The Theater Project is known for its edgy, groundbreaking theater––which it has continued to put on for its patrons amidst 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, TPP 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 none of the actors can get to the station in a blizzard. 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? 

The Theater Project presents A Cracked Christmas Carol on Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29 at 7:30pm via ZOOM.  Tickets are available for purchase online.  A donation of $15 or more is suggested.

Now more than ever, communities are turning to modern technology to connect with each other while remaining miles apart. 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” on actors that capture every minute change of expression, make A Cracked Christmas Carol a unique experience of a time-honored art form for patrons.

And 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.

The Theater Project was founded in 1994. For over twenty years, under the leadership of Mark Spina, Artistic Director, they have provided well-rounded programs on a relatively small budget to audiences who relish and seek out stimulating, new theater.  

Providing a forum to express ideas that spark the imagination, and challenge the mind is what they strive to do. Encouraging their audiences to think beyond the status quo and elevate the discourses around important contemporary issues is germane to their purpose. Most importantly, their audience is willing to take a chance on a title or author they have never encountered before, knowing they will be engaged, challenged and entertained.