A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play
Adapted by Sean Murray
Music by Billy Thompson
Low-priced Previews Nov 29 - Dec 6, 2013
Cygnet Theatre’s live “radio” presentation of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol returns. It’s 1944 on Christmas Eve and you are part of the live studio audience as the WCYG Playhouse of the Air players bring the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his three ghostly visitors to life. Complete with holiday music, vintage commercials and live sound effects, A Christmas Carol is sure to be a treat for the whole family.
Cast
Maggie CarneyMaggie Carney
Frannie Baxtor - Solicitor 1, Mrs. Dilbur, Past, Mrs. CratchitMaggie is delighted to reprise her role of Frannie Baxtor in Cygnet’s A Christmas Carol. Local credits include: The Importance of Being Earnest and Travesties in rotating rep at Cygnet, Divine Sister (Diversionary), Pygmalion (Old Globe), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter and the Starcatchers (La Jolla Playhouse), Yellow Face (Mo’olelo). Elsewhere: Bill Irwin’s Largely/NY, The Tempest (Seattle Rep), A Phoenix Too Frequent, Spite for Spite (Writers’ Theatre), Ghetto (Famous Door), Bad Dates (BoarsHead), Bedroom Farce, Into the Woods (Touchstone Theatre), Smash (Bailiwick). She has also appeared with Northlight Theatre, Roadworks Productions, Noble Fool Theatricals, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Poetry Foundation, The Second City, Peninsula Players, Creede Repertory Theatre and the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival.
Jonathan Dunn-RankinJonathan Dunn-Rankin
Freddie Filmore - Announcer, Narrator, Guest, Business Man 2Cygnet Resident Artist. Credits: Cygnet: It’s a Wonderful Life; 6th@Penn: Glengarry Glen Ross; North Coast Rep: An American Daughter, The Rainmaker; Diversionary Theatre: Handsome Men, Breaking the Code, Never the Sinner, M. Butterfly, Thief River; Lamb’s Players: A Divine Comedy, 1776; Vantage Theatre: The School of the World; Swedenborg Hall: The End of Death, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine; The Old Globe Theatre: ten plays, three Atlas Awards for Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Balcony and The Man in the Glass Booth; San Diego Rep: Private Lives. Jonathan is a former Channel 8 newscaster and a member of Actors Alliance of San Diego. He’s been a mainstay of The Scripteasers since 1966.
Melissa FernandesMelissa Fernandes
Virginia Carlton - Past, Fan, Belle, Martha Cratchit, Tiny TimCygnet Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Company, Assassins, Little Shop of Horrors (nominee, SD Critics Circle), Cabaret (nominee, SD Critics Circle), A Little Night Music, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Book of Liz, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol. San Diego Theatre: New Village Arts (Ensemble Member): Same Time, Next Year, The Seven Year Itch, Into the Woods (nominee, SD Critics Circle); Diversionary Theatre (Associate Artist): Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, Break-Up Notebook, Bunbury, Fifth of July, Never the Sinner; North Coast Rep: Dancing at Lughnasa, Last Night of Ballyhoo, Holiday Memories; Moxie Theatre: Drink Me, Dog Act; Sledgehammer: Sweet Charity; Regional: Sierra Rep: Little Shop of Horrors; La Jolla Playhouse: Harmony; Education: MFA- Musical Theatre from SDSU.
Maggie Carney
Maggie is delighted to reprise her role of Frannie Baxtor in Cygnet’s A Christmas Carol. Local credits include: The Importance of Being Earnest and Travesties in rotating rep at Cygnet, Divine Sister (Diversionary), Pygmalion (Old Globe), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter and the Starcatchers (La Jolla Playhouse), Yellow Face (Mo’olelo). Elsewhere: Bill Irwin’s Largely/NY, The Tempest (Seattle Rep), A Phoenix Too Frequent, Spite for Spite (Writers’ Theatre), Ghetto (Famous Door), Bad Dates (BoarsHead), Bedroom Farce, Into the Woods (Touchstone Theatre), Smash (Bailiwick). She has also appeared with Northlight Theatre, Roadworks Productions, Noble Fool Theatricals, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Poetry Foundation, The Second City, Peninsula Players, Creede Repertory Theatre and the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival.
