Updates: "It's Christmas, Carol!" Cancelled, "Wake Up, Aurora!" Still a Go

No news is good news, they say. Well, this announcement is, admittedly, a mixed bag.

In light of an injury suffered by Kandace Cleland, writer/director/star, during a performance of "It's Christmas, Carol!" Stage Left has cancelled the remaining performances of the show.

Though we love entertaining our patrons, we also love our staff and performers and wish the best for them and their health. We all wish Kandy a speedy and uneventful recovering during this holiday season. She will be back on stage, and in the director's chair, soon.

If you purchased a ticket for the show, you will receive an email from Stage Left regarding your options.

"Wake Up, Aurora!"

Stage Left's original children's show "Wake Up, Aurora!" was rescheduled to December. Fortunately, the show is still on!

Princess Aurora returns to her kingdom after a thirteen year nap to find her mother and sisters banished as her cousin Julian rules with an iron fist and a ... hankie? Julian's allergies to the roses of Briar send him into sneezing fits of rage, and the Lords, Ladies and children run for cover. Everything looks different. How will Aurora find her way back to the castle to restore beauty and truth to her beloved kingdom?

Performances: Dec. 17 & 18 at 7 p.m.

Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.

You can buy tickets soon here.

Q&A With "It's Christmas, Carol" creator Kandy Cleland

What makes this show unique?

When it comes to writing Stage Left Holiday originals, I always ask myself, “How can we offer joy, laughter, and meaning to our community during this holiday season?“ With our “Jingle My Bell” series, we took the audience on a nostalgic trip of sweet holiday memories back to the 1950’s. Counter that with our “Christmas at Mamaw Jo’s Stop-n-Go” where we offered hope for our patrons who grieved loved ones lost or lived in military deployment circumstances.

With our production of “It’s Christmas, Carol!”, we offer our audience the chance to experience Charles Dickens' powerful story played out in today’s culture. In the words of our protagonist, Carol, “Let’s face it, there’s a little bit of Ebenezer Scrooge in all of us.” As our audience follows Carol in her struggle to embrace her Polish roots while saving her family business, we offer hope, joy and laughter. As Carol finds redemption through her mysterious encounters with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, so do we.

You’ve written and produced multiple plays. When you set out, what’s your goal?

My plays always start with a need and a question. In this case, what story did my community need to experience this holiday season? Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is produced in some form or another in nearly every community & regional theatre around the world. And how many movies can you think of where star actors clamored to play the coveted roles?

I love the story of Scrooge’s transformation. I wanted to tell it in an unexpected way- to breathe modern life into it with hopes that our audience would see themselves in the story and ask, “Do I need a wake-up call in the middle of night by the Ghosts of Christmas, Past, Present and Future?” My goal was to have people leaving the playhouse cherishing their Christmas pasts, embracing their Christmas present, and living a life of service to family and friends to anticipate a happy Christmas Future.

You're known to take inspiration for your characters from real-life. Who or what inspired the characters in “Carol?”

I’ve heard it said that every writer’s work is autobiographical- and I believe that to be true. There’s a little bit of me in Carol’s character to be sure. Her preoccupation with work leaves her too busy to notice the needs of family and friends. That’s an ugly confession. I think I wrote this piece to force me to look in the mirror- to try to find that balance between work and family. It’s always a struggle and as life plays out, there are no clear answers. We see Scrooge’s big, instantaneous 180 degree turn-about and wish the same for us. I have a feeling that he, like me, still has his old workaholic tendencies, but I hope we’re both more mindful and kind to loved ones and strangers.

While the remaining characters were created with nods to Dickens’ originals, they come to life mostly through the setting I chose. I hail from New England, and affectionately chose Hartford, Connecticut as the setting for Carol’s store, Dickens Booksellers. My research led me to the nearby Polish community of New Britain. Suddenly, “The Family '' came to life complete with festive costumes, holiday traditions, and bossy Babcias! With the infusion of cultural tension, the characters jumped off the page and the story began to write itself.

COVID shut things down for a long time. How does it feel to finally open the doors to the public?

