VPA opens ‘A Christmas Carol’ Friday

WASILLA — After three months of preparation, Valley Performing Arts is ready for its opening night of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” this Friday.

The classic Christmas story with everyone’s favorite grouch, Ebenezer Scrooge, his warm-hearted employee, Bob Cratchit, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, and other memorable characters will be seen with a special twist. This adaptation will feature Dickens himself as the play’s narrator. According to director Cory Rausa, Dickens will “paint the scenes with words.” This isn’t the only special change for this VPA show. This play will feature painstakingly detailed sets with moving parts. It also happens to be coordinated by two Rausas. Corey’s wife, Kala, is the stage manager. The cast is a mix of seasoned actors and new faces.

“Most of our actors have gone from knowing very little to doing an incredible job,” Cory said.

This is Cory’s 26th play at the VPA and his first crack at directing. He said that he and his wife have spent hundreds of hours at the café going over the materials, preparing for this play. The two seem to have a symbiotic relationship and claimed that they make a good team. Kala said that their intimate understanding of one other’s visions made this process irreplaceable.

“I can’t even imagine doing this with anyone other than my husband,” Kala laughed.

Married or not, putting a play together, especially one of this magnitude is a stressful process. Cory said that it’s a lot of pressure for everyone to put on a good show. There’s a lot on the line, but he said “when it works, it’s so worth it.” He said that he’s witnessed people say they will never come back and wind up in the next play because they got “sucked into the theater.”

“You’re a part of something bigger than you,” Cory said.

Kala said that the cast and crew form strong bonds and tend to turn into a family of sorts. After the cast and crew acclimate to each other, it’s common for them to get used to spending time together. Cory said that they have learned to work off each other and grow their craft. After many hours of practice and careful direction, the less experienced actors have come into their own. An important part of their acting journey is having their “Preview Night” where the audience gets a free show and actors can get used to performing in front of a crowd.

“Your brain knows a lot after having an audience in front of you,” Cory said.

This play has a large cast and many scenes. To create a diverse set with diverse imagery, Cory, his brother and the crew crafted handmade moving walls and a pop out office for Scrooge and Cratchit. The walls are on wheels and unfold on both sides of the stage to make the whole stage one large room or a cozy Cratchit living room with a highly detailed fireplace built into the wall.

“We had to get creative with the set design,” Kala said.

Cory said that they spent two weeks constructing and painting the sets, investing about 80 to 90 hours total. They made moving, adaptable sets with the hopes of being used for later plays. Corey said that directors tend to like to make their own sets. Regardless of the future application, both Cory and Kayla feel that the amount of work into the set as well as the time invested by the actors and crew will pay off. Cory said that the one of the reasons the story still connects with audiences after all these years is because of themes like the income gap between the poor and wealthy continues to increase.

Dickens’ story also embedded a sense of values and sentiment associated with the time of year, the “meaning of Christmas.” This timeless story is sure to draw many people across the Valley to see this unique rendition of the “Christmas Carol.” Kala said that preparing for this play has been “hectic, high energy, and a lot of fun.”

“It’s a Christmas classic,” Kala said.

The opening night is the Friday at 7 p.m. VPA will perform 12 shows for four weeks on the weekends, with a bonus show for Mat-Su Regional. Show times: Nov. 24 to Dec. 17, Fridays at 7 p.m. Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $19 for general admission and $17 for seniors and students. For more information or to preorder tickets, call VPA at 907-373-0195 or visit their website at www.valleyperformingarts.org