Jonathan Dunn-Rankin
Cygnet Resident Artist. Credits: Cygnet: It’s a Wonderful Life; 6th@Penn: Glengarry Glen Ross; North Coast Rep: An American Daughter, The Rainmaker; Diversionary Theatre: Handsome Men, Breaking the Code, Never the Sinner, M. Butterfly, Thief River; Lamb’s Players: A Divine Comedy, 1776; Vantage Theatre: The School of the World; Swedenborg Hall: The End of Death, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine; The Old Globe Theatre: ten plays, three Atlas Awards for Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Balcony and The Man in the Glass Booth; San Diego Rep: Private Lives. Jonathan is a former Channel 8 newscaster and a member of Actors Alliance of San Diego. He’s been a mainstay of The Scripteasers since 1966.
Melissa Fernandes
Cygnet Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Company, Assassins, Little Shop of Horrors (nominee, SD Critics Circle), Cabaret (nominee, SD Critics Circle), A Little Night Music, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Book of Liz, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol. San Diego Theatre: New Village Arts (Ensemble Member): Same Time, Next Year, The Seven Year Itch, Into the Woods (nominee, SD Critics Circle); Diversionary Theatre (Associate Artist): Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, Break-Up Notebook, Bunbury, Fifth of July, Never the Sinner; North Coast Rep: Dancing at Lughnasa, Last Night of Ballyhoo, Holiday Memories; Moxie Theatre: Drink Me, Dog Act; Sledgehammer: Sweet Charity; Regional: Sierra Rep: Little Shop of Horrors; La Jolla Playhouse: Harmony; Education: MFA- Musical Theatre from SDSU.
Melinda GilbMelinda Gilb
Libby Arden - Solicitor 2, Boy, Past, Young Scrooge, Belinda Cratchit, Peter Cratchit, LaundressCygnet Resident Artist. Melinda has been a professional Actor for over 30 years. Previously at Cygnet: Assassins, Dirty Blonde, The Receptionist. Some of her other credits include: Broadway – Singin’ in the Rain (Original cast); Off Broadway – Back to Bacharach and David (Original cast), Suds (Original cast and co-author); 1st National tour – Joseph Papp’s The Pirates of Penzance. San Diego Theatre: Old Globe: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Original Mama Who), Suds (Marge); San Diego Repertory: Walter Cronkite is Dead, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Miss Witherspoon, Always Patsy Cline; Starlight Theatre: Hello Dolly (Dolly Levi), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovet, Craig Noel Award), Annie (Miss Hannigan); Diversionary: She-Rantulas from Outer Space; North Coast Rep: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Smell of the Kill; Welk Resort Theatre: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Mrs. Meers). Melinda and Steve Show with Steve Gunderson: New York, Los Angeles and San Diego. Television: BBC-1: Featured on The Full Wax and Ruby Takes a Trip; CBS: Becker (Guest Star). Favorite role: Mama to her 9 year old son Knight.
Brian MackeyBrian Mackey
Sam Hinds - Sound EffectsCygnet Resident Artist. Previously at Cygnet: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, The Glass Menagerie, The History Boys. Elsewhere: In The Heat of the Night, The Woolgatherer, Bash: Latter-Day Plays, Jack Goes Boating, All in the Timing, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Grapes of Wrath (ion theatre – Resident Artist); In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (San Diego Rep); The Pride, The Little Dog Laughed, As Much As You Can, Corpus Christi (Diversionary – Associate Artist); Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Musical, An Enemy of the People (Intrepid – Company Member); A Christmas Carol (’07, ’08, ’09), Little Women (North Coast Rep); Night Sky (Mo’olelo); The Heidi Chronicles, Julius Caesar (New Village Arts); Side Man (BANG!); If the Shoe Fits (Coronado Playhouse); The Best Mistake (Playwrights Project). Brian was awarded the 2011 SD Critics Circle Actor of the Year.
David McBeanDavid McBean
Victor Crane - Marley, Present, Older Scrooge, Business Man 3, Undertaker, FellowCygnet Resident Artist. David was last seen on the Cygnet stage in last years A Christmas Carol. Other Cygnet credits include: Fully Committed (SD Critic’s Circle Award), Dirty Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, It’s a Wonderful Life, and several others. Recent credits include: Oberon/Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Musical at Intrepid, Feste in Twlefth Night for the Old Globe, and Max in The Sound of Music for SD Musical Theater.
