Fisher Center LAB
A Christmas Carol
World Premiere
Created by SITI Company
Co-directed by Anne Bogart '74 and Darron L West
Commissioned by the Fisher Center at Bard
December 16–18, 2022
“The brilliance of SITI’s approach comes from the way the company enlists the audience’s imagination to help tell the tale.”—Columbus Dispatch
The Fisher Center presents a brand new Christmas Carol! This fresh version of Charles Dickens’ seasonal tale of hope and redemption comes from the SITI Company, one of this country’s most lauded theater ensembles, led by acclaimed director and Bard alum Anne Bogart ’74. Steeped in the intimacy and alchemy of Dickens’ magical words, this wondrous adaptation conjures the world of Scrooge and his adventure with the ghosts of the past, present, and future from a bare stage and the magic of our shared imagination. The performance of this seasonal ritual offers hope and redemption for us all and weaves a tale of gratitude, fairness, and justice for our own times.
Q&A with Scrooge
Favorite Scrooge, either on screen or stage?
Well, for me the classic movie Scrooge is Alastair Sim.
How are you like Scrooge? Different?
I think what resonates is that we all can relate to Scrooge in some way, which is maybe why it survives as a story. We all fear ignorance and want. We’ve all loved and lost. We’ve all shut down parts of ourselves to avoid pain and hurt. We all want forgiveness and redemption for whatever mistakes we’ve made—small and large.
How did you prepare for this role?
This project began as a staging of the Orson Welles radio version. Over the years SITI has done research and works based on Welles and his Mercury Theater. I studied that version and the performance of Lionel Barrymore who played Scrooge. I also know Barrymore in his role as Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life. My son and I are also a big fans of Jim Carry’s Grinch. Maybe you’ll see some influence from all of those performances.
What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage/the curtain goes up?
I have a little ritual I do right before going on. I remember my grandfather who inspired me to do this job; and I repeat a quote from Hamlet. I think other actors know the same quote.
Do you have any Holiday Season traditions?
We watch Lion In Winter on Christmas and Lawrence of Arabia on New Year’s Day.
What sort of person is going to love this show?
People with or without hearts and people with senses of humor.
What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?
What one always hopes in any work is that the audience will leave thinking about their own role and responsibility and connection to a larger community. The question is always, “How can we function as a community?” Dickens wrote this out of his own alarm and concern with the economic disparities in his own town in his own time. We feel these disparities and concerns in our own culture. One imagines that Dickens knew that this time of year was such that hearts and minds among peoples of the community a were more open and available to his message.
Support
SITI Company’s development of A Christmas Carol is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Fisher Center LAB’s 2022-2023 season receives funding from members of the Live Arts Bard Creative Council, The Lucille Lortel Foundation, and the Fisher Center’s Artistic Innovation Fund, with lead support from Rebecca Gold and S. Asher Gelman ’06 through the March Forth Foundation.
Plan Your Visit
Eat & Stay
Nearby villages and towns in the Hudson Valley boast a large selection of restaurants, as well as a variety of hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts
Eat & StayDirections
Bard College’s main campus is located in Annandale-on-Hudson (a hamlet of Red Hook), New York, on the east bank of the Hudson River, about 90 miles north of New York City and 220 miles southwest of Boston. The Taconic State Parkway and the New York State Thruway provide the most direct routes to our campus. Click the Google map below, or get directions by entering the following address into your GPS: 60 Manor Avenue, Red Hook, NY 12571.
From the East
If you are traveling from east of the Hudson River in New York State, take the Taconic State Parkway to the Red Hook / Route 199 exit, drive west on Route 199 through the village of Red Hook to Route 9G, turn right onto Route 9G, drive north 1.9 miles, turn left onto Annandale Road, then turn right onto Manor Ave.
From the West
If you are traveling from west of the Hudson River, take the New York State Thruway (I-87) to exit 19 (Kingston), take Route 209 (changes to Route 199 at the Hudson River) over the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge to Route 9G, turn left onto Route 9G, drive north 3.5 miles, turn left onto Annandale Road, then turn right onto Manor Ave.
About the Venue
Sosnoff Theater
Accessible Seating
Wheelchair-accessible seating is available in all seating areas for patrons in wheelchairs and their companions. There is an elevator to all levels of the Sosnoff Theater and a wheelchair lift is used to access front-row wheelchair seating.
Wheelchair-Accessible Restrooms
Restrooms at all locations are wheelchair accessible. Single-use restrooms are available at most locations.
All-Gender Restrooms
Bard College and the Fisher Center support guests of any gender identity/expression in using the restroom of their choice. Additionally, all-gender restrooms are available at all venues.
More Info
Our driving principle is to operate with a duty of care for all our community—artists, audiences, and staff alike.
In order to share performances with as many audience members as possible, we ask that you read our Health and Safety Protocols on the FAQs page and commit to participating in our community of care.
Read the FAQs and Safety Protocols