Tiny Tim's Christmas Carol - Dec 2022

presents

Ken Ludwig’s and Jack Ludwig’s

TINY TIM’S

CHRISTMAS CAROL

written by Ken Ludwig and Jack Ludwig produced by Hilary Adams assitant produced by Rick Portner directed by Madeleine Smith

presents Coming in January

LTA starts the year with the feel-good musical comedy smash based on the hit film that has audiences jumping to their feet! The story follows Deloris Van Cartier, who after witnessing a murder, is put in protective custody in a convent. While disguised as a nun, she helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she rediscovers her own. Filled with powerful gospel music, outrageous dancing, and a truly moving story, Sister Act will leave you breathless. Features original music by Tony and Oscar Winner, Alan Menken, this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

MTI. www.MTIshows.com.

Ken Ludwig’s and Jack Ludwig’s

TINY TIM’S

Director’s Notes

Welcome one and all to Ken Ludwig’s and Jack Ludwig’s Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol! One of the reasons I am so delighted that LTA gave me the opportunity to bring this story to life is my lifelong love of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I never go a holiday season without Scrooge and Tiny Tim and the rest of these beloved characters. What I find so magical about the holidays is that we all take a moment in the darkest part of the year to open our hearts a little wider and work a little harder to take care of one another and bring light to the dark places. Some may see consumerism in gift-giving, and stress in getting an elaborate meal on the table for countless family members. But through the influence of three very helpful ghosts, I have always seen instead an opportunity to be overcome by a generous spirit to bring delight and comfort to those I love, and the less fortunate. To borrow from another adaptation of our story, “It is the summer of the soul in December.” It is this same generous nature and sympathy for all that spurs Tiny Tim in the Ludwigs’ twist on the tale, not only to work to get his father the day off for Christmas, but also to bring warmth into the heart of the squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous old Mr. Scrooge. So, from me, and the whole amazing cast and crew, we invite you to open yourselves up and let our story haunt you with all the love, generosity, and delight this season has to offer. A very merry holiday season to each and every one of you!

Madeleine Smith Director

SHOW SYNOPSIS

Tiny Tim is determined to have his father home for Christmas Day, even if it means teaching Ebenezer Scrooge a lesson in Christmas cheer! Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens novel, Tony Award winner Ken Ludwig writes a heartwarming Christmas tale full of family fun!

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LTA COVID Pandemic Health and Safety Standards

LTA will continue to follow all current health and safety standards set by governmental authorities while the COVID pandemic continues, and we will maintain our full participation in the ALX Promise program sponsored by the Alexandria Health Department and Visit Alexandria. Starting September 1, 2022, LTA will no longer require proof of COVID vaccination or PCR testing (if not vaccinated), for audience admission to our facility, and we will no longer be holding out every third seat for social distancing. However, we will still be requiring wearing a mask indoors, including during a performance. Proof of full vaccination, including boosters, against COVID is required for all cast, crew, volunteers and staff, and for those auditioning at the Little Theatre of Alexandria. This may, hopefully, change later in the season.

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PERFORMANCE PARTNERS

Meet the Cast (in alphabetical order)

Tom Howley he/him (Scrooge) is hopping onto LTA’s stage for the first time. His most recent appearances have been in Moon Over Buffalo (RLT) and Twigs & Bone (World Premiere, Nu Sass Productions) and as a company member of Brave Spirits’ massive Shakespeare’s Histories rep project. Among his favorite roles are Shlemiel in Shlemiel the First (Theater J) and Sam Byck in Assassins (WATCH Award, LMP). Endless appreciation to his lovely wife, Susan, who encourages him to play Scrooge whenever the opportunity presents itself!

Adiya Koram she/her (Puppet Seller/Ghost of Christmas Past/Mrs. Cratchit/ Boy) is a theatrically trained actor from Alexandria with over 15 years of experience. Recently she could be found playing Madame Pouvoir in the series The BWA produced by 4cornersTV. She’s also entertained audiences as Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun, Marge Murray in The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and Stephen Belber, Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and CAPCOM in Darkside by Ken Jones. Now she’s landed at LTA and is excited for this new journey.

