“Sophisticated yet also unaffected and intimate.”
“Outstanding direction”
By Dylan Thomas
Adapted by Jeremy Brooks & Adrian Mitchell
Directed by Joseph Discher
Musical Direction by Robert Long
Scenic Design by Jonathan Wentz
Lighting Design by Rachel Miner Gibney
Costume Design by Tristan Raines
Sound Design by Steven Beckel
Production Stage Manager - Denise Cardarelli*
THE CAST
John Ahlin* | Postman, Gwyn
Tess Ammerman | Bessie
Cassandra Cushman | Brenda
Thomas Daniels | Jim, Fireman
Clemmie Evans* | Nellie
Julian Blake Gordon | Jack, Fireman
Benjamin Hajek | Town Hill Boy
Peter Simon Hilton* | Father of Dylan, Constable Lloyd-Jones
Greg Jackson* | Dylan Thomas
Alycia Kunkle | Glenda
Seamus Mulcahy* | Tom, Fireman, Murgatroyd
Andy Paterson* | Glyn
Tina Stafford* | Mother of Dylan
Patrick Toon* | Smoky, Tudyr
Carey Van Driest* | Elieri
Alison Weller* | Hannah
Ian Zane | Town Hill Boy
*member Actor's Equity
CALON LAN
(Traditional welsh Hymn)
I don't ask for a luxurious life,
the world's gold or its fine pearls,
I ask for a happy heart,
an honest heart, a pure heart.
Shining heart is full of goodness
Is fairer than the pretty lily,
None but a pure heart can sing,
Sing in the day and sing in the night.
A Child's Christmas in Wales has a very special place in my heart. I am deeply fond of the original story by Dylan Thomas. I love the beautiful language and the way in which Thomas conjures a memory of Christmas that is nearly universal. I cherish the memories of the past three productions at The Shakespeare Theatre. They were a jewel in a golden time for me here, and I can still hear the voices of many of the actors (so many wonderful company members) from those productions in my head when I read quietly through the lines of the script. And though I thoroughly enjoyed A child's Christmas in Wales each time it was produced at The Shakespeare Theatre, this time I am finding new relevance in the play now that my wife and I have an eleven-month-old girl.
In the beginning of the play, Dylan's father says, "My theory is that the singing of songs and the speaking of verse, which is what we do at Christmas, is the only fit way for humans to communicate with each other." It is a wonderful sentiment in a play full of tradition, and as I approach my first Christmas as a father, I am thinking about both the wonderful Christmases of my youth and our family Christmases to come. My heart aches in a good way with the bittersweet feeling of how far I am from the Christmases of my childhood while knowing how closely I will hold future Christmases with my own child. I look forward to sharing old traditions and creating new ones with my daughter, Anneke.
At its heart thought, A Child's Christmas in Wales is not just a story about Dylan Thomas' nostalgic memories of his boyhood Christmases, rather, it is about something with which we can all identify: the longing for a simpler time, and the importance of family-with its quirky relatives and squabbles and differences of opinion, and with its acceptance, togetherness and love, whether you are a family of two or twenty or whether you are a family related by blood or bound by the ties of friendship.
Our rehearsal process was both joyful and poignant, and I hope we bring you those same feelings with this production. For me, they came with the many parallels between the play and my own life right now; from the anticipation for the coming holiday, to the preparation of music to celebrate it, to the simplicity of watching my child sleep. Above all, my connection to this play comes from what I wish for my daughter--good memories, a loving family, and as the Welsh human "Calon Lan" says, a happy, shining heart. I wish that for all of you as well.