University Theatre will travel back in time.
Twenty-eight people stood dressed in costumes representing 1800s London. Twenty-two people stood on the edge of the stage holding lit candles as six more stood above them on a suspended bridge connecting a brick building and clock tower.
They started to sing, and the first dress rehearsal for the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance’s production of “A Christmas Carol” began.
This year marks the beginning of university tradition — every four years, the university will perform “A Christmas Carol,” director Michael Daehn said.
Daehn, also an associate professor of theatre education, handpicked the script in May and has worked on it since.
“I picked a script that was a little darker, that didn’t just build the main characters but gave the other roles more depth as well,” Daehn said. “This is only the third time this script has been performed, ever.”
Daehn spent time researching 1791-1844 London to make the “A Christmas Carol” as realistic as possible and put his fingerprints on aspects of it. Daehn picked out the 10 musical numbers and will continue to give notes until opening night.
“[During rehearsal], I’m going to have to sit on my hands because, being half-Italian, I can’t talk without my hands,” Daehn said. “I just have to take it all in.”
Scattered throughout the audience are the people who have dedicated their time. Among them sat costume designers, makeup artists, lighting specialists, sound technicians and Ball State 2008 alumnus Shaun Renfro.
Renfro was recruited from Chicago to help build the larger-than-life set for “A Christmas Carol.” His job was to take the director’s vision and convert it into something shop workers can put together, while adding his style to the set.
He said he also used research of London to help his design along with the selected music.
Even on performance nights, there will be changes made to the set to add detail for later performances and future years.
“I’m really excited to see [the show] opening night, then coming back again in four years and seeing it again on another opening night,” Renfro said.
The stars of the show have rehearsed for five weeks.
“A Christmas Carol” calls for more roles than actors who are allowed to work. Including the understudies, there are 40 actors — some actors play more than one character.
Michael Kleeberg, who plays Marley’s ghost, stood completely dressed in white, including white face paint, and watched the other actors do voice warmups.
“I’ve been in Ball State plays before when they needed an older man,” Kleeberg said. “I just keep getting to play older and older parts, and now I’m dead.”
Kleeberg, a former Ball State faculty member, said Ball State directors call him whenever they have an older character that needs to be played.
Though his role may be small, Kleeberg said he is not taking it lightly. It’s one of the most important roles of the show, because he introduces the three ghosts.
“I’ve been sitting back and watching everyone practice and perform,” he said. “It is such a pleasure and joy to watch so many talented people.”
Junior Zach Tabor, who plays Mr. Fezziwig, said being in costume helped him get into character.
“Learning the dialects and doing research to what people were like back then was hard, but the costume is really pulling it together,” Tabor said. “It even helps you stand straighter and more proper.”
The University Theatre Box Office will sell tickets for the show. Tickets cost $11 for students, $14 for faculty and staff, $12 for senior citizens and $16 for the general public.