Oliver Lankin he/him (Tiny Tim/Young Scrooge) is delighted to debut at LTA in Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol. Oliver has a keen interest in theatre and previously appeared in student showcase productions of Julius Caesar (LTA) and West Side Story/Romeo & Juliet (LTA), as well as several other school plays. Oliver is a seventhgrader at Sandburg Middle School and is currently involved in its Hashtag Romeo school play as a crew member. Thank you, Ms. Heather Sanderson, for all the coaching, from Harry Potter to Julius Caesar!

Pat Mahoney he/they (Pie Seller/Stevens/Fred/Marley’s Ghost/ Fezziwig/Ghost of Christmas Present) is an actor, musician and personal trainer. He has lent his voice to several video games and audiobooks, composing music for both. Some of his previous roles in theater include Sonny Malone in Xanadu (WAC), Clark in Firebringer (DS), Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (LTA) and Hal Carter in Picnic (NOVA Night Sky). Pat is excited to return to LTA once again in the joyous spirit of the holiday season!

Meet the Cast

Eleni Ruiz she/her (Charlotte/Girl on the Street/Belle/Emily) is thrilled for her third LTA show! Previous roles at LTA include Little Fan in A Christmas Carol (2017) and Peter Cratchit/Turkey Child in A Christmas Carol (2021). Other favorites include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Trinity School at Meadow View) and Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride (Dominion Christian School). Thank God, my parents and our wonderful director for this opportunity!

Andrea Spitz she/her (Book Seller/Hollyfoot/Bob Cratchit/ Mrs. Fezziwig/Gravedigger) is thrilled to make her LTA debut after years of performing, directing and board membering on the other side of the river. She was most recently seen as Charlotte Hay in RLT’s Moon Over Buffalo, and her other roles have run from Elizabeth Proctor in SSS’s The Crucible (WATCH Award) through Sara Jane Moore in Assassins. Andrea is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Studio Conservatory, with four kids and a day job in IT. Bah humbug (but in a nice way) to the Brookmoor Gang.

Theater Abbreviations Used in LTA Playbills

ACCT – Aldersgate Church

Community Theater

ACT – Alliance of Community Theaters

AS – Arena Stage

ASC – Annapolis Shakespeare Company

BCT – Bowie Community Theatre

BST – Baltimore Shakespeare Factory

CCP – Chevy Chase Players

CFTC – City of Fairfax Theatre Company

CPA– Colonial Players of Annapolis

CRT – Castaways Repertory Theatre

CT – Chalice Theater

DTC – Damascus Theatre Company

DS – Dominion Stage

ES – Encore Stage

ESP – Elden Street Players (now NST)

FCT – Fauquier Community Theatre

FP – Foundry Players (now CCDC)

FST – First Stage Tysons

FT – Ford’s Theatre

GAC – Greenbelt Arts Center

GFP – Great Falls Players (now MCP)

HBP – Hard Bargain Players

KAT – Kensington Arts Theatre

KT – Keegan Theatre

LMP – Laurel Mill Playhouse

LTA – The Little Theatre of Alexandria

MCP – McLean Community Players

MP – Montgomery Playhouse

MPAT – Metropolitan Performing Arts Theatre

MTA – McLean Theatre Alliance (now MCP)

MTC – Musical Theater Center

NST – NextStop Theatre

NVP – Northern Virginia Players

NVTA – Northern Virginia Theatre Alliance

OTC – Olney Theater Center

PCP – Port City Playhouse

PGLT – Prince George’s Little Theatre

PPF – Providence Players of Fairfax

PTC – Potomac Theatre Company Inc.

PTP – Port Tobacco Players

PWLT – Prince William Little Theatre

RCP – Reston Community Players

RHT – Round House Theatre

RLT – Rockville Little Theatre

RMT – Rockville Musical Theatre

SCT – Springfield Community Theater

SMP – St Mark’s Players

SP – Sterling Playmakers

SSS – Silver Spring Stage

ST – Signature Theatre

STC – Shakespeare Theatre Company

STC – StageCoach Theatre Company

TACT – The American Century Theater

TAP – The Arlington Players

TAT – The Alliance Theatre

TBP – The British Players

TCP – Tantallon Community Players

2FT – Second Flight Theatre

UVA – University of Virginia

VTC – Vienna Theatre Company

WAC – Workhouse Arts Center

WATCH – Washington Area Theatre

Community Honors

ZA – Zemfira Stage

Meet the Crew (in alphabetical order)

