A
Christmas Carol
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
CAST LIST
Running Time: About 45 minutes
Flexible Cast of 33-38, 6 Male, 5 Female, All others M/F
Easily adapted for larger or smaller cast
STORYTELLERS
CHESTNUT: (M/F,
17 lines)
FIGGY: (M/F, 17 lines)
HOLLY: (M/F, 17 lines)
MISTLETOE:
(M/F, 18 lines)
PEPPERMINT:
(M/F, 19 lines)
CHARLES
DICKENS: (M, 23 lines)
DRAMA TEACHER:
(M/F, 5 lines)
EBENEZER
SCROOGE: (M, 114 lines)
SCROOGE #1:
(M/F, 17 lines)
SCROOGE #2:
(M/F, 22 lines)
SCROOGE #3:
(M/F, 25 lines)
SCROOGE #4:
(M/F, 19 lines)
SCROOGE #5:
(M/F, 11 lines)
SCROOGE #6:
(M/F, 18 lines)
BOB CRATCHIT:
(M, 15 lines)
NEPHEW/FRED:
(M/F, 7 lines)
MERRY: (M/F, 4 lines)
GLEE: (M/F, 4 lines)
SCROOGE'S DOOR:
(M/F, significant movement)
JACOB MARLEY
(KNOCKER, PICTURE): (M/F, 14 lines)
SPIRIT OF
CHRISTMAS PAST: (M/F, 22 lines)
TED (BOYHOOD
FRIEND): (M/F, 2 lines)
HARRY (BOYHOOD
FRIEND): (M/F, 2 lines)
YOUNG EBENEZER:
(M, 7 lines)
FRAN (SISTER):
(F, 2 lines)
FEZZIWIG: (M, 4 lines)
DICK WILKINS:
(M/F, 0 lines)
BELLE
(GIRLFRIEND): (F, 5 lines)
SPIRIT OF
CHRISTMAS PRESENT: (M/F, 16 lines)
MRS. CRATCHIT:
(F, 11 lines)
PETER CRATCHIT:
(M, 4 lines)
MARTHA
CRATCHIT: (F, 4 lines)
TINY TIM: (M, 5 lines)
SPIRIT OF
CHRISTMAS FUTURE: (M/F, 1 line, movement)
POCKETS: (M/F,
3 lines)
MOOHLAH:
(M/F, 3 lines)
CHAR WOMAN: (F,
5 lines)
OLD JOE:
(M/F 5 lines)
LUCKY BOY:
(M/F, 6 lines)
Easy
to Adapt for Your School or Theatre!
Cornerstone
Christian Academy - Gulf Coast Home School - English
International School, Slovak Republic
The School Play Package gives you the rights to adapt the script, add characters, lines, songs! You may also make a Video/DVD of your special performance!
"We used students ages 3 through high school and then our teachers and friends of the school participating. Our little three and four year olds were the wind to carry in the spirits. It was so much fun!"
Phyllis Wilson, Cornerstone Christian Academy, OH
Written especially for young people to perform.
While you may find large cast plays from other publishers, most of those were originally written for adults or professional actors to perform. They often contain difficult dialogue, unfamiliar or complex language, and speeches too long for young children to memorize. They may even contain jokes, innuendos and subject matter that may not be appropriate for children.Easy to understand and memorize.
Dialogue is simple, fresh, quick and humorous, keeping the action flowing without stops and starts between scenes. This keeps young people and young audiences engaged throughout the performance - no awkward pauses, no dead-time, no wiggles!Everyone participates!
All children are involved throughout the performance. This builds confidence, promotes team spirit and eliminates rehearsal rowdiness. The audience is often asked to join in the fun, and action often spills into the aisles! All of our SCHOOL PLAYS give suggestions on how to divide up large parts (such as Dorothy in Wizard of Oz) among several performers so that no one child is the "star".Familiar stories with upbeat endings.
