Courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is giving a 177-year-old ghost story new life this holiday season.
The company hopes to turn their performance of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, running Dec. 10-23 with preview shows Dec. 4-9, into a beloved annual event.
The production is directed by Rep Artistic Director Hana Sharif and stars Guiesseppe Jones, who has several film, television, and theater credits to his name, as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Rounding out the cast are about two dozen youth performers from the Center for Creative Arts. COCA classes in dance, vocal music, theatre, design, and art, serve around 50,000 people of all ages and backgrounds each year. Among them is 11-year-old Riley Adams, who plays Bob Cratchit’s daughter and Tiny Tim’s sister, Belinda, in the upcoming show.
“I like that the overall theme is that you have to value family and the people around you more than (money),” the sixth-grader says. She added that she’s excited to perform alongside professional actors in her first show with The Rep.
Gavin Nobbe. Courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Fellow cast member Gavin Nobbe, 11, who plays Belinda’s and Tiny Tim’s brother, Peter, has also most enjoyed getting to know the adult cast and crew.
“You grow a lot meeting all the new people and the professionals,” he says. “And it’s really fun.”
For COCA Artistic Director Jenny Wintzer, who took the helm of the theater department at the nonprofit in April 2019 after a decade in New York City working with performing arts organizations such as Lincoln Center Theater, this exposure to working professionals is one of the most valuable things COCA has to offer.
“It’s a big show, and it takes a lot of time, talent, and commitment to make this beautiful show come to life,” Wintzer says. “Seeing the amount of time the adult actors invest in the work has been good for the kids.”
Wintzer says COCA and The Rep were working on partnering for a show before the COVID-19 pandemic, so the upcoming production is years in the making. Prior to rehearsals with the adult cast, youth ensemble members learned the show with COCA teachers, some of whom are also involved with the production. Both A Christmas Carol's choreographer, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, and music director, Tre’von Griffith, are on COCA’s teaching staff.
COCA's mission “to enrich lives through the arts” aligns well with Sharif’s stated goals for The Rep, including improving accessibility and inviting larger swaths of the community to enjoy the performing arts.
Riley Adams. Courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“Building partnerships is part of my role here,” Wintzer says. “We’re working with lots of theaters and groups to make sure our beautiful space is open to the community and to allow our kids professional opportunities like this.”
After a quarter drop in ticket sales at The Rep during the 2019-2020 season, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and months spent navigating the waters of virtual classes and performances at COCA, Wintzer says both groups are eager to be rehearsing and performing together in person.
“A Christmas Carol is a celebration of the endurance of this community,” Wintzer said. Adams agrees. “It’s just good to be back.”
A Christmas Carol runs December 4-23 at Loretto-Hilton Center. Tickets start at $25 and can be booked online at repstl.org.
