Come experience a holiday classic reimagined for the 21st century when the Tony Award-winning, never silent, always off-center San Francisco Mime Troupe presents a staged reading of a new, worker-oriented interpretation of Dickens’ story of poverty, redemption, and humanity. The evening is a fundraiser for the Mime Troupe’s Winter 2012 production of their Occupy- inspired adaptation of “A Christmas Carol!”

Set in a contemporary Occupy encampment, and written by SFMT resident playwright Michael Gene Sullivan, this adaptation tells the classic story from the worker’s perspective. It’s exuberant and sobering, full of folk songs, rousing labor anthems, and delivered with the Troupe’s particular brand of scathing political satire.

Dickens’ novella was written in the heart of the “Hungry ‘40s,” a time of labor unrest, unemployment and starvation across 19th century Europe. The gap between rich and poor was wide— and getting ever wider. The Cratchits as depicted by Dickens “are an example of where most people actually are today,” said Sullivan, who has spent the last 23 years with the Tony Award-winning theater group, which specializes in political satire and annoying the powerful. The San Francisco Mime Troupe creates and produces socially relevant theater of the highest professional quality and performs it before the broadest possible audience, from public parks to palaces of culture. In addition to their free shows, they offer emerging artist residencies and youth theater programs.

After the evening’s staged reading there will be a reception with live music by the San Francisco Mime Troupe Band!

Visit the San Francisco Mime Troupe's website

Photo by Fletcher Oakes