The story line stays as close as possible to the familiar story the kids already know. While some authors feel the need to "improve" the story, our SCHOOL PLAYS stay as close to the familiar narrative as possible, making it easier for children - and your audience - to understand.Feel free to edit! Go ahead and tape it!
Most publishers insist that no changes may be made to their scripts. We know that your goal is to engage every child in the most meaningful way and that your needs are unique. Cut, eliminate, re-assign lines, or add as much as you like! Also, there are no restrictions on video tapes. Parents want a tape or DVD to remember their child's big moment. Go ahead and tape away!
"A
Huge Success At Our School!"
Valley Musical Theatre,
Ellensburg WA
In the past few years we've seen a tremendous increase of confidence in the teachers we hear from. Most are finding it easier to let the process flow and worry less about the final product. I firmly believe that the experience will be best for all when you keep a few things in mind:
Free yourself from worry about whether or not it's "good". No one is paying big ticket prices; no one expects a Broadway success. The key to making this project meaningful is to put the emphasis on process; realize that rehearsal and practice are as much a part of the experience as the actual performance. Encourage fun and you will free the children from embarrassment and stress. If the kids can't learn the lines let them carry a script or use their own words to convey the character's message. If they seem to wander the stage, let them explore where they want to go - they might surprise you with a wonderful idea. In every aspect of the process give them the wings to create and think. Give them a comfortable, supportive place to go and their confidence and self-expression will soar!
Above all else, make sure you are having fun. If you've never directed a play before, don't worry. It's all just pretend -- you can't do it wrong! The quality of your experience is every bit as important as that of the children. You need the joy of self-expression too, that doesn't go away when we grow up. So give yourself a break. And when all else fails, laugh!
Thank you so much for choosing A Christmas Carol. I hope you and your young friends have as much fun performing this play as I did writing it.
- KSM
Audience & Cast Sing
Together - GCole Productions - Rhode Island
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
CD SOUNDTRACK CUES
Piano accompaniment to Christmas songs,
sound effects, background music.
The CD Soundtrack contains special sound effects and background music (public domain traditional Christmas songs) that may be used to greatly enhance the performance. It also contains simple music to accompany the performers and audience as they sing the Christmas songs in the play (song cues shown below in red). Cues have 10 seconds of silence at the end - times shown below include silence.
[ Click on [sample] to hear a short sample of the indicated cues ]
1. THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE (0:39) [sample]
2. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (0:51) [sample]
3. GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN (0:51) [sample]
4. SILENT NIGHT (1:11) [sample]
5. BELL, CHAINS, SCARY (0:55) [sample]
6. CHAINS, BELL, SCARY (0:27)
7. IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR (0:48) [sample]
8. WIND, COLD, EERIE (0:53)
9. FLYING! (0:49)
10. DECK THE HALLS (1:06) [sample]
11. OH LITTLE TOWN (0:54) [sample]
12. HAPPY FAT TURKEY MUSIC (0:43)
13. STREETS OF LONDON (0:41) [sample]
14. BELL, WIND, SCARY (0:45)
15. BELL TOLLS TWELVE (0:59)
16. JOY TO THE WORLD (0:43) [sample]
17. JOYOUS CHRISTMAS MUSIC (4:06)
18. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (1:44) [sample]
Note: The songs included in the script are suggestions of traditional Christmas songs that can be easily sung by the cast and audience. The CD Soundtrack has simple instrumental accompaniment for each song - words and piano music matching the CD are available in the Teachers Guide. You can also use a live band or piano to accompany the sing-along for each of the songs - all of these songs should be in any Christmas songbook available from a music store, library, the Internet (or use the piano music in the Teachers Guide). You can even include the school glee club (church choir, etc.)!
Music & Sound Resources Available on the Internet
( Sheet Music, Song Books, CDs, DVDs, Sing-along, Karaoke, Sound Effects )
Internet
Music Resources: Karaoke
CDs & Sheet
Music
Click
to search Internet for karaoke cds or sheet music
Charles
Dickens Christmas Classic for Kids!
