Sa Dec 5 at 3pm and 7pm
Su Dec 6 at 3pm and 6pm Urbana,
IL—Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to present four exclusive performances of a world premiere, online event, created for audiences of all ages by the Chicago-based, interdisciplinary performance collective Manual Cinema—best known to Krannert Center audiences from the captivating 2018 production of No Blue Memories—The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. Manual Cinema takes on Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, with a visually and musically inventive adaptation made to broadcast directly into the homes of patrons around the world. In this contemporary take on the classic, Aunt Trudy, an avowed holiday skeptic, has been recruited to channel her late husband Joe’s famous Christmas cheer. From the isolation of her Chicago apartment, she reconstructs his annual A Christmas Carol puppet show—over a Zoom call while the family celebrates Christmas Eve under lockdown. But as Trudy becomes more absorbed in her own version of the story, the puppets take on a life of their own, and the family’s call transforms into a stunning, cinematic adaptation of Dickens’ classic ghost story. Performed live and streamed live from their Chicago studio, Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol features hundreds of paper puppets, miniatures, silhouettes, and a live, original musical score.
Following the Sunday, December 6 matinee performance, audiences are invited to join for a short, behind-the-scenes experience that will highlight the innovative artistry of Manual Cinema’s puppets and props.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS AND TICKETSManual Cinema’s Christmas Carol Sa Dec 5 at 3pm and 7pm Su Dec 6 at 3pm* and 6pm $15/household; please visit KrannertCenter.com for student rates and to purchase tickets for this online event that will last less than an hour. Recommended for all ages.
Tickets for Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol with either closed captioning or audio descriptions are available for purchase at https://go.krannertcenter.com/manualcinema-2020-12-9. Both prerecorded options will be available for viewing on December 9.*Manual Cinema Puppet TimeSu Dec 6 at 4pm
Join us for a short, behind-the-scenes experience that will highlight the innovative artistry of Manual Cinema’s puppets and props. And be sure to get your ticket for one of the livestreamed performances of Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol, December 5-6.Recommended for all ages.
