In November and December, the Alvina Krause Theatre in downtown Bloomsburg will be filled with the sounds of children both in the audience and on stage when Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble presents the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol as part of its 30th anniversary season. Appropriate for all ages, BTE has special school matinees scheduled for the following dates: Nov. 27, 28, 29, Dec. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, and 20, all at 10:00 a.m. Matinees fill quickly; several dates are already sold-out.

This will be BTE’s fifteenth production of Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption and renewal. From the first ghostly rattle of Jacob Marley’s chains, the fun and frivolity of the Fezziwig’s party, to the ominous predictions of the Ghost of Christmas Future, students travel through time with Ebenezer Scrooge as he is confronted by the boy he was, the man he has become and the fate that awaits him if he fails to change.

BTE’s school matinees include the full-length mainstage production of A Christmas Carol, as well as a unique behind-the-scenes peek at the show itself. After each matinee, students are invited to “Meet the Cast” as members of the cast make themselves available to answer questions about any aspect of the production. The cost of $7.50 a ticket reflects a substantial savings off the single ticket prices for regularly scheduled performances.

In addition to the young people in the audience, there will be many on stage as well. When the curtain goes up on A Christmas Carol there will be thirty-six young actors from fifteen area schools in the cast. Because of the number of performances scheduled, their roles are triple cast. The youngest members of the casts are the three young ladies who share the role of Tiny Tim: first grader Alexandra Eyerly, fourth grader Willow Perkins, and third grader Chloe Sees; the oldest student cast members are high school seniors.

Director Laurie McCants says, “I’m so impressed with how hard these young actors are working! Having children from our region in the cast always brings the genuine spirit of Christmas to this production.”
The school matinee program is but a part of BTE’s commitment to arts education.

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit professional ensemble of artists working throughout the year to produce and teach theatre that responds to the needs of the communities in which they live.
Interested parents, teachers, and administrators should contact BTE’s School Programs Director, Paula Henry at (570) 458-4075 or email at phenry@bte.org.