Take a Bow
Productions, Christmas Play Production, ON
"The audience loved the performance and the humor of the script. A good time was had by all!"
Brenda Yankaskas, Friends Meeting School, Ijamsville, MD
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
SCRIPT SAMPLE
Scrooge is visited by the spooky Ghost of Jacob Marley...
(Script pages 15-17)MISTLETOE: Now there was a portrait of Jacob Marley that hung in Scrooge's bedroom.
(DOOR becomes FRAME and KNOCKER becomes MARLEY'S image inside the frame. FRAME may arch his arms over MARLEY'S image or hold a cardboard frame, framing the image. MARLEY dons his spectacles and takes a formal pose with two fingers between his buttons at his chest. SCROOGE speaks as he gets ready for bed, putting on his nightcap.)
SCROOGE: (Snaps his fingers at the "portrait") There was a man who knew how to keep Christmas! What was it you used to say, Jacob? Christmas is a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every year. How true, how true.
PEPPERMINT: Maybe the door knocker didn't frighten him.
SCROOGE: Humbug!
CHESTNUT: Maybe the darkness didn't spook him.
SCROOGE: Bah!
HOLLY: Maybe the shadows didn't scare him...
SCROOGE: (Snaps fingers.) Ha!
MISTLETOE: But he double locked his door just the same.
(SCROOGE's hand shakes wildly as he jiggles keys in imaginary door and quickly jumps in bed. Bed can a bench or a few benches together. He takes blanket and holds it beneath his chin, peering out into the darkness.)
SCROOGE: Come blessed sleep, come!
(SOUND CUE #4: Intro to next song.)
DICKENS: At last Scrooge drifted away, and it seemed a choir of angels sang him to sleep.
(ALL sing. SONG SUGGESTION: Silent Night.
SCROOGE closes eyes and snores. SOUND CUE ENDS. When song is done the bells begin. PERFORMERS all have bells. One begins to ring, then another, then another until there is a mass confusion of bells. Soon we hear...
SOUND CUE #5: Long low toll of church bell...
SCROOGE jumps from the bed covers his ears.)
SCROOGE: What can it mean? What can it mean?
(Suddenly all bells cease. SOUND: Bell changes to chains and eerie sounds, continues through following scene.)
Huh?
(Seated PERFORMERS begin making frightening sounds. They may repeat these sounds as needed in excess of what is written here.)
PERFORMERS: Ooooooooooohhh. OOOOOoooooooooooooo...
SCROOGE: Who is there? Who?
PERFORMERS: Ebeneeeeeeeeesssserrrrrrr!! EEEEEEehhhhhhhbee-nnneeeeeeezzzzzzzzer...
SCROOGE: That's my name! I admit it! Who calls for me???
(PERFORMERS have chains and things to make the sound of rattling such as tin cans filled with marbles, jingle bells, triangles, rain sticks. They may tap a pen against the seat of a metal chair.)
Who? Who is there?
(While SCROOGE runs around calling out, two PERFORMERS dress PICTURE/MARLEY in gauzy white cloth that drapes from his head to his feet. They wrap him in chains. SOUND CUE ENDS. MARLEY speaks loudly...)
MARLEY: IT IS I...
(MARLEY steps from the picture FRAME into SCROOGE'S bedroom. SCROOGE screams in horror!)
SCROOGE: AAAhhhh! What do you want from me?
MARLEY: Much!
SCROOGE: Who are you?
MARLEY: Ask me who I was.
SCROOGE: Who were you then?
MARLEY: In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley.
SCROOGE: It can't be true!
MARLEY: You don't believe in me!
SCROOGE: (Straightening himself up.) Not at all. You're nothing but a stomach cramp, a bit of undigested beef...
Note: This is a sample from the actual script. To review the entire play, order the PERUSAL SCRIPT (online instant download). Or to save 20% on the full production kit and royalty for one performance, order the SCHOOL PLAY PACKAGE (below) and start rehearsals today!
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