Azuay Community Theater continues its tradition of radio theater with Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’

By Kate Marin Wohlfeld

A Christmas Carol continues ACT’s popular holiday tradition of portraying the excitement and atmosphere of liver radio theatre with a holiday classic. Adapted by Anthony Palermo, the show is faithful to the spirit and language of the original Dickens’ Christmas Classic.  The show re-creates a live, 1930’s radio studio experience for the audience including a large cast of voice actors playing multiple parts and both live and recorded sound effects. Matinee performances are daily at 2pm on Thursday, December 12 through Sunday, December 15. The lobby lounge will open at 1pm for drinks and snacks which will also be available at intermission. 

Tickets and details are at www.actseats.com  

From the 1920s to today, Radio Theater’s Popularity Has Exploded through Multiple Media – from Radio through Live Theater to Internet Podcasts  

The first play written specifically for English-language radio (1921) was broadcast from a small New Jersey station, the starting point for radio drama’s long history.  Radio’s popularity exploded in the 1920s and 30s, and this new medium quickly came into many families’ homes. Programs featured original and new shows – from musicals, drama, and comedies to science fiction. (Orson Welles 1938 Broadcast of a Martian invasion created nationwide panic).  Radio shows also became a vital marketing channel for consumer product sponsors, building commercials into the flow of radio shows consumed by more than 80% of the US population. The public could not get enough of this new entertainment; by the late 1930s, most than 80% of families in the US had at least one radio in their home.   

The radio play form quickly attracted an array of Broadway and film stars. A Christmas Carol was among the earliest hits. Great talents embraced the role of Scrooge – from Lionel Barrymore’s almost 20 years of playing the role; to a more current crop of actors such as Will Ferrell. The most loved of Charles Dickens’ stories – and the first of many radio and theatrical radio productions – A Christmas Carol was first produced for radio broadcast in 1922 on WEAF in New York.  

But this was not the first time that A Christmas Carol was read aloud to a live audience. Charles Dickens himself would tour and read A Christmas Carol aloud to captivated audiences, helping to make it one of the most popular Christmas holiday stories of all time. As a one-time actor, Dickens wanted to ensure that everyone could hear his story (including the many people who had no literacy skills).   

A Azuay Community Theater production of A Christmas Carol.

Dickens was inspired in the 1840s to write the story to publicize and protest the horrible conditions that children endured due to England’s child labor laws. workhouses, and orphanages. Since the time of its initial distribution in book form in 1843, the popularity of A Christmas Carol has continued to grow with both the public and with performers.  

How many well-known actors have interpreted the most transformed misanthrope of English literature?  Around 130, including talents such as George C Scott, Jim Carrey, Kelsey Grammar, Jack Palance, Walter Matthau, Albert Finney, and Bill Murray and many more have all portrayed the iconic miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.  

RADIO PLAYS – Why this Unique Art Form Continues to Flourish  
The advent of television greatly reduced the production of radio plays. However, there are ongoing efforts to produce theatrical radio plays because their unique creative dimensions.  Radio plays engage our imagination, through the combination of live sound effects, music, and a cast of actors that use a variety of vocalizations to interpret multiple characterizations.  ACT’s A Christmas Carol on-stage sounds artists recreate a full range of sound effects that recall the heyday of radio theater.    

 Azuay Community Theater – Easy Access – Generator Ensures No Power Interruptions.   All shows are at 2pm on December 12, 13, 14 and 15. With just 50 seats and only four performances of the show it is recommended to purchase tickets early and in advance. They are available at www.actseats.com.  

 About ACT – Cuenca’s only English-Language Theater 
ACT is Cuenca’s only English-language theater since its founding in 2014. With the support of the ex-pat and Cuenca community, ACT has grown rapidly over recent years, attracting many new onstage and backstage company members and now in its third complete season of 6 shows per year. Current ACT productions are held in a permanent, updated theater space, complete with a new lighting and sound system, and a spacious lobby and bar.  

Azuay Community Theater is easily accessible:  Patrons will find the theater in El Centro, Cuenca on Antonio Vega Muñoz 1446 between Coronel Tálbot and Estévez de Toral. Close to several Tranvía stops, and buses serve the block on Antonio Vega Muñoz continuously. Google map location on the website at www.actseats.com.   

Grace’s Annual Toy Drive — Bring an unwrapped Christmas gift to the theater and bring smiles to many kids!
ACT is collecting toys on behalf of Dr. Grace Ordonez, who holds an annual toy drive for the less fortunate kids in towns around Cuenca. If you would like to participate in this year’s toy drive, you can help by just bringing your toy/gift with you to the ACT show!