STUDY GUIDE Dickens’ A Christmas Carol California’s Home for the Classics December 2 – 23, 2016 California’s Home for the Classics California’s Home for the Classics Study Guides from A Noise Within A rich resource for teachers of English, reading arts, and drama education. Dear Reader, We’re delighted you’re interested in our study guides, designed to provide a full range of information on our plays to teachers of all grade levels. 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Alicia Green DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION 2 A Noise Within 2015/16 Repertory Season A Christmas Carol Study Guide Table of Contents 4 A Christmas Carol: Characters 5 About the Play: Synopsis 6 Quotes from A Christmas Carol 7 Charles Dickens: Biography 9 Dickensian Timeline: Important events in Dickens’ Life and Around the World 10 Dickens’ Times: Victorian London 13 Poverty in America: Millions in Need 16 Currency & Wealth 18 What To Look For: Scenic Design by Jeanine A. Ringer 19 Costume Design: Angela Balogh Calin 20 A Christmas Carol: Overall Design Concept 21 Production Music: Ego Plum 23 Classroom Activities 25 Resource Guide 26 About Theatre Arts Marley’s Ghost Original Illustration from A Christmas Carol 27 About A Noise Within A NOISE WITHIN’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY: The Ahmanson Foundation, Alliance for the Advancement of Arts & Education, Lourdes Baird, The Sheri & Les Biller Family Foundation, The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, Kathleen & James Drummy, Sharon & Rick Ellingsen, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California, The Green Foundation, Heather & Paul Haaga, Drs. Jennifer & Robert Israel, The Michael & Irene Ross Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, Terry & Jeanie Kay, Alan M. & Sheila R. Lamson, John K. & Barbara Lawrence, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Terri Murray, National Endowment for the Arts: Shakespeare for a New Generation, The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation, Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division, Leonard Pronko, The Charles & Elizabeth Redmond Scholarship Fund, In Loving Memory of Charles R. Redmond — Father, Robert & Ann Ronus, The Rose Hills Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Lyn Spector, The Steinmetz Foundation, James & Trevessa Terrile, Wells Fargo Foundation, Roy H. Wishard & William O. Boden, WWW Foundation 3 A Noise Within 2015/16 Repertory Season CHARACTER MAP CHRISTMAS PAST CHRISTMAS PRESENT CHRISTMAS YET TO COME EBENEZER SCROOGE The protagonist; a bitter old creditor who does not believe in the spirit of Christmas, nor does he possess any sympathy for the poor. JACOB MARLEY GHOST OF CHRISTMAS GHOST OF CHRISTMAS “Dead to begin with.” PRESENT YET TO COME Ebenezer Scrooge’s former A lively spirit who spreads Scrooge fears this ghost’s business partner, who died seven Christmas cheer. premonitions. years prior. His ghost appears before Scrooge on Christmas Eve to warn of him of the Three Spirits, and urges him to choose a FRED OLD JOE, MRS. DILBER, new path in life. Scrooge’s optimistic, kind-hearted LAUNDRESS, AND nephew; he overlooks UNDERTAKER’S MAN Scrooge’s negativity. In the future, they meet to share GHOST OF CHRISTMAS in the profits of selling-off PAST Scrooge’s belongings. Invokes images from Scrooge’s BOB CRATCHIT past to serve as a reminder Scrooge’s overworked and that Christmas once meant underpaid clerk. Although he and something to him. OTHERS: his family struggle for money, they carry on and look towards the future. NARRATOR MR. & MRS. FEZZIWIG Kindly provides story information to you, our spectators. Mr. Fezziwig was Scrooge and MRS. CRATCHIT Marley’s former boss at the warehouse. A generous man, Bob’s wife. who held Christmas parties GENTLEPEOPLE, for his staff every year. TINY TIM Bob’s youngest son; crippled at CAROLERS, PARTY birth and equipped with a loving GUESTS, SERVANTS, ETC. BELLE spirit. Scrooge’s former fiancée; he chose greed over love. PETER, MARTHA, BELINDA, & THE LITTLE CRATCHITS FAN Other Cratchit children. Scrooge’s older sister and Fred’s mother. 