Hilary Adams (Producer) is grateful to be rounding out her year the way it began: producing a show at LTA! Recent productions she’s helmed include Design for Murder and Bright Star, and she especially enjoyed assistant-directing Blue Stockings. Hilary is so grateful to Madeleine, the cast and the entire production team for making this Christmas season extra special, and gives special thanks to her husband, Griffin, for his steadfast love and support throughout all the shows she worked on this year.

Johanna Arredondo (Properties Design) is excited to be putting her passion for thrifting and crafting to work in her first LTA show as props designer. She has been an avid theater watcher since childhood and finally decided to take it a step further by joining the LTA volunteer community.

Bridgid Kelly Burge (Scenic Design) is excited about her first production with LTA! Bridgid is a freelance scenic designer and originally hails from Michigan, where she attended the University of Michigan before getting her MFA at Illinois State University. Since moving to the region, she has had the opportunity to work with many wonderful theatre institutions such as Ally Theatre Company, Silver Spring Stage, Solas Nua, The Catholic University, Gallaudet University and Howard Community College. Check out her portfolio at bridgidburge.com.

David Doll (Set Construction) is thrilled to help with Tiny Tim! David worked on set construction for several productions at LTA between 2011 and 2014 and is excited for the opportunity to be involved again. David studied theater at UNC Chapel Hill and has enjoyed helping with shows when able ever since. He especially wants to thank his family for their support throughout this production!

Gabrielle Hasenstab (Set Painting Design) is thrilled to join LTA’s stage crew for the first time! While this show is her first with LTA, Gabrielle has been a painter for over a decade. She was most recently featured in a show at the Yellow Barn Studio in Glen Echo, MD. Gabrielle has also been featured in galleries in Charleston, SC, where she grew up. You may see her out and about painting scenes of her Arlington neighborhood.

JK Lighting Design (Jeffrey Scott Auerbach and Kimberly Crago) (Lighting Design) are pleased to celebrate another holiday season at LTA. They are an award-winning design duo active at ACCT, DS, TAP and other local theatre companies. Recent shows include Newsies at TAP, King Hedley II at DS and Bright Star at LTA. Jeff would like to thank his family, David and Katie Clement, for all their love and support. Kimberly thanks Steve for always being a stand-up guy. They both wish to thank the cast and crew of Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol. Please enjoy the show.

Ken Ludwig (Playwright) has had six shows on Broadway, seven in London’s West End, and many of his works have become a standard part of the American repertoire. His 28 plays and musicals have been performed in over 30 countries in more than 20 languages and are produced throughout the United States every night of the year. Lend Me a Tenor won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for five years and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. In addition, he has won the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theater. His plays have starred, among others, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Tony Shaloub, Joan Collins and Hal Holbrook. His stage version of Murder on the Orient Express was written expressly at the request of the Agatha Christie Estate, and his latest play, Dear Jack, Dear Louise, won the 2020 Charles MacArthur Award for Best New Play of the Year and is optioned for Broadway. His book How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare, published by Penguin Random House, won the Falstaff Award for Best Shakespeare Book of the Year, and his essays are published in the Yale Review. He is a graduate of Harvard and Cambridge and is a frequent guest speaker for groups as varied as The Oxford-Cambridge Society, The Jane Austen Society of North America, The Folger Shakespeare Library, and The Baker Street Irregulars. For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com.

Meet the Crew (continued)

Robin Maline (Co-Makeup and Hair Design) has had the pleasure of designing such shows as Bright Star, Blue Stockings, Something Rotten (LTA) and many others in the greater D.C. area. She has been working as co-chair of Wigs and Makeup at LTA since November 2017. She would like to thank her parents, Rob and Karen, and her brother Charlie for their unending love and support as well as Susan Boyd for passing on her great wisdom. Enjoy the show!

