Goodman Theatre

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A Christmas Carol Back

Behind the Scenes with the Cast of
A Christmas Carol

Every week, your favorite A Christmas Carol cast members will take you behind the scenes to share their funny, romantic, poignant, personal stories about performing in Chicago's favorite holiday show. Guest writers include:

Ryan Cowhey (Tiny Tim/Pratt)
Major Curda (Servant Boy/Ignorance)
Tim Gittings (Poulterer/Topper)
Ron Rains (Bob Cratchit)

Come back throughout the run of A Christmas Carol as we add more entries and hear from additional members of the cast.

December 19—The tradition of theater

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Now in its 31st year, the Goodman's A Christmas Carol has its own traditions that have been carried on through the seasons. One is the Annual Dressing Room Decorating Competition. Decorating the room is only a part of the competition; to win, you've got to make it a full-blown production. This year's contest was last Sunday (which also happened to my birthday-there's nothing like a room full of theater folk singing "Happy Birthday to You").

The stakes were high and the competition fierce, and in the end, a victor emerged. For the very first time in the history of The Contest, our young performers-Lucy, Matt, Major, Laney, Caroline and Ryan-won! They were the best hands-down, although they didn't actually decorate their dressing rooms. They came up with an absolutely brilliant idea. They performed An Xmas Carol in a Nutshell on a Budget, a four-minute (including a 15-second intermission) comic version of the story we tell every night on stage. A couple of guest stars were on hand: Jonathan Weir reprised his role as our former Scrooge (God rest him, merry gentleman) and Henry Godinez played a stagehand. We all laughed so hard watching our kids that it was hard to hear what they were saying! Congrats to them. Their names belong on the plaque.

On that same day, we chose names for Secret Santa, another long-standing ACC tradition. We're deep in the middle of the intrigue now, so all I can say is the fudge was T-A-S-T-Y!

In a way, doing A Christmas Carol is like being at the Fezziwig party. You can't help but have fun. And fun is contagious. I know that this show has affected other people's lives, because I received a letter from a patron who had seen ACC with his wife on their tenth wedding anniversary. It was his first time in a theater, and he assured me it wouldn't be his last. Something happens in a theater under the right conditions that can't happen anywhere else. A group of people come together and agree to empathize and to be moved by other human beings. That's the tradition not just of ACC or the Goodman; it's the tradition of theater. I'm honored to help pass that on.

Happy Holidays!
Ron

December 12—How understudying is like white-water rafting

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We are doing a full understudy run of the show this afternoon (before we do an actual performance tonight). Every member of the cast except Larry Yando (Scrooge) and Ron Rains (Bob Cratchit) understudies another character. Most of us understudy several characters, which can lead to moments in understudy rehearsal when you're basically carrying on a conversation with yourself. Often during shows you can find one or more of us backstage staring at the monitor or watching from the wings trying to pick up the minutiae of prop handling and placement, or figuring out exactly when the door is going to open or when the freeze will come.

What makes understudying so difficult is that it's not just memorizing more lines or movements (what we call "blocking"), it's memorizing the lines and movements in a deep, second-nature way so you know them if you have to understudy on short notice. When this happens, your entire body is flooded with adrenaline. For me, understudying boils down to getting the role into my muscle memory by repeating it so many times that I no longer have to think about what I'm doing. I am in the theater for a large part of my day, so I get a lot of my practice in on the El. Yeah, I get a few looks here and there as I talk animatedly to no one, but not as many you might think. Chicagoans are generally used to people talking to themselves on public transportation. Of course, I do usually get a seat to myself, which is nice.

But no matter how much you prepare to go on as an understudy, it is always a terrifying experience—like white-water rafting: you're on a fast-moving current, navigating partially hidden obstacles and trying to stay afloat. Luckily, you've got the rest of the cast helping you out. When there's an understudy onstage everyone is on their toes and ready to catch you if you slip. It is one of the most supportive environments you will ever encounter.

Of course, it's your job to make a potential emergency situation a non-event. You want to go out there and keep the train running smoothly down the tracks. That is why we have understudy rehearsals.

And in my case, you spend your spare time talking to yourself on trains and trying to master a B-minor chord on the wee Cratchit guitar.

See you in the theater,
Tim

December 5—Winter clothing warnings for any servant boys out there

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How heavy can a winter coat be? Let me tell you that they can be really heavy. I am playing Scrooge's servant boy and one of the first things I have to do in the play is hang up his coat when he walks into his house. Doesn't sound too difficult, right? Wrong! That coat is heavy! No kid's coat is that heavy. Not even my mom or dad's coat is that heavy. But Scrooge's coat is really heavy—and I have to hang it pretty high above my head.

Sometimes during rehearsals the coat would start slipping off the hook, so I would have to catch it and hang it back up. Then it would start slipping again. One time, when I finally got the coat hung up, the hat fell off! I am sure I got more muscles doing that scene. I didn't always get the coat hung up on the first try during rehearsals, but so far during performances I haven't dropped it once. Watch really closely during the performance to see if I hang up the coat on my first try and keep my good record.

