SIU to present ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 1920s Cairo
A time-honored Christmas classic will hit the Southern Illinois University Carbondale McLeod Theater stage in December in a setting completely different than 1860s Victorian England.
Relying on the adaption written by the late Darwin Payne, who was a longtime scenic design professor in the School of Theater and Dance, Kesiena Obue, a third-year Master of Fine Arts student in theater directing, will direct “A Christmas Carol” with the setting in 1920s Cairo, Illinois. Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5-7 and 2 p.m. Dec. 8.
A primary reason Obue chose Cairo as the setting was to bring the story “closer to home” for the audience, along with English novelist and author Charles Dickens’ descriptions of Cairo when visiting there in 1842 during a trip to the United States and traveling along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
“I wanted this to be very relatable to the audience; I struggled with that for a bit. I was thinking how I justify bringing it to the United States,” said Obue, who learned of Dickens’ travels to the tip of Southern Illinois during her research. She was assigned “A Christmas Carol” for her thesis.
Dickens’ story addresses issues focused on social, cultural and political undercurrents and is “very reflective with what is going on right now in politics,” Obue said.
“There are a lot of things happening in the world right now. ‘A Christmas Carol’ tells this beautiful story of Christmas, but it also addresses humanity. It’s a reminder that we have to be kind and look out for each other,” she said.
“It costs nothing to be kind. We have to live for the moment, not just for you. Scrooge wanted to be Scrooge without a community. You cannot succeed without a community. You have to give back, be kind and show love.”
Has worked hard on the production
Obue said she has long been a fan of Payne’s work and would visit Morris Library to comb through his collection.
Payne, a Carbondale native and SIU Carbondale alumnus, was noted for his theatrical designs and dramatic adaptations, and he wrote books on design and art. A former chair in SIU’s theater department, Payne designed or directed more than 400 productions during his career. He died in 2016 at 85. Payne’s collection in Morris Library’s Special Collections Research Center includes set design sketches and drawings, watercolor or gouache set or costume renderings, research files, writings, manuscripts for his books on scenographic imagination and computer scenographics, scripts, playbills and correspondence.
Obue is staying with Payne’s adaptation but is adding music and dance to the 90-minute production.
Obue admitted she’s a bit nervous about the project she’s been working on since December 2023.
“I’ve put a lot of work into this,” she said. “I believe the amount of work you put into a production determines how good it is going to turn out.”
The production will also be the thesis show for Aleka Fisher, a third-year MFA student in costume design. The scenic designer, MK Hughes, is an assistant professor in scenic design and an alumna of SIU's scenic design program, and the lighting designer, Jaemin Park, is an assistant professor in lighting and sound design. The technical director is Matthew Logan, an assistant professor of practice in technical direction, and the sound designer is Gary Griffith, a first year MFA student in technical direction.
Creativity is encouraged
The production is another example of students’ creativity, said H.D. Motyl, director of the School of Theater and Dance.
“We encourage our students to stretch themselves, to expand their creativity, and this is a great example of how to practice this — looking at a cherished classic and its inherent themes and then underscoring and magnifying them by using a different time and place,” Motyl said
Motyl added that the School of Theater and Dance is “excited to use this adaptation because it was written by one of our former faculty members. We are also honored to be able to partner with SIU Press, which happens to own the performance rights for this play.”
From microbiology to the arts
Obue had 10 years of professional experience in film and theater in her native Nigeria before coming to the United States three years ago to earn her MFA at SIU Carbondale. She plans to pursue her doctorate in filmmaking after she earns her master’s degree in December.
Obue earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Port Harcourt in Choba, Nigeria, and a post-graduate diploma in theater arts from the University of Ibadan, also in Nigeria.
“Microbiology was not me,” she said. “I found a calling in the arts.”
Ticket information
Tickets are available online and at the McLeod Theater Box Office. Individual tickets are $25 for adults, 21 and older, $20 for senior citizens 55 and older, $10 for students 13-21 years old, and $8 for children 12 and younger. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 618-453-5741 or in person at the night of the performance. The McLeod Theater Box Office will be open 10 days before a show opens from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and one hour before each performance.
Beer and wine (cash only) will be served in the lobby before performances and during intermission.