Melinda Gilb
Cygnet Resident Artist. Melinda has been a professional Actor for over 30 years. Previously at Cygnet: Assassins, Dirty Blonde, The Receptionist. Some of her other credits include: Broadway – Singin’ in the Rain (Original cast); Off Broadway – Back to Bacharach and David (Original cast), Suds (Original cast and co-author); 1st National tour – Joseph Papp’s The Pirates of Penzance. San Diego Theatre: Old Globe: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Original Mama Who), Suds (Marge); San Diego Repertory: Walter Cronkite is Dead, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Miss Witherspoon, Always Patsy Cline; Starlight Theatre: Hello Dolly (Dolly Levi), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovet, Craig Noel Award), Annie (Miss Hannigan); Diversionary: She-Rantulas from Outer Space; North Coast Rep: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Smell of the Kill; Welk Resort Theatre: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Mrs. Meers). Melinda and Steve Show with Steve Gunderson: New York, Los Angeles and San Diego. Television: BBC-1: Featured on The Full Wax and Ruby Takes a Trip; CBS: Becker (Guest Star). Favorite role: Mama to her 9 year old son Knight.
Brian Mackey
Cygnet Resident Artist. Previously at Cygnet: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, The Glass Menagerie, The History Boys. Elsewhere: In The Heat of the Night, The Woolgatherer, Bash: Latter-Day Plays, Jack Goes Boating, All in the Timing, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Grapes of Wrath (ion theatre – Resident Artist); In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (San Diego Rep); The Pride, The Little Dog Laughed, As Much As You Can, Corpus Christi (Diversionary – Associate Artist); Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Musical, An Enemy of the People (Intrepid – Company Member); A Christmas Carol (’07, ’08, ’09), Little Women (North Coast Rep); Night Sky (Mo’olelo); The Heidi Chronicles, Julius Caesar (New Village Arts); Side Man (BANG!); If the Shoe Fits (Coronado Playhouse); The Best Mistake (Playwrights Project). Brian was awarded the 2011 SD Critics Circle Actor of the Year.
David McBean
Cygnet Resident Artist. David was last seen on the Cygnet stage in last years A Christmas Carol. Other Cygnet credits include: Fully Committed (SD Critic’s Circle Award), Dirty Blonde, Little Shop of Horrors, It’s a Wonderful Life, and several others. Recent credits include: Oberon/Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Musical at Intrepid, Feste in Twlefth Night for the Old Globe, and Max in The Sound of Music for SD Musical Theater.
Patrick McBridePatrick McBride
Eddie Barnett - Cratchit, Fezziwig, Business Man 1, Old JoePatrick has directed, acted and taught for over 25 years. He has a B.F.A in Directing from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He’s played roles as diverse as Laurence in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Touchstone in As You Like It, Bullshot in Bullshot Crummond, Fagin in Oliver, Benidick in Much Ado About Nothing, Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner, and James Joyce in Travesties. He has numerous professional credits at The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, PCPA Theaterfest, and North Coast Rep. Other regional and local credits include Assistant Director on Broadway for The School for Scandal (with Tony Randall,) The Shakespeare Theatre in DC, Great Lakes Theatre Festival in Cleveland, San Diego Jr. Theatre, Moonlight, Diversionary, Playwrights Project, as well as Shakespeare Festivals in Lake Tahoe, San Luis Obispo and Atlanta.
Tom StephensonTom Stephenson
Lionel Broderick - Ebenezer ScroogeCygnet Resident Artist. Tom is a graduate of the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan and The Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. He was recently seen as Chief Gillespie in In The Heat of the Night at Ion Theatre. Other recent credits include Claudius in Hamlet at Intrepid Shakespeare Company, where he also played the part of Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At Cygnet Tom has appeared as Hector in The History Boys, Ben Hubbard in The Little Foxes, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady, Simon Stimson in Our Town, and Mr. Rosser in Parade.
Patrick McBride
Patrick has directed, acted and taught for over 25 years. He has a B.F.A in Directing from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He’s played roles as diverse as Laurence in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Touchstone in As You Like It, Bullshot in Bullshot Crummond, Fagin in Oliver, Benidick in Much Ado About Nothing, Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner, and James Joyce in Travesties. He has numerous professional credits at The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, PCPA Theaterfest, and North Coast Rep. Other regional and local credits include Assistant Director on Broadway for The School for Scandal (with Tony Randall,) The Shakespeare Theatre in DC, Great Lakes Theatre Festival in Cleveland, San Diego Jr. Theatre, Moonlight, Diversionary, Playwrights Project, as well as Shakespeare Festivals in Lake Tahoe, San Luis Obispo and Atlanta.
