Submitted Photo Shown are Alexa Adler, front, Matt Neary, Jonathan Young, and Zach Liddick, middle, and Emily Minch and Nikos Konstans, back, who are all set to take the stage for Main Street Studio’s production of A Christmas Carol.

While the group at Main Street Studios has been putting on performances at their location in Fredonia for the last half of this year, their last show of 2021 is dreamed to be their biggest. On Saturday, Sunday, Dec. 22 and 23, Main Street Studios at 50 W. Main St. will be holding performances of “A Christmas Carol,” based on the story from Charles Dickens.

“Main Street Studios is the perfect place for A Christmas Carol,” said director and producer of the show, Ted Sharon. “From the bleak streets of London to Fezziwig’s Warehouse, the old Card Seed warehouse rings with Christmas Spirit and the lessons from Dickens’ timeless tale.”

Rehearsals for this production have been going on since the start of December, and have pulled in a wide array of participants from all over Chautauqua County. Sharon said that it includes middle school, high school, college students, community members, and alumni from places like Jamestown, Fredonia, Brocton, Silver Creek, and Dunkirk. And the abilities and flexibility of the cast is second to none.

“The cast is really creative and we’re really excited about the energy they bring and the talent they bring,” Sharon said. “Their singing, dancing, and ability to morph into different characters. Isaac is a boy from Jamestown and he plays four roles, and each one is different. Each one has a different voice, mannerisms, and that’s throughout the cast we’ve done that, with people playing multiple roles.”

Tom Sullivan Jr, who plays Bob Cratchit, came up from Florida to participate, and Fredonia alum Ben Sheedy is playing the role of Scrooge. Sheedy, who went to Pace University for acting, said the cast has become quite close in a short amount of time.

“It has been remarkable how, in such a short time, the cast has become a family,” said Sheedy.

And if everything goes according to plan, “A Christmas Carol” won’t be a onetime thing. Sharon has plans to hold it every year, to help serve as a draw for people visiting Fredonia. A Christmas Carol is a special production to Sharon, who now wants to share it with Chautauqua County.

“When I was a boy, we went to Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis for the annual Christmas Carol production and I want to replicate that for the Chautauqua County area where we have an annual event the community can be proud of,” Sharon said. ” Local businesses get support and people come from a long way off to come and see it. They stay at the hotels, eat at restaurants, shop at shops and get a show. It gives them another good reason to come to our area.”

This year, the casting for A Christmas Carol was done as an invited show, next year there are expected to be open calls.

The show is expected to last two hours including intermission, and coffee and hot chocolate will be available to those who attend. Shows will be held on Saturday at 2 and 6 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m., and Thursday, Dec 23 at 2 and 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door with cash, one hour before each show and are $10 for ages 11 and younger, and $20 for 12 and older. Masks will be required.

Main Street Studios is also partnering with The Courage of Carly Fund, and will donate proceeds there. For more information about the Courage of Carly Fund, visit https://courageofcarlyfund.org/.