley, lighting designers; Bagley is also sound designer; Sam Smith as costume designer, and Max Cavanaugh as board operator. 
 
While there are these wonderful moments of silliness and theatricality, it all comes from a real human place. The humour isn’t campy – it’s honest, it’s awkward, and it’s endearing. 
 
“So, when we pivot and there are moments of levity that are frightful, heartwarming, heartbreaking, it’s all coming from that same deep well of humanity. These performers are blowing me away every day,” he added.
 
This production was built from the ground up to specifically utilize the strengths of the intimate space of the Ring. Performances can remain natural and free from certain theatrical practices, there are elements of theater magic that are delightful when they happen only feet from you, every “set change” is baked into the script and is part of the storytelling. 
 
“None of this would be possible without the entirety of the cast, crew, and production team that are all an absolute joy to work with and whom I am immensely grateful for every day of this process,” Bagley said. “And an extra shout-out to Margherita (Giacobbi) and the Players’ Ring who are an incredibly supportive producing partner and have provided such care and nourishment for this entire project. 
 
Other holiday shows include: “A Tuna Christmas” (Nov. 22 – Dec. 1) by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. With 22 different characters, dozens of costume changes, and just two super-talented actors (Bretton Reis and Michael Towle), this sequel of “Greater Tuna” is a fun-filled, satirical look inside the workings of a small town at Christmas.
 
Also, on stage is “Discovering Magic” (Dec. 27 – 29), where award-winning magician and performer Andrew Pinard acts as the tour guide to the impossible and absurd, inviting audiences to explore the mystical and magical world of perception and deception.
 
For information on all other plays offered this season, visit www.playersring.org for times and tickets. 
 
During the run of “A Christmas Carol,” Dec. 6 through Dec. 23, the Ring will be collecting donations for GATHER NH in the lobby and encourage folks to bring dry and canned food as well as personal hygiene items.
 
The Players' Ring is grateful for the support of its Main Sponsors: 
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The Eppes-Jefferson
Foundation, The Puddle Dock Restaurant, Tour Restaurant, Southport Printing Company, Meredith Village Savings Bank, MacEdge and Supporting partners: Portsmouth Recreation Department, Kittery Art Association, Port City Makerspace, Business Cents, Dowling HVAC and Media Partners: PortsmouthNH.com and the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth.
 
The Ring’s neighbor The Puddle Dock restaurant and its sister restaurant Tour on Lafayette Road, are both offering a 10% discount on food to Players' Ring patrons. Visit their websites to reserve, and present your ticket when you ask for your check. 
 
 
 
Go & Do
“A Christmas Carol” – adapted and directed by Ben Bagley
Where: The Players’ Ring Theatre, 105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth NH
              Phone: 603-436-8123
When: Dec. 6 through Dec. 23. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; select Monday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Tickets: Single ticket: General Admission: $32 / Seniors/students/veterans: $29 / Kids under 12: $18/ Groups 10+: $29/$26 /Groups 20+: $27/$24. Visit www.playersring.org to purchase tickets.