The high school adds their own flare to a “A Christmas Carol.”
From Muppets to Bill Murray, “A Christmas Carol” has been told many times, many ways.
From Nov. 16 to 18, Winslow Township High School will also modernize the timeless yuletide tale, juxtapositioning millennial dance moves alongside the dialogue of Charles Dickens.
“That is the task that’s given to the director, the cast and the creative team of the production,” said senior Savannah Jackson-Page, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Past. “We really have to focus on our audience. We need to make sure there is stuff for them to enjoy and recognize.”
Winslow’s twists derive from its particular production’s version, “A Christmas Carol — A Ghost Story of Christmas,” written by Michael Wilson in 2008. This rendition exacerbates the phantasmagoric themes of the original story by incorporating a gyrating chorus of ghostly apparitions.
Garbed in white and adorned with umbrellas, the ensemble accompanies the three famed spirits of time sporadically throughout the show. The ghosts embody particular individuals in Scrooge’s past, present and future through contemporary dances choreographed by the students themselves.
One scene even features the “dab” move, a dance cultural sensation that emerged in 2015.
“(This twist) is almost a connection with the crowd, especially the with the younger audience,” said senior Kirk Slingluff, who plays the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. “It will excite that group of people while the Old English and old story are still preserved in the script.”
Some of the dancing will be complemented with singing, including a chorus of carolers. One number, “I Saw Three Ships,” will be accompanied by a solo violinist.
Like the expected audience, the cast is comprised of youngsters of all ages.
This is the first show in a number of years in which the high school auditioned students from the middle and elementary buildings. The cast includes more than 40 students.
Coupled with early holiday excitement, “A Christmas Carol” was selected due to its scope of casting opportunities, encompassing characters from Tiny Tim to Mr. Fezziwig.
“This is the biggest cast I’ve done for a fall show yet,” said director and Winslow teacher Savanna Heffner, who is directing the fall play for the fourth consecutive year. “We wanted to invite the whole community a lot more.”
Although the production aims to appeal to a younger crowd, it conserves the crucial Victorian English elements, such as the cockney dialogue and corset costumes.
Maintaining the trend of twists, many of the handmade costumes are revamped prom gowns.
Chiefly, underneath the layers of singing of dancing, the production will not lose sight of the story’s themes of greed and gratitude.
“I want the audience to see the fact that everyone has the opportunity to change and be a better person,” Slingluff said.
“We try to teach a sense of being grateful for what you have, because you never know what someone else is dealing with,” Heffner said. “I want the audience, during this happy, merry time of year, to feel grateful and appreciative of what you have and always try to be kind to others.”
Information:
The show is running Nov. 16 to 18 at WTHS Auditorium, located at 10 Cooper Folly Road, Atco. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and students.To purchase tickets, call (856) 767–1850.
Showtimes:
- Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
