'The Dickens' at Altered Stages

Firebrand Theory Theater Company presents The Dickens, by Michael Scott-Price, at Altered Stages from the 1 - 17 Dec 2005.

The Dickens is set against the backdrop of a lawless Western town in the 1880�s, The Dickens is the comic holiday tale of the Devil�s secret arrangement with God. Unbeknownst to Mankind, every year on Christmas Eve the Devil offers God a Christmas present. In an abandoned saloon, Lucifer rounds up the most criminal and unredeemable souls in order to change their ways. This unsavoury motley crew - including a wayward priest, a greedy undertaker, a Black cowboy, a prostitute named Carnation � reacts with ridicule and disbelief upon learning the true purpose of the secret meeting

�In this era of rampant commercialism, The Dickens reveals the true meaning of the holiday spirit,� says director Jaime Carrillo. �The Old West was an era of disillusionment and despair, sentiments which resonate in today�s climate. Like all good holiday stories, this absurdist piece portrays humanity finding hope in the most unexpected of settings.