By Kady Cramer
Main Street Theater Belton, 510 Main St., will perform their adaption of A Christmas Carol December 1 through the 17. Join Ebenezer Scrooge as he learns the true meaning of Christmas during a wild Christmas Eve of dreams.
The play will be an interpretation by Main Street Theater co-owner and artistic director Pam Powell as well as her long-time friend and Main Street Theater actor Peggy Mullinix.
“Charles Dickens actually only wrote a short story,” says Powell. “He didn’t write the play. So now-adays when you go to any theater, they all say, ‘by Charles Dickens’ but they should say, ‘adapted by…’”
During health issues, in lieu of performing in the production, Powell took Mullinix aside to knock out the adaptation.
“Peggy is a wonderful actor,” says Powell.
All the audience favorites are here: Marley’s Ghost, Bob Cratchit, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Future and Present and Tiny Tim himself.
“Our stage is very little,” continues Powell. “We’re in a 100-year-old building and we can’t bring things in from above or bring things up through the floor. Our wings are packed with 22 actors. So, we really wrote it just for our theater and for our cast.”
For instance, two female actors replace three male actors in certain scenes.
“Everybody that auditioned got a role,” says Powell. “That’s the joy of community theater.”
Seven children round out the cast so a Children’s Director, Karen McLaughlin, was called in.
“She watches as I block everything and then she takes them off and works with them,” explains Powell. “{McLaughlin is} a great Bible-school teacher and is very patient with children.”
It’s hard to put into words the effect Charles Dickens’ beloved story has had on generations.
Actors from all across South KC will help bring the classic to life, including performers from Grandview, Olathe, Raymore, Kansas City, and Independence – just to name a few.
Children who come to the play on Sundays in December can meet Santa after the performance.
A Christmas Carol will conclude the 6th season at the Theater. Visit mainstreettheaterbelton.com for details and ticket information.