"I will honor Christmas in my heart..."
Celebrate the season with Long Island's own holiday tradition and
broadwayworld.com winner for Best Play. Follow the miser Ebenezer
Scrooge on a journey that teaches him the true meaning of
Christmas - past, present and future. As described by Newsday - "There
could scarcely be a finer tribute to [Dickens'] legend than
A CHRISTMAS CAROL at THEATRE THREE" - chosen
as its Number One Holiday Theatrical Event - join us for our 37th
annual production of the immortal classic in all of its thrills,
music, joy, and spirit. Please note: No children under 5 are permitted.
It
was with great joy THEATRE THREE reopened this past summer. The world
was not the
one we had left in 2019, and we knew there would be many
challenges. Our concern is always for the safety of our cast, staff, and
patrons. Everyone involved with our productions is fully
vaccinated.
A Christmas Carol is the heart of our season. The main issue would be
the casting of our young company and, in particular, Tiny Tim.
When we realized that we would not be able to cast children under
twelve, we had to solve this dilemma. We would like you to meet our Tiny
Tim. This puppet was designed and constructed by Austin Michael
Costello, a gifted creator of puppetry. After hours of consultation with
Austin, we
realized that our Tiny Tim must be small and easily transferred from one
actor to another. The goal was to create a theatrical Tim rather than a
realistic being. Our Tiny Tim is 36 inches tall and made of wood,
fabric, and a malleable plastic, Wonderflex. His clothing was handmade
to fit his slight frame. The assembly took weeks of delicate work,
during which Austin provided us pictures and video of the progress
. For
his voice, we have pre-recorded a young actor. We are very grateful to
Finn Thomas for lending us his talent for this final piece. Rehearsals
were spent learning
tthe best
ways to animate our Tiny Tim. Gently passing him hand-to-hand,
understanding that each movement and gesture had a meaning. Even more,
it became about making him real for us, a true part of the Cratchit
family. In short, he was no longer a puppet. He was Tiny Tim. With time,
patience, and effort, Tiny Tim has become an integral part of A
Christmas Carol of 2021. With all roads, there are questions,
frustrations, and rewards. Thank you for taking this journey with us.
