Trinity Rep’s A Christmas Carol: A Christmas Tradition Worth Rediscovering

Trinity Rep celebrates 50 years of A Christmas Carol with a wonderful anniversary production that reminds us why some holiday traditions never lose their magic.

Trinity Rep first presented A Christmas Carol in 1977. At the time, I was a student at Moses Brown School in Providence, where we frequently attended matinee performances at Trinity. That year, I saw what would become the first in a remarkable 50-year Christmas tradition.

Nearly half a century later, on November 11, 2026, I returned to Trinity Rep as an invited reviewer for its 50th-anniversary production.

A Christmas Carol has become an annual ritual for millions of people. Sitting in the theater that evening, I found myself thinking about why certain traditions mean so much to us, and how some eventually become something more.

They become rituals of memory, experiences that connect us to our childhoods, our families, and Christmases past. We look forward to them year after year, not simply to repeat an experience, but to recapture the feelings it inspires and the connections it renews.

For generations, A Christmas Carol has become just such a ritual.

And there's something particularly reassuring about this year's Trinity production: It remains true to the spirit of Dickens' beloved story and to the Christmas tradition audiences have cherished for generations.

There are no distractions here. The performers recreate Dickens' world, invite us in, and take us along on exactly the journey we came to experience.

Director Taavon Gamble brings freshness, imagination, and theatrical energy to the stage without losing sight of what makes the story special, and without ever getting in the way of the ritual.

A Wonderful Anniversary Production

Gamble is particularly well suited to the occasion. Having performed in eight previous Trinity productions and choreographed three others, he brings an intimate understanding of the show to his first turn as director.

The production embraces Dickens' Victorian world, with beautiful period costumes, lively ensemble scenes, and music that contributes to the festive atmosphere.

The Fezziwig celebration is especially entertaining, giving Gamble's choreography and the talented cast an opportunity to shine.

At the center is Mauro Hantman, appearing as Ebenezer Scrooge for the fourth time. Hantman anchors the production with a performance that captures both the character's cantankerous nature and the humanity that gradually emerges as he confronts his past, present, and future.

The supporting cast is equally engaging, including Kevin Patrick Martin as Jacob Marley, Jackie Davis as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Mathieu Myrick as Bob Cratchit.

Together, they bring Dickens' familiar characters to life with energy and warmth.

The Children Bring the Christmas Spirit

One of the particular pleasures of this production is its young performers.

The children bring charm, enthusiasm, and an irresistible sweetness to the stage.

There's an especially fitting connection in this year's adult ensemble. David Ensor, who plays Nephew Fred and Young Scrooge, and Kate Fitzgerald, who plays Belle and Lucy, both appeared in Trinity's A Christmas Carol as children.

Now they've returned as adults, helping introduce another generation to the same beloved story.

Fifty Years of Christmas at Trinity Rep

Trinity's first A Christmas Carol opened in December 1977, directed by founding artistic director Adrian Hall, with Richard Kneeland playing Scrooge.

Looking at photographs from the original production alongside those from today, it's striking how much has changed while the essential story remains so familiar.

The actors, costumes, and staging evolve, but Dickens' message of redemption, generosity, and human connection endures.

The Magic Is Back

Perhaps what makes A Christmas Carol such an enduring Christmas ritual is that we return not to discover what happens, but to experience how it makes us feel.

We know Scrooge's story. We know how it ends. Yet the familiar journey invites us to reflect on our own lives, our memories, and the Christmases that have come and gone.

This anniversary production understands and respects that relationship between the story and its audience.

Having attended Trinity's first production and several more over the decades, I had begun to feel that somewhere along the way, a little of the magic had faded.

Or perhaps it was I who had lost a little of the magic.

But sitting in Trinity's theater on November 11, watching this wonderful anniversary production, I realized that here, at least, the magic is back.

Whether you've made A Christmas Carol an annual family tradition, haven't attended in years, or have never experienced it at all, I encourage you to come to Trinity Rep and experience that magic for yourself.

Some stories never grow old. And some traditions are worth rediscovering.

RI Recommends attended the November 11, 2026 press-night performance as invited media. Production and archival photographs courtesy of Trinity Repertory Company. Contemporary production photography by Mark Turek and Susanna Jackson; 1977 archival photography by Lawrence S. Millard and William L. Smith.