LEWISTON — This holiday season, for one weekend only, Dec. 8, 9, and 10, 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 favorite 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.”

 With all the different versions out there of this story, The Public Theatre’s adaptation remains many people’s favorite.  “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 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 Michael O’Brien in the role of Scrooge.  O’Brien is a familiar face to Maine audiences following a long history on stage with The Theater at Monmouth and previous appearances at The Public Theatre.  The rest of the cast features Russell Berrigan as Marley, Matthew Delamater as Christmas Present, Sheila Stasack as Mrs. Cratchit, Kelsey Foltz as Belle and local seventh-grader Kristian Keef in the role of the child/Tiny Tim, Returning as the fiddler will be acclaimed musician and storyteller Jennifer Armstrong.

Tickets for children 18 and under are $5; adults are $20. 

 “A Christmas Carol” will be performed on Friday, Dec 8,  7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 10,  at 2 p.m. For tickets visit the publictheatre.org or call the Box Office at 782-3200.