Tom Stephenson
Cygnet Resident Artist. Tom is a graduate of the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan and The Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. He was recently seen as Chief Gillespie in In The Heat of the Night at Ion Theatre. Other recent credits include Claudius in Hamlet at Intrepid Shakespeare Company, where he also played the part of Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At Cygnet Tom has appeared as Hector in The History Boys, Ben Hubbard in The Little Foxes, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady, Simon Stimson in Our Town, and Mr. Rosser in Parade.
Creative Team
Chandra R.M. Anthenill
Stage Manager
Peter Herman
Wig & Makeup Designer
Sean LaPerruque
Stanley Church - Music Director/Piano
Chandra R.M. Anthenill
Cygnet Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre (PSM): A Christmas Carol, Assassins, Company, (ASM): Dirty Blonde. San Diego Repertory Theatre (ASM): In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, Tommy, Walter Cronkite is Dead, A Hammer, a Bell, and a Song to Sing, Tortilla Curtain, Zoot Suit. Diversionary Theatre (PSM): Pippin. San Diego Asian American Repertory Theatre (PSM): B.F.E. Lyric Opera San Diego (ASM): Barber of Seville. San Diego State University (PSM): Desire Under the Elms, Good Person of Szechwan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Chandra holds a B.A. in Design and Technology for Theatre from SDSU.
Peter Herman
Cygnet Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Costumes and Wig/Makeup Design for Shakespeare’s R&J, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Wigs/Makeup Design for The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Assassins, A Christmas Carol, Gem of the Ocean, Mistakes Were Made, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, A Behanding in Spokane, The Glass Menagerie, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd, The Piano Lesson, It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Bed and Sofa, The History Boys, The Receptionist, A Little Night Music, Fences, The Turn of the Screw, Communicating Doors, Arcadia, The Matchmaker. Elsewhere: Peter has designed hair and wigs for over 300 productions, including the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, San Diego Opera, Disneyland, and various film and television projects. Film: Costume design for Ready? OK! Peter currently teaches wigs and makeup at SDSU.
Sean LaPerruque
Sean LaPerruque has been a freelance performer and music educator in San Diego for 13 years. He was recently Music Director for Noah Longton & Diversionary Theatre’s Cabaret production of Altar Boyz (2012 Scenie Award for Best Musical Direction from StageSceneLA). Other theatre work: Music Director, Piano/Conductor with Coronado Playhouse (Pageant). Concertmaster with San Diego Musical Theatre (Chicago, White Christmas, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). Violin/viola/keys with Cygnet Theatre (Parade, Company). Principal Viola with City Ballet of San Diego (Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet). Violin at Moonlight Amphitheatre (Dames at Sea, Peter Pan, The King and I). Other performances: Rigoletto (violin; California Italian Opera Festival), Sweeney Todd (violin/viola; Francis Parker Upper School), Spring Awakening (violin/keys; American Rose Theatre). SD Junior Theatre productions (violin, viola, keys) since 2008: The Sound of Music, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, Seussical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Oliver!, Les Misérables, The Wizard of Oz, Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Matt Lescault-Wood
Sound Designer
Sean Murray
Director/Book/Lyrics/Set Designer
Shirley Pierson
Costume Designer
Matt Lescault-Wood
Cygnet Resident Artist. Dying City, It’s A Wonderful Life, The History Boys, Mauritius, Noises Off, Sweeney Todd, Private Lives, Cabaret, Little Shop of Horrors, Glass Menagerie, A Behanding In Spokane, Dirty Blonde, Man of La Mancha, A Christmas Carol, Assassins, Company (Cygnet); Wit, I Love You Because (North Coast Repertory Theatre); Picasso at the Lapin Agile (USD); Request Programme, Cripple of Inishmaan (ion); Butcher of Baraboo, Dog Act, Expecting Isabel, Eurydice (San Diego Critics Circle Nominee), Eleemosynary, The Crucible, Toughest Girl Alive, Ten Cent Night, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Coming Attractions, Hickorydickory, References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Skinless (Moxie); tick, tick…BOOM (Stone Soup); Sideman (BANG), Richard II, Hamlet (Intrepid), The Break-Up/Break-Down, Ragnarok, Deconstruction of a Drag Queen (Circle Circle dot dot); Seascape (New Village Arts). Matt holds a degree in Theatre Design and Technology from SDSU.
