Rosebud Theatre lives in A Christmas Carol

By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor

Rosebud Theatre is producing A Christmas Carol, performed by Nathan Schmidt, Nov. 6 to Dec. 23.

Rosebud’s production may be the classic play’s only production by a Albertan theatre company this year.

The one-man adaptation by Ron Reed is directed by Rosebud Theatre’s artistic director Morris Ertman.

“There is no more profound awakening story than A Christmas Carol,” said Ertman. “It’s a conversion experience. A guy has gone from darkness to light. It’s extraordinary.”

Schmidt is a “streetwise storyteller”, speaking directly to the audience and presenting all the Dickens characters.

Large images of Victorian-era London, based on woodcut etchings by artist Gustave Dore, will bring the feeling of a Victorian London street to Rosebud’s Opera House stage.

Theatregoers can enjoy a four-course meal in the Rosebud Mercantile before the show, although theatre tickets may also be purchased without a meal. To enhance COVID protection, meal service will be plated, accompanied by instrumental-only dinner music.

Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA) is also offering Christmas performances this term. RSA, which graduated five students and welcomed 14 new students in September, is the only theatre school in Canada to offer all in-person classes this term.

RSA students will perform A Rosebud Nativity, directed by Mark Lewandowski, Nov. 27 to Dec. 19 in Rosebud’s BMO Studio Stage. A Rosebud Nativity is a one-act show, depicting Bible stories from creation to the birth of Christ.

Rosebud Chorale is also rehearsing this fall, within RSA’s performing arts cohort, and will give a Christmas performance in a yet-to-be-determined format.

To help them make it through this difficult COVID season, Rosebud Theatre and RSA have presented three matching donation fundraising campaigns, and have met or exceeded their matching targets in each one. The third phase of the #RosebudLives will be announced during the run of A Christmas Carol.

To book tickets for A Rosebud Nativity or to learn more about the play or Rosebud Chorale, call 403-677-2350 or go to rosebudschoolofthearts.com. COVID-prevention protocols will be in place for all performances.

With audiences of A Christmas Carol kept small to facilitate COVID-prevention protocols, Rosebud Theatre has scheduled as many performances as possible. Seven performances of A Christmas Carol are offered weekly from Nov. 6 to Dec. 23, with additional shows in December. Contact Rosebud Theatre’s box office at 403-677-2001 or boxofficemanager@rosebudtheatre.com to purchase tickets. For more information, go to rosebudtheatre.com.

A filmed version of Nathan Schmidt’s performance of A Christmas Carol will also be produced by Eric Pauls and Michael Janke. It will be available at rosebudtheatre.com after Nov. 13.

“People are going to enjoy themselves,” Ertman said. “People are going to have an amazing meal and come to the theatre and hear a familiar story, and the story will deliver a transformative ending and I think people will be giddy with life.”