When the doors to the Trinity Playhouse closed on March 13, 2020, we thought it would be a few weeks until we were back on stage rehearsing. As the weeks turned into months, we remained creatively active and posted our past holiday shows online. Our community supported us with donations and grant funding. We kept active as we could via ZOOM meetings and productions where we learned how complicated the green screen and sharing of home videos to edit could be. Eventually our youth rehearsed, filmed “Guys & Dolls” on the stage with no audience- just three cell phones recording their amazing performances. Once I shouted, “And cut!” the orchestra and crew would applaud- but it sure wasn’t the same.

On Friday, November 12, 2021, we re-opened the doors to the public with MTI’s “All Together Now”- a cabaret style broadway review. As I surveyed the crowd of masked faces and took the stage with twenty-five community actors, joy filled my soul and I said to my good friend, Jacob Ward, “Look! Real people. It’s so good to see you here!” One week later, our K-8 cast was to take the stage for their fairy tale production of “Wake Up, Aurora!” and a cast member tested positive for COVID. Doors shut again. We’ve rescheduled their show for AFTER “It’s Christmas, Carol!” So doors open to the public feels like an unpredictable rollercoaster ride. Good thing I’m not afraid of rollercoasters. We’ll continue to play it smart, safe and take that exhilarating ride with our community.

A Modern Twist on a Christmas Classic Comes to Lisbon

Live theater is happening again in Northeast Ohio and Stage Left in Lisbon, Ohio, is welcoming audiences back with a modern twist on a Christmas classic. Local playwright and Stage Left Players Managing Artistic Director Kandace Cleland loves Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," but felt like the Victorian-era story could benefit from a modern twist.

"With our production of “It’s Christmas, Carol!,” we offer our audience the chance to experience Charles Dickens' powerful story played out in today’s culture. In the words of our protagonist, Carol, “Let’s face it, there’s a little bit of Scrooge in all of us,” Cleland said.

Dickens' tale is a familiar, and comforting, Christmas tradition that has entertained readers and audiences since 1843. It follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he's visited by three Christmas spirits, shedding light on his past, present and future to change the man from a curmudgeonly miser into a humble and cheerful member of his community.

Cleland's take on the tale substitutes Ebenezer for the great-great-great niece of Charles Dickens, Carol, who cynically profits of her uncle's legacy with her best-selling book "Scrooge It!." But Carol reaps more than she bargained for as she's visited by the spirit of Dickens himself.

"I love the story of Scrooge’s transformation. I wanted to tell it in an unexpected way- to breathe modern life into it with hopes that our audience would see themselves in the story and ask, “Do I need a wake-up call in the middle of night by the Ghosts of Christmas, Past, Present and Future?" said Cleland.

"It's Christmas, Carol!' is a family-friendly show that offers something for everyone: music, comedy, drama and, of course, loads of Christmas cheer.

On Dec. 4, a special "dinner and a show" event featuring a catered menu from Babcia's Lunchbox, kicks off at the Lisbon VFW at 5:15 p.m. The special event will feature classic, homemade Polish foods in a 12 mini-course Wigilia holiday dinner. A cash bar is also available. Tickets for the dinner and a show event are $50. Dinner only is $40.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the door, or at stageleftplayers.org.

Stage Left Community Arts Center is a registered non-profit with support from the Ohio Arts Council.

Stage Left Community Arts Center is dedicated to keeping patrons, staff and our performers healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The venue is sanitized before each show. Masks are required and will be offered at the door.

Show dates and times

December 3, 10 & 11 at 7 p.m.

December 4 at 7:30 p.m. (after dinner)

December 5 & 12 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors

Stage Left Community Arts Center

234 E. Lincoln Way

Lisbon, Ohio 44432

The cast includes:

Kandace Cleland, Christine Martin, Paul Dahman, Autumn Johnston, Aaron Hinchliffe, Kari Lankford, Paxton Gabbert, David Humphrey, Ruth Newman, Kari Beil, John Diddle, Ron Altomare, Marshall Hall & Lydon Freeman, Kaleigh Ceci, Brady Duncan, Olivia Rice, Kevin Schreffler, Izzie Cornwell, Dylan Mauch, Abby Beil, Kevin Schreffler, Nick Freeman, Lydon Freeman, Marshall Hall, Izzie Cornwell, Dylan Mauch, Scarlett Courtney, Olivia Rice, Brady Duncan, Abby Beil, Kaleigh Ceci, Jacob Ward