Sean Murray
Mr. Murray co-founded Cygnet Theatre in 2002 along with partner Bill Schmidt. Cygnet Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, CompanyAssassins, WCYG presents A Christmas Carol, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Tragedy of the Commons, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd, It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Bed and Sofa ’09, The History Boys, A Christmas Carol, A Little Night Music (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director), The Receptionist, The Invention of Love, Bed and Sofa ’04 (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director, Best Musical Revival), Las Meninas, Escanaba in da Moonlight (SD Critic’s Circle, Set Design), The Book of Liz, Pageant, Bug, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, St. Nicholas, The Matchmaker, Desire Under the Elms, Santaland Diaries, Firebugs, Fully Committed, Arcadia, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Foxes, My Fair Lady. Elsewhere: North Coast Rep: The Elephant Man (Patté Award, Direction), Man of La Mancha, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties; Diversionary: Never the Sinner, Love! Valour! Compassion!. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA). In 2000, Sean was named one of San Diego Magazine’s "50 People to Watch" and in 2005 he was named Producer of the Year by the San Diego Critic’s Circle.
Shirley Pierson
Cygnet Resident Artist. For Cygnet: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Mistakes Were Made, Parade, The Glass Menagerie, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, Private Lives, It’s a Wonderful Life (’09-’11), The History Boys, A Christmas Carol. Selected San Diego Theatre: Marry Me A Little, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabbler, When Last We Flew, Pippin, Harmony Kansas, Next Fall, Diversionary Theatre; Seascape, Into the Woods, New Village Arts; Holiday Memories, Scripps Ranch Theatre; Richard III, Old Globe/University of San Diego. She received her MFA in Theatrical Design from San Diego State University. View her work at shirleypiersondesigns.com.
Billy Thompson
Cygnet Resident Artist. Billy has served as composer, musical director, accompanist, and performer for the stage since 1999. His first full length musical, Invasion!, earned him the 2007 LA Weekly Theatre Awards for Best Original Score and Best Musical Direction. He has provided source music and scoring for film, soloed as a promotional pianist for Miramax, and performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Desert Symphony Orchestras. He has held faculty and faculty assistant positions at USC, AMDA-LA, and The Strasberg Institute. He is currently a Composer-in-Residence with the San Diego Opera Words & Music outreach program. Billy holds a BM in Composition from USC and an MFA in Musical Theatre from SDSU. Past shows with Cygnet: Parade, It’s A Wonderful Life, Cabaret, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
R. Craig Wolf
R. Craig Wolf has taught and designed lighting nationwide for both theatre and dance. Credits include designs for New York’s Dance Theatre Workshop, Theatre Artaud in San Francisco, Japan America Center in Los Angeles, SRT in Santa Rosa, and the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. In addition, Craig is resident designer for Native Voices at the Autry and senior designer for Mountain Light Company in Denver, CO. Head of the Design Area and Professor of Stage Design at San Diego State University, Mr. Wolf is the co-author of Scene Design and Stage Lighting, now in its tenth edition. Craig is pleased to be designing for Cygnet Theatre again this season.
Taylor Wycoff
Taylor is thrilled to be continuing her work as dramaturg for the Cygnet Theatre. Previous dramaturgical credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Shakespeare’s R&J, Assassins, Gem of the Ocean (Cygnet); Kita y Fernanda, Yellow Face (Mo’olelo). Taylor specializes in the relationship between minority performance art and the social sphere, and has had the privilege of presenting her research at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Annual Conference and the Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium. She also teaches for Kids Act and is a graduate of Young Audiences Teaching Artist Institute. Taylor holds a BA in Theatre Arts and International Relations from the University of San Diego and is a member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.
Angelica Ynfante
Cygnet Resident Artist. Previously at Cygnet: The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, Gem of the Ocean, A Christmas Carol, Mistakes Were Made, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde. Texas State University graduate with a BFA in theatre. She made her way around the U.S. and Mexico for five years working in Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Cancun until she made it to sunny California where she is currently the props mistress with the San Diego Rep. She has also worked with Moxie Theatre.
February 2025