The Pollard Theatre Prepares to Re-Introduce a Christmas Classic
Over the last 30 years, the city of Guthrie has celebrated Christmas in its distinctive, welcoming way. Victorian walks, parades, tree lighting ceremonies, and a beautifully decorated downtown vista are just a few of the stunning elements of Guthrie’s annual Territorial Christmas Celebration. The Pollard Theatre’s production of A Territorial Christmas Carol, a holiday favorite, which highlights the unique and vibrant history of Oklahoma’s first State Capitol, has long been among these treasured community traditions.
In 1987, leadership at the Pollard Theatre Company envisioned a partnership with the City of Guthrie to conceive an original play for the holiday season, and when the opportunity arose to collaborate with Oklahoma playwright, Stephen P. Scott, to reimagine Charles Dickens› A Christmas Carol, Scott’s creation became an instant tradition. Placing the well-known characters from Dickens’ classic in the territory of the unassigned lands of our home state and four years after the land run of 1889, Scott fashioned a home-spun story that audiences immediately loved.
“This show has been a staple in our community for three decades.” says Pollard’s Technical Director, Michael Long. “We knew when we decided to bring the show back, that we not only had to do it justice, but also show the audience something they’ve never seen before.”
Artistic Director, Jared Blount, recalls the last year the show was in production. “We took a break after our final show in 2017 for many reasons, but at the center of the decision was the passing of our dear friend, James Ong.” A Pollard favorite, Ong had played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for over 15 years. However, Ong’s loss was not the only cause of the production’s much needed recess. In its running history, the production had been seen by over 150,000 patrons, employed hundreds of actors and artists, and staged over 1,000 performances, Blount explains. “The bells and whistles weren›t just dusty, they were falling apart, and one set was there for nearly all of it.”
“We’d been discussing revitalizing the show for several years,” says Timothy Stewart, the Pollard’s new Director of Development. “We asked ourselves a number of questions: how can we improve it, what will serve the narrative, and how can we put the audience in Scrooge’s shoes? And we finally landed on a fresh concept we believe will work.”
Now in its 35th year of operation, the Pollard is bringing back the Oklahoma classic to run this Christmas, and the organization plans to “go big”- rebuilding the set with a new vision, revamping the costumes and props, and hiring new talent in addition to bringing back some audience favorites for the cast.
“We’re pulling out all the stops and bringing the show into the twenty-first century,” says Blount. “We welcome families to see this production and set a new tradition – a tradition that honors a territorial-styled Christmas and what the show has always meant to our community, while reaching a new level of inspiration for our audience. We’re eager to bring Christmas back to Guthrie!”
A Territorial Christmas Carol is 90 minutes and runs November 25th – December 23rd with 19 performances at the Pollard Theatre. Tickets range from $10 to $35 with group discounts available, and are on sale now at www.thepollard. org. A Territorial Christmas Carol is adapted by Stephen P. Scott from Charles Dickens› renowned novel and is sponsored in collaboration by Kathy Scott. The production is presented by Jeff and Carol Hirzel.