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Midwest Trust Center presents Manual Cinema’s stunning adaptation of Dickens’ holiday classic

November 20, 2020

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College will present Manual Cinema’s imaginative retelling of “Christmas Carol” in four livestreaming performances Dec. 16-18.

Streaming tickets are $20 per household or classroom (buy individual tickets). Each show will be performed live in Manual Cinema’s Chicago studio and livestreamed by Marquee TV. After purchase, a video streaming link will be sent prior to your event time.

Tickets may also be purchased through the Midwest Trust Center Box Office at 913-469-4445, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

All ages will enjoy this reinvention of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic as the Chicago-based shadow puppet theater brings together hundreds of puppets, miniatures, silhouettes and a live original score. According to JCCC Performing Arts General Manager Emily Behrmann, “Audiences will instantly connect to the present-day retelling of this story as the puppets take on a life of their own during a family’s Zoom call, transforming it into a stunning cinematic adaptation of Dickens’ classic story.”

Audiences can choose from four livestream times/dates (all are CST):

  • Wednesday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m.
  • Thursday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 18, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 18, 9 p.m.

In Manual Cinema’s version, Aunt Trudy has been recruited to channel the Christmas cheer of her late husband, Joe. From the isolation of her Chicago apartment, she reconstructs his annual “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 tell Dickens’ classic Christmas tale.

Each show will be performed live in Manual Cinema’s Chicago studio and livestreamed by Marquee TV.

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