By Jonah Barrett
Ghosts aren’t always the best subject matter for children, even as part of a Christmas story. There are, however, times when fantasy is more than meets the eye and ghosts aren’t what they seem. Based on Charles Dickens’ beloved, 1843 novella, Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol opens at Olympia Family Theater Nov. 30 and runs until Dec. 23. OFT plans to take the spooky out of the story. It isn’t paranormal entities that haunt the cranky Ebenezer Scrooge; in this adaptation, the culprit in question turns out to be Tiny Tim. The twist is simple: Instead of actual ghosts plaguing Mr. Scrooge, Tiny Tim and a number of London street vendors join forces to teach the old capitalist a thing or two about compassion. The result is a creative romp that presents a new perspective on an old tale.
“I really wanted to introduce our all-ages audience to Scrooge,” said artistic director Jen Ryle, “because I love Charles Dickens, and it is such a great story. There are so many versions out there, and I read a lot of them. I wanted to find a script that was not too scary for young kids. It is after all a ghost story. This version uses a very theatrical approach, where we see the townspeople and Tiny Tim using costumes, puppets and sound effects to recreate the night when Scrooge had his spiritual encounters.”
“I’ve never worked with puppets before, so this is a new challenge for me,” said director Michael Christopher. “Luckily we have a great puppet maker, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do with them.” Other exciting challenges faced by Christopher and his cast and crew include limited time for scene changes and to find a way for Scrooge to walk on air. Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol is certain to delight and inspire guests of any age by reinterpreting a holiday classic. “This show is a nice retelling of the classic Christmas Carol,” said Christopher, “and I think the timelessness of the messages of the story — that it’s never too late to change, and to put others before yourself — Well, those are always good things to be reminded of.”
WHAT
Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol
WHERE
Olympia Family Theater,
612 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia
WHEN
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30; Thurs., Dec. 6 (pay-what-you-can); Fridays, Dec. 7-21;
2 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 1-22 and Sundays, Dec. 2-23
HOW MUCH
$15-$20
LEARN MORE
olyft.org/tiny-tims-christmas-carol
360-570-1638