Gary Glor, Terri Sturtevant and Ilana Schimmel star in ‘A Cracked Christmas Carol,’ a prerecorded Zoom performance that will be presented by the Theater Project at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29.
UNION — The Theater Project is known for its edgy, groundbreaking theater — which it has continued to put on for its patrons amid a global crisis.
“It’s been a whirlwind here,” says Mark Spina, artistic director of the Theater Project. “Throughout the pandemic we’ve tried to serve the public and stay alive. I’ll say I’ve been busier now than I’ve ever been before.”
But this holiday season — in a year where nothing feels quite normal — the Theater Project is leaning into the familiar and the life-affirming. To kick off the holidays, the Theater Project is virtually reviving its 2014 production of the radio play “A Cracked Christmas Carol,” with two pre-recorded Zoom performances featuring Gary Glor, Terri Sturtevant and Ilana Schimmel.
Based on David Albert’s “A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show,” the play takes place at a big-time radio station getting ready to perform Dickens’ classic — but because of a blizzard, none of the actors can get to the station. So it’s up to the station manager, the cleaning lady and a very angry sponsor to pull off the show. Who gets to play Scrooge, and who gets stuck with the sound effects?
Now more than ever, communities are turning to modern technology to connect. Radio plays, in particular, use strong dialogue and sound effects to immerse the audience in the fictional world, engaging the senses to create meaning. This, combined with Zoom’s close-ups, which capture every minute change of an actor’s expression, make “A Cracked Christmas Carol” a unique experience of a time-honored art form for patrons.
In what will be a socially distanced holiday season for many, the Theater Project is harnessing the narrative power of the radio play to bring families and friends together in virtual celebration.
“A Cracked Christmas Carol” will be presented by the Theater Project at 7:30 p.m. on both Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29, in a pre-recorded Zoom performance. The suggested donation is $15. Tickets are at https://www.onthestage.com/show/the-theater-project/a-cracked-christmas-carol-29053/tickets.
For more information, visit www.thetheaterproject.org or call 908-809-8865.