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Springs Ensemble Theatre (SET) presents the world premiere of DOORNAIL, a grown-up comedy that retells "A Christmas Carol" from Jacob Marley's point of view, Dec. 3-20 at Studio West at Pikes Peak State College's Downtown Campus. The new play is written and directed by SET co-founder and two-time Henry Award winner Steve Emily."Marley was dead: to begin with," Dickens tells us on the first page of "A Christmas Carol." DOORNAIL picks up from there and asks: What if Marley told the story, and what if he and the ghosts were all idiots?
Emily's story starts when Marley gets a chance to improve his lot in life (or is it death?) by saving his old partner Scrooge, and he jumps at it. Then he panics, promises Scrooge three ghosts, and discovers the afterlife is short-staffed for the holidays. Stephen Alan Carver stars as Marley in an office comedy that mixes equal parts Steve Martin, Mel Brooks and Bugs Bunny and will have audiences choking on their Fezziwigs. Expect salty language, drunken spirits and a little partial nudity. For a company known for heavy drama, DOORNAIL is a deliberate change of pace.
"SET has a long history of doing really difficult, challenging scripts that aren't always 'entertaining' in the traditional sense," Emily said. "So when we do get a chance to just cut loose and be silly for a couple of hours, we take advantage of it. This one is just about having fun and enjoying the season despite all the stress and ridiculousness of the holidays."
Emily wanted a way into the story that no one had tried. "Everyone has their version of 'A Christmas Carol,' whether it be Alastair Sim, George C. Scott, Mr. Magoo or Michael Caine and the Muppets," he said. "I knew going in I didn't want to just do another version of the same old story."
The answer was Marley. "For one of the most well-known characters in literature, we know shockingly little about Marley himself," Emily added. "So why is Marley trying to save Scrooge? It can't just be because he's become a good person. What if ghosting is an afterlife job, and he's not very good at it?"
His promise to audiences: "You will never see Tiny Tim the same way again."
More information: springsensembletheatre.org/doornail
Tickets: springsensembletheatre.org/tickets
As a nonprofit, SET is also taking part in Give! Pikes Peak, the region's year-end community giving campaign, through Dec. 31. Gifts start at $10 at springsensembletheatre.org/donate
At a Glance
What: DOORNAIL, a world-premiere comedy by Steve Emily
When: Dec. 3-20
7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays: Dec. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19
2 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 13 and 20 (talkback after Dec. 13)
Pay-what-you-will performance, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14
Where: Studio West at PPSC's Downtown Campus, 22 N. Sierra Madre St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
Run time: 2 hours, with a 15-minute intermission
Tickets: $25 general admission; $15 students, veterans and seniors. Opening weekend (Dec. 3-5): $20 general admission and $10 students, veterans and seniors.
springsensembletheatre.org/tickets
Content advisory: Contains profane adult language, adult situations, sexuality, drunken behavior, partial nudity, smoke effects and all the other things that make life worth living.
Recommended for ages 16 and older.
Cast
Jacob Marley: Stephen Alan Carver
Ms. Comstock: Lynne Hastings
Past: JoLynn Minns
Present: Kegan Pike
Johnson: Allie Petrovich
Kris: Rob Dunn
Hippy Bob: Jeremiah Walter
JC: Josh White
Kenny: Himself
Production Team
Writer, Director, Executive Producer and Set Designer: Steve Emily
Co-Producer: Sarah Sheppard Shaver
Stage Manager and Props Designer: Sarah Kohler-Woo
Assistant Stage Manager: Robb Williams Jr.
Stage Crew: Merideth Hensley, Gali Loevy, Kaylee Saxon
Scenic Charge Artist: Craig Crowder-Muldrew
Lighting Designer: Samuel Phanuef
Assistant Lighting Designer: Faith Chavez
Costume Designer: Viola Catherine Shaver
Sound Designer: Kitty Robbins
Build Coordinator: Daniel Stephen Robbins
Makeup Designer: Jamie DeGeorge Garvoux
About Springs Ensemble Theatre
Springs Ensemble Theatre produces intimate, live theatre in collaboration with artists throughout the Colorado Springs area. By telling diverse stories on our stage, we explore problems and choices central to the human condition. We believe that theatre should engage its audience and build community by exercising the conscience, entertaining the mind, and inspiring the imagination.
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Event venue
Studio West at Pikes Peak State College Downtown 22 N Sierra Madre St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3311, United States
Tickets
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