Every holiday season, A Christmas Carol returns to stages, screens, and readings year after year after year, and has continued to endure and stay relevant for over 180 years. I’m glad I can’t say the same for fruitcake. But it’s a story with so much to unpack.

At its core, it’s a story of redemption (and regret). I like to believe that most people want to trust in the good of others – that everyone has the potential to choose what’s right even after past hardship or trauma (Scrooge has abandonment issues, y’all). To have empathy. Whether it’s within the community you call home or among complete strangers, it’s kindness that ultimately connects us. One of my favorite sayings: “hurt people hurt people,” is also true of the reverse. Kindness is something we share, pass along, and receive in return – and we’re always grateful to be part of that exchange. 

It's also a story of inequality, and when profit is more important than people – your humanity dies alongside them. It’s the easiest cue in the world for three ghosts. And that culminates when a character’s foreseen death can be prevented with improvements in the system or the simple generosity of one person. Switch out Scrooge’s position as a money lender for health insurance CEO and the story is no different.

I hope what I’ve said, and this performance, inspires you to reflect on your own capacity for generosity and connection, and perhaps, to imagine a world where kindness is the foundation for something better.

Charles Dickens believed that every person could make positive changes to their life at any time. Even if it takes three ghosts to get the ball rolling.

- Martin VanBuren III, Director