I have to really watch out because at the same time that he hands me his coat, Scrooge hands me his hat. He is not paying attention to me at all because I am just a servant boy so he just hands me his hat and coat without really looking at me. He just grumbles about something like he always does. Anyway, his hat can be sort of dangerous. Once Larry Yando [who plays Scrooge] accidentally hit me in the head with his hat, and another time he hit me in the stomach. It did not really hurt, but from then on I learned to watch carefully where that hat was coming from so I could get it in my hands before it hit me.

Who knew hanging up winter coats and hats could be such a hard job? But I have to tell you that having this job at the Goodman is awesome—even with the winter clothing warnings.

Happy Holidays!
Major

December 5—Finding warmth during this chilly time of year

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We're open! We've had great audiences and the cast is all in great spirits, despite some flu-like symptoms that are making their rounds.

For me, of the most rewarding parts of doing A Christmas Carol actually happens after the curtain goes down. After each performance, three or four cast members wait in the lobby as the audience files out of the theater. We help collect donations for Season of Concern, which provides compassionate care to those in the theater community who are experiencing the effects of catastrophic illness. It's wonderful to see how the folks who have seen the show come out of the theater beaming and filled with charitable feelings.

As I was collecting donations yesterday afternoon, a three or four-year-old girl named Ella started talking to me about her "My Little Pony" doll. She explained how she would make a bed for her pony and it would go to sleep, and when it was time to wake up, she would scoop it up in her arms and hug it close. She was just adorable as she acted it all out for me. Her parents took photos of her with me and I got to hug her just like she hugs her "Little Pony."

I was also lucky enough to meet a 10-year-old boy who is in rehearsals to play Bob Cratchit in his school's production of A Christmas Carol. There were many other children who were obviously excited to have seen our show and wished me a Merry Christmas.

It's such a great experience to feel such warmth during this chilly time of year.

Until next week,
Ron Rains

November 28—The story you need to hear

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It's opening weekend. We've been busting our butts with long rehearsals and preview performances to make this show live and breathe. Everyone is tired, some of us (myself included) are sick and we've got five shows to do this weekend. It's exciting to watch everything come together, and the audience responses so far have been wonderful, but it's a difficult time for me because I have to put my cat to sleep on Saturday morning.

His name is Fergus. He's jet-black and nine years old. He was my wife's cat when I first met her six years ago. They were both a little unsure about me and were similarly aloof, but I figured that my best bet to win over the girl was to win over the cat first. So Fergus became my gateway to my wife, Ellie. Every time I visited Ellie, I would pamper Fergus with lots of petting and scratching. I can't help but think that he started to put in a good word for me. He became my cat too when Ellie and I were married about four-and-a-half years ago. Since then, Fergus has made it known that I am not to slack off on my petting/scratching part of the deal because he did deliver the girl, after all.

One of the great things about A Christmas Carol is that it is full of hope and heart. It really is a story about an individual who is redeemed through the love and good will of those around him. Even though nobody other than my stage manager knows about Fergus, I feel as though I am surrounded by love and good will in this play. I am thankful to be in such a warm and supportive community. It is hard not to have more time with my wife during this period, but I am also grateful to have somewhere to direct my attention. It is a real gift to have an important story to tell and to be able to apply my spirit and compassion to. It would be easy to pull away from everything right now—but I can't do that on stage. I owe it to the story, to my fellow actors and technicians and to my audience to commit and be fully present.

Sometimes it just works out that the story you have to tell is also the story you need to hear.

Happy holidays,
Tim

November 22—Anything can happen during previews...

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My name is Ron Rains and I play Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, as well as a guest at the Fezziwig party who doesn't have a name in the script, but who I've affectionately dubbed "Corky."

Well, it's the end of a long tech week for us, which means that we're nearly finished rehearsing. The crew of designers has put us in costumes, lit us, made sure we can be heard, designed amazing special effects and, in some cases, taught us to fly.

The end of tech also means performing for an audience. We had our first preview performance last night. A lot of theater patrons love to come to first previews because they know they are the very first people to see the show and that anything can happen at any time. It's a bit like being fascinated by a train wreck, I think.

Our audience was not disappointed last night. Not that our first preview was a train wreck—over all, it went quite well—but there was a bit of an interruption in the show. During one scene, my character, Bob Cratchit, is enjoying a meal with his family and gets up to kiss the top of each of his children's heads. Well, when I kissed my daughter Belinda (played by Laney Kraus-Taddeo) my coat button got caught in her hair. And it simply would not come out. There was nothing to be done. I couldn't drag her around with me, and I couldn't very well take my coat off and have her wear it as a hood. So, I tried to get it loose... and tried... and tried. Then Karen Woditsch, who plays Mrs. Cratchit (I like to call her "Sniffins"), helped out a bit.

All the while, the audience was absolutely loving it all! That's just what a first preview audience is there for. The chuckling turned to laughter and then to applause. Eventually, Karen managed to disentangle most of the hair from my button, and then—just to get the show on the road—I pulled the rest out. Luckily, Laney has such long hair that I don't think I hurt her. But I felt bad about it nonetheless. I'm afraid she has a few split ends now.

