ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Geva Theatre is bringing a fresh twist to the classic Victorian fable, “A Christmas Carol,” reimagined for today’s audiences.

The creative team behind the world-premiere adaptation shared their insights on making the timeless tale captivating and relevant.

Elizabeth Williamson, a key figure in the adaptation, explained, “It’s all of us coming together to say how do we recreate this fable right now for Rochester?”

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This new adaptation, written by playwright Harrison David Rivers, retains the iconic ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, but with a modern twist.

“In this adaptation, Christmas past is his dead sister who he’s lost,” Williamson said. “The ghost of Christmas present is his nephew who wants to love him, wants him to come to Christmas dinner, wants him to be part of the family.”

The portrayal of Tim Cratchit has also evolved.

“There’s been a lot of conversation in the last couple years about representation of Tim Cratchit on stage,” Williamson said. “There’s been a shift in best practice to trying to cast actors with disabilities to play characters with disabilities.”

Actor Michael Preston returns as Ebenezer Scrooge, embracing the complexity of the character.

“I love playing the bad guy,” Preston shared. He described the journey of Scrooge. “It gets to a very intimate place. So you’re following Scrooge at the moment of all his losses. The things that made him turn off from life.”

Geva’s adaptation emphasizes themes of redemption, community, and hope.

“This is very dark, but there’s so much hope in it… and there’s so much hope that we can change and we can make an effect,” Preston said.

Audiences can expect stunning Victorian sets and costumes, with innovative lighting techniques enhancing the ghostly appearances. The show runs through Sunday, Dec. 29. You can get tickets here.

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