(Posted December 7, 2015)

A scene from last year's production of "A Christmas Carol" at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12 in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on the Juniata campus.
A scene from last year's production of "A Christmas Carol" at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12 in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on the Juniata campus.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and the humbuggy Ebenezer Scrooge will be portrayed by Juniata College theatre students during a staged reading of "A Christmas Carol" at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12 in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on the Juniata campus.

Admission is free, but donations are encouraged and all proceeds will be directed to benefit the J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital Foundation.
"It's the classic tale in a family-friendly adaptation," says Neal Utterback, assistant professor of theatre at Juniata. "We've reduced the story down to about 90 minutes."

"A Christmas Carol: The Reading" is directed by Utterback, who has staged the reading each year since since 2013, the production features roles for 17 Juniata actors. Some of the actors will play dual roles.

"A Christmas Carol" is one of Dickens' most enduring stories. The plot focuses on Ebenezer Scrooge, who says "humbug" to the holidays. However, as he sees the goodness of the Cratchit family -- aided by timely visits from several ghosts -- the irascible old man believes again in the Christmas spirit.

The Juniata theatre students participating in the reading are: Rina Kirsch, a freshman from Clayton, Calif.; Wendy Briggs, a senior from Springfield, Va.; Lewis Boob, a sophomore from Altoona, Pa.; Jamison Monella, a senior from Morrisdale, Pa.; Patrick Rutledge, a junior from Dubois, Pa.; Alex Hanbury, a senior from Newington, Conn.; Lauren Dobbs, a senior from Hillsborough, N.C.; Jacob Sinclair, a senior from Mount Airy, Md.; Alyssa Newberg, a senior from Derwood, Md.; Lauren Bowen, provost at Juniata; Kate Clarke, assistant professor of theatre at Juniata; James Lakso, provost emeritus at Juniata; and Rick Wamer, guest artist.
Gabriel Gould, a composer based in Huntingdon, will provide music for the production.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.