That's all for now. We have two previews today, and I will be appearing in The Magnificent Mile Festival of Lights Mickey Mouse Parade this afternoon. So, I'd better go get ready.

Merry Christmas!
Ron Rains

November 19—My third year as Tiny Tim begins!

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Hi, my name is Ryan Cowhey and I play Tiny Tim this year in A Christmas Carol. I have been really lucky because this is the third year that I get to play this role. I am eight years old and attend third grade. Besides acting, I am just a normal boy who likes to play a lot of sports. Football and baseball are the most fun. I am excited to be at Goodman Theatre again. The play is going to be awesome this year. I hope you can come!

On the first day of rehearsal...

On the first day of rehearsal, I was happy to see all of my friends from last year. When I got to rehearsal, Mr. Bill [director Bill Brown] asked, "Ryan, do you want to be in the Fezziwig scene?" I was shocked to hear this great, great news! Mr. Bill is a great director and I can't wait to work on the Fezziwig scene.

The Goodman's entire staff came to the rehearsal room to meet the cast before the rehearsal started. After we introduced ourselves to the staff and said which roles we were playing, we read through the entire play. We had cake, bagels and fruit. It was so cool, but we went home at 3:00, which stunk because I didn't want to leave. I also had a costume fitting where I tried on a bunch of clothes to see what fit. I found out that the costume designers are making a new coat for me for the Fezziwig scene. How cool is that!

During the first week of rehearsal...

During the first week of rehearsal, we did the schoolyard scene. I found out that not only would I be playing Tiny Tim, but I would be playing another character, too. I was going to play Pratt. What another awesome surprise. It was so hard to not smile when the schoolmaster was yelling in my ear. It drove me crazy! My secret not to laugh is to look down at the ground, but don't tell Kevin (who plays the schoolmaster).

Alden gave me a dollar for two Twinkies. They were small but very yummy.

Rehearsing the Cratchit family dinner...

When we rehearse the Crachit family dinner, we get to practice eating. We eat applesauce and mashed potatoes. My favorite is mixing the two by putting the applesauce on the mashed potatoes. Ron, who plays my dad, makes sure I get the most. He rocks!

The fun Fezziwig dance...

The Fezziwig dance is hard, but really cool. I love being part of it. I get to dance with Caroline and Karen. During the dance we spin in circles and then Major, Caroline and I hide under the drink table. There is another part when Greg does a solo. This is one of the most fun scenes, and I am happy I get to be in it.

The first full run-through...

On Friday and Saturday, we did full runs of the play. It was so cool to see all the actors perform from start to finish. I get to see most of the play this way, since I don't have that chance during the run of the show. This year is even better than last year. I am happy that I am in a lot of scenes.

In my down time...

When I am not practicing, I spend time doing lots of things. I read and do my homework, play my Nintendo DS and watch funny movies on Ron's phone, which is awesome. I've even taken a couple of naps on Scrooge's bed! He doesn't even get mad.

Tech week begins...

We are moving to the stage this week, which is so much fun. The days are long, but I get to spend a lot of time with the other young performers. I can't believe our first preview is in less than a week. I am very excited!

My favorite scene in the show...

My favorite scene in the whole play is when two vendors with carts bump into each other in the street and get angry. The Ghost of Christmas Present throws her magic dust in the air, which is so cool. Then...well, you just need to come and see the play to find out!

See you soon,
Ryan

October 28—We're a big, jovial, laughing family of folks

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Up until a week or two ago my plans for the holidays involved trying to pick up some temp work and going to Kansas to spend Christmas with my in-laws. Then I got an offer from the Goodman for a role in A Christmas Carol. Needless to say, that is an offer you don't refuse.

So here I am, heading into the first day of rehearsal, which is always exciting but always a little intimidating too—especially when it's for something with the tradition and prominence of the Goodman's A Christmas Carol. So I'm a little nervous. I know I am one of only a few new folks in a big cast of veterans. What if I don't know the secret handshake or the preferred pronunciation of "Wassail?"

Any worries I have are quickly put to rest by the friendliest, warmest first rehearsal I've ever walked into. As soon as I pass through the door people are coming up to me to welcome me on board and tell me how happy they are to have me on the team.

First of all, I love being a part of a team. Second, I instantly realize why this show has such an enduring reputation: this is a big family of positive people who are all happy to be here and excited to have the opportunity to share this wonderful story with Chicago audiences.

Bill Brown is directing the production, and one thing about Bill Brown shows is that they are always filled with heart. In fact, if you had one of those cool x-ray-picture-frame-things that showed the Grinch's-heart-grow-three-sizes-that-day and you held it up to Bill Brown you would see that he has a mastodon heart in there.

So here we are, a big, jovial, laughing family of folks getting ready to dig into a classic story of hope and redemption. Now that is a good way to spend the holidays (no offense to the in-laws or Kansas).

See you soon,
Tim