School of Performing Arts to Present “A Christmas Carol” this Holiday Season

The Idaho State University School of Performing Arts invites the community to celebrate the holiday season with its heartwarming production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Ann Hoste, running November 14-15 and 20-21 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on November 21 at 2 p.m. in the Bistline Theatre at the Stephens Performing Arts Center.

Opening night, Friday, November 14, will feature SOPA’s traditional Afterglow, where audience members can mingle with the cast, crew, and artistic team following the performance and hear a few words from the director. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

This year’s production coincides with the ISU College of Business’s Festival of Trees, held in the Stephens Center November 20-22, and patrons can enjoy both events with a single ticket—a perfect pairing of festive storytelling and sparkling holiday atmosphere.

Director Jef Petersen, ISU professor of theatre, says he’s been eager to bring this timeless story to the ISU stage since joining the faculty.

“Dickens’s story captures the essence of the season in a way that few pieces of fiction ever have,” Petersen said. “The journey Scrooge goes on is one of redemption and learning the importance of caring for the well-being of all around us.”

Petersen’s vision embraces both the classic heart of Dickens’s tale and the theatrical magic that makes “A Christmas Carol” so enduring. He notes that this particular adaptation, written by Ann Hoste, a former theatre professor at Boise State University and the University of Idaho, “is very dreamlike—it’s a quick show, but it doesn’t sacrifice any of the humor or heartache of the original story.”

Audiences can also look forward to a musical celebration woven throughout the production.

“Our production is a celebration of joyful Christmas music, and we are joined by the acclaimed fiddler Orla O’Connor, whose fiddling brings incredible warmth and heart to our telling of Scrooge’s odyssey,” Petersen shared.

Adding to the holiday magic, Petersen noted how special it is that the show runs in tandem with the Festival of Trees.

“There is nothing that goes quite so well together as a telling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and a promenade filled with beautiful, jubilantly decorated Christmas trees,” he said.

Petersen hopes this year’s production will inspire audiences of all ages. “We are able to see the full transformation of a hardhearted miser being reborn and discovering the joy and redemption of Christmas,” he reflected. “While I think there are many wonderful things to take away from this play, the words of Tiny Tim remain the most profound—‘God bless us, every one.’ And from me to all who can hear, Merry Christmas!”

Event Details
What: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, adapted by Ann Hoste
When: Nov. 14-15 and 20-21 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 21 at 2 p.m.
Where: Bistline Theatre, Stephens Performing Arts Center, Idaho State University
Tickets: $13-$18, Available at the ISU Box Office or isu.edu/tickets
Includes admission to the Festival of Trees