4 A Noise Within 2015/16 Repertory Season ABOUT THE PLAY: SYNOPSIS By Charles Dickens Adapted for the stage by Geoff Elliott ON A FRIGID Christmas Eve, a Scrooge on a journey to the a sequence of mysterious scenes miserly old man named Ebenezer Christmases of his childhood. relating to an unnamed man’s recent Scrooge sits in his counting house, He sees himself as a lonely child, death. Scrooge sees businessmen keeping an eye on his clerk, Bob an apprentice to Fezziwig the discussing the dead man’s riches Cratchit. The stingy Scrooge refuses merchant, and as a young man who and some thieves pawning his to spend money on heating coals, loses his sweetheart Belle’s love to personal effects for cash. Scrooge, so poor Cratchit shivers in the dim his greed. Tortured, Scrooge begs anxious to learn the lesson of his room. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, the ghost to take him home. latest visitor, begs to know the drops by and wishes him a Merry name of the dead man. After Christmas, though Scrooge replies The Ghost of Christmas Present pleading with the ghost, Scrooge with a bitter “Bah! Humbug!” Later, takes Scrooge through London finds himself in a churchyard, the two gentlemen enter his office to unveil the Christmas holiday as spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge and ask him to donate money for it will unfold that year. Scrooge looks at the headstone and is a fund that will feed the hungry. watches the large and bustling shocked to read his own name. He Scrooge feels no pity for the plight Cratchit family prepare a miniature desperately implores the spirit to of those less fortunate and promptly feast in their meager home. He alter his fate, promising to renounce dismisses the gentlemen. At closing discovers Bob Cratchit’s crippled his insensitive, avaricious ways and time, Scrooge reluctantly gives son, Tiny Tim, a courageous boy to honor the Christmas spirit. He Cratchit the day off for Christmas. whose kindness and humility warms suddenly finds himself safely tucked Scrooge’s heart. The specter then in his bed. Scrooge returns home, where he whisks Scrooge to his nephew Fred’s lives in a house that belonged to his house to witness their Christmas Overwhelmed with joy at the deceased business partner, Jacob party. Scrooge finds the jovial chance to redeem himself, and Marley. Late at night, the sound of gathering delightful and pleads grateful that he has been returned dragging, metal chains announces with the spirit to stay until the very to Christmas Day, Scrooge rushes the arrival of The Ghost of Jacob end of the festivities. As the day out onto the street hoping to share Marley. Marley has a grave message progresses, the spirit ages, and we his newfound Christmas spirit. He for Scrooge. Because Marley lived see a noticeably older ghost. Prior sends a giant Christmas turkey to a greedy and selfish life, his ghost to his departure, the ghost reveals the Cratchit house and attends now wanders the Earth in heavy to Scrooge two starved children, Fred’s party, to the stifled surprise chains as punishment. He hopes he Ignorance and Want, living under of the other guests. As the years go can help Scrooge avoid the same his coat. He vanishes instantly as by, he holds true to his promise and fate. He tells Scrooge that three Scrooge notices a dark and hooded honors Christmas with all his heart: spirits will visit him, with the first figure approaching. he treats Tiny Tim as if he were arriving when the bell tolls one. his own child, provides gifts to the The Ghost of Christmas Yet To poor, and treats his fellow human As promised, the Ghost of Come, the spirit Scrooge fears beings with kindness, generosity, Christmas Past arrives, leading most of all, leads Scrooge through and warmth. ❖ 5 A Noise Within 2015/16 Repertory Season 6 A Noise Within 2015/16 Repertory Season CHARLES DICKENS: BIOGRAPHY CHARLES DICKENS, English writer of novels and short stories, was the second of eight children born to John and Elizabeth Dickens in Portsmouth, England on February 7, 1812. He is one of the most famous English novelists of the Victorian Era. As a young child, Dickens spent most of his time reading; he was also quite fond of theatricals, puppet plays, and had a natural singing voice. Due to Dickens’ father’s job, the family relocated several times until they settled in Camden Town, a poor neighborhood in London, where Bob Cratchit and his family dwell in A Christmas Carol. At the age of 12, Dickens’ father was sentenced to debtor’s prison, so young Charles left school and went to live with a family friend and work in a shoe-blacking factory. Dickens’ family, excluding his sister Fanny, all lived at the prison. Each Sunday, Charles visited the prison and witnessed the disgusting conditions in which London’s working poor were forced to live.