Rick Portner (Assistant Producer) is elated to make his LTA debut as well as his return to the theatre world after a brief hiatus with Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol. Previously, he was intensively involved in the College of William and Mary’s Shakespeare troupe Shakespeare in the Dark, where he took on roles such as actor, director, producer, effects coordinator and fight choreographer. He previously held certifications from the International Order of the Sword and Pen in Rapier, Quarterstaff, Dagger and Unarmed stage combat.

Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley (Co-Costume Design) are happy to costume Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol. Having done A Christmas Carol at LTA many times, they find that each year’s production brings different challenges but is always fun! They hope you enjoy this year’s heartwarming twist on an LTA tradition.

Madeleine Smith (Director) is delighted to present her first show with LTA! Madeleine’s recent work has included serving as AD for Spring Awakening (RHT), the world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s Peter Pan and Wendy (STC) and directing Equivocation (SSS). She is delighted to return to SSS in 2023 to direct the production of Pride & Prejudice that was derailed by the pandemic in 2020. Thank you to all of her parents for your unending love, lessons and support! Merry Christmas and happiest of holidays to all!

Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association invites you to visit www.artseventsalexandria.com to view the arts calendar and schedule of events. ACVA

Meet the Crew

(continued)

Lanae Sterrett (Co-Makeup and Hair Design) has had the pleasure of working on hair and makeup on several LTA shows this year, including Bright Star, Blue Stockings and Design for Murder. She would like to thank her family and her co-designer, Robin, for her guidance, support and friendship. Enjoy the show!

Matthew Trowbridge (Sound Design) is excited to be designing for his first show with the Little Theatre of Alexandria. He has been active in high school, college and community theater for over 12 years in a range of backstage and design roles. Favorite past productions include Urinetown: The Musical (Case Western Reserve University), A Streetcar Named Desire (South Bend Civic Theatre) and Chicago (Pingree School).

Vera Worri (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be flying solo at LTA for the first time as stage manager! Previous productions she’s worked on include Firebringer (DS) and The Game’s Afoot (or Holmes for the Holidays) (RCP). She hopes you enjoy the show, and have a very happy, peaceful holiday season!

Russell M. Wyland (Rigging) has been an LTA member and volunteer for more than 30 years. During that time, he has worked in several capacities, including seven years as President and eight years as Governor for Production. However, his first love is rigging: the art of masking the stage with drapes and making things fly from above and travel across the stage. Russ has rigged every show this year, including Something Rotten!, which he also co-produced.

FUTURE AUDITION AT THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA

Producers Sheri Ratick Stroud and Griffin Voltmann and Director Juli Tarabek Blacker are pleased to announce auitions for Lettice and Lovage, written by Peter Shaffer Dates: Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. Additional information will be posted on thelittletheatre.com under Opportunities.

Thank You!

LTA wishes to recognize and thank all of the volunteers who have given their time and talents by helping with house managing, ushering, or working in the box office for our previous production of Design for Murder.

Box Office Volunteers

Lloyd Bittinger

Sara Deshong

Joan Evans

Florence Ferraro

Ira Forstater

Gary Gladstone

Michele Greene Kate Ives Meredith Ludwig Melissa Nielson

Front of House Volunteers

Bilge Balkan

Jessica Beaston*

Monica Beaston Dee Brown Sarah Bueter

John B. Burns Austin Carroll Veronica Cartier

Rita Costello

Leslie S. Deneault

Shannon Doyle Patty Fitzgibbons

Ira Forstater*

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Greg Peeples

Laura Peterson Lindy Price Edna Rogers

Steven Rosenthal

Cindy Savery Ana Shannon Margaret Snow Howard Soroos

Dotty Tandberg Rebecca Thomas Arlene Tredeau* Charlotte Tsoucalas Tescia Yonkers

*House Manager

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In case of an emergency, LTA has three AEDs (automated external defibrillators)

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The Council of the Little Theatre of Alexandria is a group of dedicated members who support financial projects for the theatre and provide numerous social events with dinners, receptions, and other member gatherings. The Council promotes and supports volunteerism throughout the theatre to ensure continued success in all areas, i.e., backstage, front of house, box office, etc.; we also provide need-based scholarship funding to support numerous adult and youth educational programs within the theatre. The Council is proud to sponsor the Shakespeare Garden which has become a community favorite with many stopping in just to relax and “waste my time in it.”