Penning the Carol

[ID: A picture of white hands at a desk with a feather quill writing on parchment. Text reads: Presented by Pepsi Browning Harvey ltd. Penning the Carol December Adapted & Performed by Aiden Flynn 18-19, 2024 lspuhall.ca]

AN RCA THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION
Presented by Browning Harvey

Adapted and Preformed by Aiden Flynn
Designed by Pat Dempsey

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Land Acknowledgement

RCA respectfully acknowledges that the land on which we currently create, perform, and gather is the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk, whose culture has now been erased forever. The island we colonially call Newfoundland is the unceded, traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi’kmaq. Labrador is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Innu of Nitassinan, the Inuit of Nunatsiavut, and the Inuit of NunatuKavut. We ask that before you watch the performance tonight, you take a moment to reflect on whose land you are standing on, whose land you were born on, and whose land you currently live on. We ask that you reflect on how that land was taken care of, and how it is taken care of now, and finally who currently walks freely on it. If this reflection makes you uncomfortable we ask that you sit in that feeling and question it. Let it help you work towards reconciliation, something we can only achieve together. Thank you.

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Synopsis

Adapted and performed by Aiden Flynn, Penning the Carol is in its 23rd year of production and is a solo retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The play supposes that Scrooge and the accompanying cast of characters are created in a session of intense writing and storytelling on Christmas Eve, 1843.

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Note from Aiden Flynn

This year, I have the pleasure of working once again with my good friend and theatre collaborator, Pat Dempsey. Pat and I have been through a few, and it’s been great sitting with him again in creative conversation. 

I’m writing this on Dec 5, and we are poking around with some new ideas for the show. So if they make it in, I hope you enjoy them. Penning this year for me focusses on the concept of friendship. Scrooge was Marley’s “sole (a bit of a play on words there) friend”. That has struck me a little harder this year. The haunting of Scrooge by Marley is an effort to save him and scare him straight. To call it an expression of love might be a stretch, but there might be caring in there I think. He has ventured back across the eternal abyss to deliver a message. And, brother, that ain’t nothing! That’s friendship, in some form.

Friendship is a tricky business sometimes. Time is required, but some friendships more than others. We often don’t realize that more time is needed with some friends until it’s too late, and then efforts are required, if measures can be taken at all. Friends make good times more jam packed with goodness, and terrible times bearable. Some of us need many friends, others need a small tight formation. Or one. One great friend. Or maybe not even great. A friend who is present. That might suffice.

Whether you have a Fezziwig’s Ball full of friends or a Scrooge and Marley situation, here’s to you and your friends for the coming year.

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Cast and Creative Team

[ID: Aiden, a white man with short grey hair and dark eyes. He is wearing a blue collared shirt under a dark jacket and sitting in front of a brick wall.]

Aiden Flynn
Actor/Adapter

Aiden has been working in the arts for a long time. Some might say too long. Often, this is brought to light when he runs into people that he has known but has not seen in a long time. This usually occurs in chance meetings during shopping excursions, perhaps a social event, and in the most uncomfortable setting, at wakes and funerals. “I haven’t seen you in ages”, they’ll say. “I know, it’s been a minute”, he replies. Then they say, “You still doing the acting thing?” This throws Aiden off-kilter a bit. Don’t they know? Of course he is. Not as much as he used to, he has commitments at the Arts and Culture Centre now, but he did appear recently in Grace, written by Megan Coles. Why wouldn’t they know that? Haven’t they been following his career with theatre companies like RCAT, Rabbittown Theatre, and Rising Tide closely for over three decades. Apparently not. And then he thinks he ought to give it up. Pack it in, as it were, and focus on other pursuits like…God knows what. And then they say, “I hope you’re still doing your Christmas show. I love that show. I’ve seen it a couple of times.” And then his heart melts a little, and he remembers how much he loves the arts, and performing. He thanks them, appreciates that people still come to the theatre, that his work has impacted them, and can’t wait for another opportunity to perform Penning The Carol at the LSPU Hall this year.

[ID: Pat, a white man with short brown hair and beard and brown eyes. He is wearing a dark hoody under a black coat and looking up at the camera.]

Pat Dempsey
Lighting/Sound Design

Pat is a Theatre Practitioner based out of St. John’s. He is delighted to be back designing for Penning the Carol having designed back in its beginning years at the Rabbittown Theatre. Selected Design Credits include: Lighting Design for The Curious Case of Madame D (RCAT/Wreckhouse Theatre); Drinking Again (NAX); Sound Design for Men of Misfortune (RCAT); Heathers, Be More Chill, Fun Home, Next to Normal, Urinetown: The Musical, and Avenue Q (Best Kind Productions); Video Design for Song Seekers, and Remnants (White Rooster); Everything Has a Hole, and I am a Genius; Does Anybody Here Know Me? (NAX); and Be More Chill (Best Kind Productions). Pat is also a Technical Director, Production Manager, Actor and Teacher. Select credits include that he was the Associate Technical Director at The LSPU Hall, taught Technical Theatre at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, led the technical aspects of the restoration, renovation and upgrades to the Majestic Theatre, and is the Production Manager of the Gander production of Come From Away. (Headshot by David Howell)

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Special Thanks

To all who have contributed to the show over 22 years.  Whether you have offered your artistic expertise, offered your love, hosted, cooked for, loaded in and out, driven, or promoted and presented, know that I am very thankful.  Most recent thanks to Brian and Courtney for the wonderful show they helped me put together, and thanks to Pat for his wonderful creative friendship again this year.

And special thanks to Evelyn, Cole, Frank, Hardy, and Noah.

– Aiden

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Opening night cookies generously donated by Gingerly Bakery!

 

[ID: A beige and black round logo that reads Gingerly Plant-based bakery.]

 

 

 

 

Chocolates generously donated by Aunt Sarah’s Chocolate!

 

[ID: A blue and white logo round logo that reads Aunt Sarah’s Chocolate Trinity Newfoundland.]

 

 

 

 

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[ID:A photo of a black Hall toque in front of the NL Republic flag. Black text reads Get your very own Hall Hat! Available at the box office for $20 + tax.]

[ID: A photo of the red theatre seats. A red square with white text reads Seat Campaign Back in the seats again! Ask us how to get your own seat in the historic LSPU Hall’s mainstage theatre.]

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