Dear friends,

We write to you from the Blackfriars Playhouse, on a break from rehearsals of A Christmas Carol. Together, we are creating a brand-new adaptation of Dickens’ holiday tale just for you. As we journey with Scrooge through the past, the present and the future, we can’t help but reflect on our own recent past.

Heartened by overwhelming support from teachers, students, long-time patrons, and new friends, we were among the first and the few theatres in North America to produce live theatre for live audiences. Under a carefully created set of mitigations, the 2020 SafeStart Season saw us create two productions and give you three ways to watch them. Our 17-actor troupe performed 61 times for over 5,000 patrons. And we did it all safely, making it through with zero cases of COVID-19. 

Now, though, we have to face the present. Our nation is entering another wave of infections, and this aggressive virus will disrupt many more lives before the holiday season is over. This is why, due to new COVID-19 guidelines, we will only offer A Christmas Carol in digital ways. All live performances of A Christmas Carol at the Blackfriars Playhouse have been cancelled.

We were prepared for this. The ASC SafeStart plan exists to ensure our safety, and yours, whichs means that we stop and make informed decisions as pandemic conditions change. So, when our medical experts affirmed that holding live performances this December wasn’t advisable, we listened!

This is SafeStart in action.

We’re maintaining our work bubble and continuing to rehearse, putting the finishing magic touches on this classic tale. This holiday tradition will carry on, in a variety of new formats! The entire ASC team is committed to bringing you the same warmth and light you’ve come to expect each December.

Digitally, we will bring you this beloved story:

• Live streamed via Marquee TV on December 4
• On-demand via our streaming service BlkFrsTV beginning December 9
• Or, make all of December special with our Month of Merry subscription package which will feature bonus events like exclusive Live @ Blackfriars access, open rehearsals with our actors, and a live-taught Christmas Carol educational workshop.

Tickets are available now. Make it even merrier by adding a Holiday Gift Bundle to your ticket order to DIY the perfect ASC movie night.

Or, maybe it’s time to get out of the house? Thanks to some amazing community partners, A Christmas Carol will appear in cinema quality at drive ins and movie theaters on select dates this month.

We know Christmas Present looks different from Christmas Past, but ASC’s joyous holiday traditions will be here now and in the future. Like Tiny Tim and the Cratchits, we remain resilient and hopeful, and are working even harder to bring joy to our neighbors this Holiday Season. We can’t wait to celebrate with you this December.

Warmest wishes,
Brandon, Chris, Elleon, Jessika, John, Madeline, Sam, and Zoe
The 2020 Holiday Season Acting Company