JoLi Klancir‘24, Ellie Watkins ‘24, Cooper Brown ‘25, and Gwendolyn Strickler ’26 creating sound effects during rehearsal for the Christmas Carol radio play in the Reber Center (Ruppert/LION).

This holiday season, Theater Board is bringing back a classic tradition from the early days of radio. The Christmas Carol radio play will take the stage on Dec. 14-16 and will also be played live on the WLTL radio station. It is a unique adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story, director Mike Kuhel said. 

“For this production, the audience is ‘transported’ back to 1946 for a live broadcast,” Kuhel said. “Our actors will be costumed as performers from 1946, not characters from ‘A Christmas Carol.’” Each of them will play between three and six roles throughout.”

This play is different from other plays or typical productions, Kuhel said. It is a unique experience for the actors and audience. 

“It focuses primarily on the voice, not the physicality,” he said. “There will be a row of five or so microphones that the actors will stand at while delivering their lines. All of the intention is still there, all the ‘acting’ is still there, it’s just that they’re ‘acting’ like radio actors from the 1940s.”

While this play can be viewed on stage, the audience doesn’t need to go see it live to understand what is going on. 

“It will be fun to watch, but it’s not every day that you go to a play and think, ‘Maybe I’ll just close my eyes and listen,’” Kuhel said. “Even the sound effects are created live on stage, and help tell the story.”

Putting on a play is a collaborative effort from the director and actors, Kuehl said.

“The talent and creativity of our students never ceases to amaze me,” he said. 

The cast has been preparing for around six weeks. They are very excited to perform the show live, Abby Grech ‘25 said. 

“The first time you put a show on stage for an audience is so fun,” Grech said. “It is so exciting to see their reaction, and remember how you felt when you first read through the script. It is also so fun to be on stage with friends, and see friends and family in the audience.”

The cast is made up of only 10 people, which led to a close bond between everyone, Grech said. 

“It is fun to spend time together, and to watch over time as everyone develops their characters,” Grech said.

The actors don’t move around on stage or “block” in this production, Grech said. They are mostly stationary during the production. 

“Because we don’t have to focus on blocking and memorizing all of our lines for this play, there is more of an opportunity to lean into your character,” she said. “You really get the opportunity to discover and understand your character, and create your own unique voice for each of your characters.” 

This play is the last theater performance before winter break.

“It is a great way to get into the holiday spirit,” Grech said. “It is so much fun to put on, and is a classic show. All of the actors really love it, and we hope that the audience will love it too.”