Celebrate Dickens' Bicentennial with Olney Theatre Center's A Christmas Carol

Olney Theatre Center favorite, Paul Morella returns to bring his unique and memorable adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas to life this holiday season. Rediscover the vibrancy and joy of this immortal classic as Dickens originally intended - in his own words - and experience his unforgettable characters and vivid imagery presented in a masterful solo performance. The production will run from November 30 through December 30, 2012 on the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab stage.

"It's unlike any version of A Christmas Carol that audiences may have seen, and yet, it is truer to the vision and ideals Dickens had in mind when he wrote the story," says Mr. Morella. "The text is taken almost entirely from Dickens' novella, and through an interactive combination of storytelling and theater, it is presented as he originally intended - like a tale told around a holiday fire."

This heartwarming tale of holiday redemption and renewal has garnered critical acclaim and sold-out houses, and this season's version promises an even deeper journey into the heart of this classic morality tale. "It's a one-person show, yes, but the real star is Dickens himself - his prose, his characterizations and his imagery," according to Mr. Morella. "If anything, I play a Dickensian version of myself - a guide, if you will. I greet people at the door and usher them into the theater. As the narrator, sometimes I play all the characters in a scene, and sometimes the narrative comes from Scrooge. It's a pop-up book come to life."

First published December 1843, A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas remains one of the more enduring holiday traditions. While it tells of the redemptive transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's late business partner, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, there are many surprising aspects found only in the original story. "This is not the overly sentimental version people are accustomed to," says Mr. Morella, "it is the true story - compassionate, intimate and heartwarming - as Dickens intended it to be experienced. It remains as fresh, resonant and relevant today as it was in Dickens' era. Besides, everyone loves a good ghost story."