Join the virtual world premiere of ‘A Very Covid Christmas Carol’
With theater devastated by efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, now might not seem like the best time to start a company, but that has not stopped Pamela Morgan.
The Oak Lawn native is launching streaming theater company This Moment Productions with theworld premiere of “A Very Covid Christmas Carol” from Dec. 11-24 virtually.
“Like most creative people, I fell into quite a funk whenwe went into quarantine or social isolation. I wasn’t doing anything for a good six months. I was just in this freeze where I couldn’t even think what to do next because of everything that was going on in theworld,” Morgan said.
“I somehow clawed my way out right around the end of September. Knowing that the holiday season was coming, I got inspired to take what is one ofmy favorite holiday plays and make it for today, because it is a very relevant show.
“Having adapted it, I see even more than before the same themes we’re seeing day after day in social media, reading on Facebook, hearing from friends and family, seeing in politics and seeing all around theworld. It really resonated.”
Morgan adapted the 1843 Charles Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol,” which traditionally has been staged as a dramatic play, to write “A Very Covid Christmas Carol,” a comedy set in current times.
“It takes place on Dec. 24, 2020,” said Morgan, a Normal, Illinois, resident who formerly lived in Oak Forest and Country Club Hills.
“There are all the same characters but some of them— specifically the three spirits— are a bit different because the play is mirroring what we see now. Everybody’s in social isolation so Scrooge is running his business through Zoom.
“He does require his only employee, Bob Cratchit, to come to the office every day in case a customer comes to the door. Inmy version the spirits are called the three avatars. They visit Scrooge in some creative, socially distanced ways, which are a lot of fun.”
This Moment Productions presents “A Very Covid Christmas Carol” with Stray Dog Theatre Company.
“I love Stray Dog Theatre so much,” said Morgan, one of the founding members of the company when it moved to staging shows at Veterans Memorial Middle School in Blue Island.
“They have always been supportive towards me with original shows I’ve written.
You don’t find many theater groups willing to take a chance on new playwrights. They actually world premiered a show I wrote about five years ago called ‘A Fairy’s Tale.’”
Auditions and rehearsals for “A Very Covid Christmas Carol” were done via Zoom while performances are being recorded remotely to be streamed online.
“When you’re acting on stage you have your whole body towork with and unfortunately not a lot of close-ups. It’s almost completely reverse with this play,” said Morgan, who also is directing “A Very Covid Christmas Carol.”
“We’ve had to findways to
move without leaving that small square of space you’re sitting in front of. That’s been a challenge for the actors. They’re thinking big stage, big reaction, whole body. Nowthey get fromtheir chest up. They’ve adapted amazingly.”
“A Very Covid Christmas Carol” features residents of Alsip, Blue Island, Homewood, Merrionette Park, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Park Forest, Tinley Park, Oak Park, Normal and Des Moines, Iowa.
“I’m so proud ofmy actors,” said Morgan, whose day job is doing accounts payable for JAS Trucking in Alsip.
“It’s really hard when you’re doing a comedy to make it so genuine, authentic and emotional at the same time. They’ve done an excellent job.”
This Moment Productions is casting for its next show, “Clue: Stay-at-Home Edition,” which is based on the 1985 movie “Clue.”
The company’s 2020-21 season wraps during two spring weekends with One Act Festival, which features eight 10-minute one-act plays. Submissions, which are required to fit the Zoom or online streaming format, may be sent to this moment productions@gmail.com.
“We are also hoping down the road and in the next few months to start offering classes and seminars for actors to improve their skills not just on the stage but also on virtual platforms because I do think there are challenges and differences,” Morgan said.
“There’s a need for that creative outlet right now.”