Sarasota High School theatre will be kicking off the holiday season with the classic Dickens ghost story, A Christmas Carol. In this adaptation by Broadway composer Alan Menken, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge gets a festive and spectacular treatment- originally presented by Radio City Entertainment at The Theater at Madison Square Gardens.

A Christmas Carol follows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a prosperous curmudgeon who believes that personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others. With an infuriated "Bah! Humbug!" Scrooge summates his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving, but he's forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts on Christmas Eve lead him through his Past, Present and Future. Thanks to their guidance, Scrooge recognizes his faults and greets Christmas morning with a cheerful "Happy Christmas" before spending the day reconnecting and sharing love with those that mean the most to him.

Sarasota High School Theatre students have been working on the production since September, breaking for the occasional hurricane. Students play vital roles in the leadership of the theatre program at Sarasota High School. “I love working with these kids. The spirit of collaboration is what drives our program, and I truly believe they make the process run smoother” says director Lacey Knispel. Students help direct, choreograph, design and build the set, build custom props, sew costumes, and even write and run publicity campaigns.

Student director Lili Bazell isn’t new to the job. She assisted in directing the fall play last year, learning the processes and challenges that come with the position. For A Christmas Carol, she is taking the reins, directing several scenes and numbers, reflecting that “Directing has had such a huge impact on me. It is so amazing to see fellow students come together not only for a scene or two but for the whole show. Thanks to directing A Christmas Carol, I have a better understanding of not only what theatre is about but also the positive impact it can have on so many different people.”

In this production, big showy musical numbers need a choreographer’s touch, and senior Dovelyn Watkins is the perfect person to help. She last assisted with dance and fight choreography for the school’s productions of The Lightning Thief and Mamma Mia, and she was trained by the previous student director of dance. It has become the culture of the program for student leaders to identify talent in their peers and to train future leaders. “There’s nothing like seeing a dance you dreamt up in your head come to life on stage. Dance directing really showed me how hard work pays off and what makes my day is seeing my peers’ smiles when they run the dance. Anna Smith, the student who came before me in this position, still inspires me to be confident and creative in the process” Watkins says.

The student leadership team has become its’ own organism, sustaining itself with generations of students passing on knowledge and perfecting the processes that maintain and run the program. Teacher and program director, Ms. Knispel, trusts the process and her students. In return, her students feel empowered in their ownership. “I think the best sign that student leadership works is when former students come back and join the staff. This year we are so lucky to have Lily Mancini join us as vocal coach. It is a full circle moment for me as a teacher to have one of our alumni here coaching and training our current students.”

Mancini graduated in 2020. Covid shut down her senior musical, and she never got to see her role as Donna in Mamma Mia come to life. Since high school, she has trained at the University of Florida and earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. Her passion for music is being passed on to a new generation as she teaches and trains future vocal artists throughout Sarasota. For A Christmas Carol, she takes it a step further, mentoring student music director Giovanni Toro-Padilla. “Working with Ms. Mancini has been eye-opening and refreshing. Ms. Mancini and the theatre and choir programs have taught me the many ways that music becomes an entirely alternate language that can be understood by anyone. The theatre’s support has urged me to push forward and pursue music production after high school.” Toro-Padilla says.

A Christmas Carol runs from December 5th through the 7th with nightly performances at 7pm and a 2pm matinee on December 7th. For tickets and information, visit shstheater.com.

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