This holiday season, for one weekend only, Dec. 12, 13, and 14, The Public Theatre, will present their acclaimed adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” followed by a holiday sing-along featuring Christmas Carol fiddler Jennifer Armstrong.

The Public Theatre’s own version of Dickens’ classic has become a holiday tradition in Lewiston-Auburn. This inventive adaptation, performed by six actors and a fiddler, was developed and written for The Public Theatre by Artistic Director Christopher Schario in 1993, and has since been published by Dramatists Play Service and is now regularly performed by theaters around the world.

“There’s a great reason why this story is told during the holidays and will never go away,” Schario said. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget the meaning of the season in all the holiday shopping. Watching Scrooge’s journey always awakens my holiday spirit and gets my heart ready to celebrate Christmas.”

The theater offers a special $5 ticket for children 18 and under. “With our $5 ticket, we are hoping to introduce today’s youth to the magic of professional theater and give them a gift they’ll have for the rest of their lives. Plus, we are happy to offer quality family entertainment that people can actually afford to bring their family to.”

The Public Theatre also offers a special schedule of morning student matinee performances for area schools that is regularly attended by more than 1,800 students each year. Reservations for these shows are available to grades two through 12 for only $5 a ticket.

While there are many versions of this story out there, “We stay true to the heart of the story, while at the same time imaginatively rejuvenating this familiar tale,” Schario said.

“Much of Dickens’ original text is used, with six actors sharing narration and portraying various characters with the aid of a simple costume piece. A live fiddler underscores the story with traditional Christmas music, and a hand-cranked wind machine and a thunder sheet create a delightfully theatrical atmosphere. Uncluttered by spectacle, the audience’s imagination is free to soar, and this classic story comes to life in a way you’ve never imagined.”

The Public Theatre’s version begins with a child reading a copy of Dickens’ novel. As the child reads, five actors and a fiddler magically appear and slowly coax the child into joining the story and becoming the character of Tiny Tim. It’s a marvelous metaphor for the way literature grabs and transforms us, as well as an original way of illuminating this inspiring tale of human redemption.

Leading the cast of “A Christmas Carol” will be Dale Place in the role of Scrooge. Dale returns to The Public Theatre having most recently appeared in New York with John Lithgow in “King Lear” at The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park, and on Broadway at Lincoln Center in “Nikolai and the Others.” Public Theatre audiences might also recognize Dale from his roles in various films such as “The Fighter” and “The Proposal,” starring Sandra Bullock.

Also returning to the Public Theatre will be Russell Berrigan, Sheila Stasack (“Fallen Angels,” “Red Herring”), and Ellen Lindsay (“The 3 Little Pigs”). Local actors include Matt Delamater (“Last Mass at St. Casimir’s”) and a young Auburn thespian, Oliver Hall as Tiny Tim. Returning as the fiddler will be acclaimed musician and storyteller Jennifer Armstrong.

Gift certificates for any production throughout the remainder of the season are also available for the holidays.

“A Christmas Carol” will be performed at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 12, and at 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14. For tickets call the Box Office at 782-3200. For more information visit www.thepublictheatre.org.