‘A Christmas Carol’ comes to Mechanicsburg

Mechanicsburg Area High School isn’t letting the pandemic stop plans for a fall play. Wildcat Theater members adapted to perform Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol,” as a radio play using Zoom. According to an article in the Carlisle Sentinel, virtual auditions were held in September and rehearsals began with cast members preparing work spaces in their homes for remote practice. The script from the 1940s radio play era was adapted for modern technology and students worked through how to deal with technical glitches or lag that may occur during the performances. Co-directors Jeff Luttermoser and Sandy Bohrer arranged for a foley artist to talk to the students about sound design for the production, since each student was responsible for producing their own sound production. In the article Luttermoser said one unforeseen benefit was that the setup gave students the opportunity to more involved in the design and production aspects than they usually do. The show was livestreamed during a weekend in December and available as a recording.