Cape May Stage presents "An Actor's Carol"

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May Stage provides a fresh take on Dickens’s timeless A Christmas Carol with their production of Charles Evered’s An Actor’s Carol from November 14-December 30. It tells the tale of Hugh Pendleton, an actor drained of artistic passion after having played the character of Scrooge one too many times, which leads to Pendleton encountering three ghosts of his own. A cast of 4 actors plays 17 different characters in this hilarious new look at a classic that reminds us that the most jaded among us can find magic in the holiday season- and in the theater as well! 

An Actor’s Carol made its premiere in 2015 in Palm Springs in a production staring Hal Linden, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actor, best known for starring on the 1970s sitcom “Barney Miller.” The play won the Outstanding Original Writing Award in the staged reading category of the Desert Theatre League Awards. The playwright, Charles Evered, an award-winning playwright and filmmaker, is a graduate of the famed Yale School of Drama and a former naval officer. He has written screenplays for major studios and directed two features of his own. Evered also wrote for the hit TV shows Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub. Currently, he is Professor of Playwriting at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where he served as the department’s first artistic director.

Evered says, “An Actor’s Carol is a comedy, but unlike other spoofs and satires of A Christmas Carol, it has heart and truth, particularly about theater.” 

Directing this stellar cast is award-winning director, producer, actor, and producing artistic director of Cape May Stage, Roy Steinberg. Roy has directed classical and contemporary plays as well as world premieres all over the United States. For Cape May Stage’s 2016 season, he directed Sex with Strangers, Buyer and Cellar, This Wonderful Life, and Disgraced. In 2017, he directed The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, The Gin Game, Outside Mullingar, and The Ultimate Christmas Show. This season, Steinberg has directed Chapter Two and the World Premiere of The Shuck. 

Playing Hugh Pendleton, a weary and cynical actor who has played the role of Scrooge too many times is John Little. John's recent work includes the National Tour of the Roundabout Theatre’s Cabaret and Ragtime at Barrington Stage. His regional work includes Yale Rep, Pioneer Theater and Goodspeed. On television, he has appeared in Law and Order and Boardwalk Empire. John is a proud graduate of the Yale School of Drama.  

Making her Cape May Stage debut is Kirsten Hopkins. Kirsten will be performing the role of Player 1, but this role is not for the weak of heart, as Kirsten will be playing six completely different roles including the Stage Manager of Christmas Past. Kirsten is a proud member of the NYC artist collective The Playground Experiment, which is dedicated to fostering new theater work. Her New York credits include The Last Cyclist, Your Boyfriend May Be Imaginary, and Lonesome Winter. 

Performing as George the adoring nephew, the spicy Usher of Christmas Past, the Critic of Christmas Yet To Come, and others is Kevin Cristaldi. Kevin has appeared in Numb3rs, Medium, The Unit, Gilmore Girls, Criminal Minds, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His Off-Broadway credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Dish for the Gods, and Dirty Talk.

Rounding out the cast is Karack Osborn, playing a variety of comedic roles. Karack was the recipient of the 2015 Mawson Award and was nominated for a Toronto Theatre Award for his work at the Stratford Festival. Karack is best known for his roles in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Anthony and Cleopatra, and his recent portrayal of Sam Phillips in Million Dollar Quartet at the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company. 

Don’t miss this twist on a holiday classic on stage from November 14-December 30, playing Thursday-Saturday at 8:00pm and Saturday & Sunday at 3:00pm.   Productions take place in the Robert Shackleton Playhouse, 405 Lafayette Street, in Cape May, New Jersey.