I went to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater to get a sketch of A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens and adapted by Jim Helsinger. I asked to be seated on a back row since my sketzching might be distracting to anyone seated around me. The woman at the Will Call window recognized my name and she said, “Oh you are our artist!” I was meeting someone from Second Harvest Food Bank at the theater to drop off a painting I had done for the organization. She was right there when I turned around, which surprised me since I usually expect to wait around when meeting someone. Checking in for the show, the volunteer scanned my ticket and then said, “You know I sat behind you once in the theater and loved watching you work.” Maybe I am over concerned about being clandestine when I create on location.
Walking through the lobby of the Shakes is rewarding since all my posters created for the season hang on the walls and are projected o n wide screen TVs. Jim Helsinger created a children’s book from A Christmas Carol. He had called me while I was exploring the route of the 75th Infantry in Europe. My mind was full of battle plans and getting sketches done in any kind of weather. Unfortunately I missed the chance to illustrate the book, since Jim wanted to finish the book by Christmas. I knew he planned to keep copies of the book in the Shakespeare gift shop, so I stopped in to flip through the pages. The book had been delayed at the printer so it want available yet. If you get to go to a future show check it out for yourself.
When I started drawing the set, I felt like it resembled the poster I had created. Thr windows and door were arranged in the same way, and the faint hint of London chimneys became larger and bolder on stage. This might be coincidence but I felt delighted. That section of the stage also could rotates on a turntable revealing other settings like Scrooges office and the interior of his bedroom.
The show has several musical numbers besides Christmas songs and the cast has some really talented singers. The narration moved the show along at a fast clip. The scene with the door knocker turning into zmarley’s face was done with a digital screen, perhaps from an iPad. It was impressive and could be seen from the very back row where I was seated.
When doing a sketch it is always hard to decide which scene to sketch. Since I know the story of A Christmas Carol, I decided to sketch the three ghosts who visit Scrooge, Christmas Past, Present and Future. No actually I skipped the ghost of Christmas future which was huge and would have dominated the scene. I sketched Marley instead. Marley is pivotal in relating the theme of the show which is that greed imprisons the soul while kindness and empathy bring joy in this hard life especially at the Christmas season. This show helped me feel the glow of the Christmas season for the first time.
At the end of the show, the cast had the entire audience were singing along with a christmas carol. Getting to harmonize with such talent is a delight. I left the theater glowing. If you get a chance to see this show, it will ignite the christmas spirit in even the darkest soul.
A Christmas Carol is on stage at the Shakes through December 24, 2025. Tickets can be found on the Shakes website.