19th Century London Visits St. Mark's

MARLEY was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a  door-nail.

Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

So began the Lutheran Shared Ministry presentation of the classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol. The story played out at two December 2008 dinner theater events in St. Mark's parish hall.

Bernadette Jones adapted the text for the stage production of the story at St. Marks. The unique presentation included two stages with the actors moving through the audience for scenes on both stages. This allowed more than forty individuals to participate in the play.

Both shows were sold out, with over 160 tickets having been snapped up by members of local Lutheran Congregations and friends. While there was no charge for the tickets, all  donations received were given to United Campus Ministry at Pennsylvania College of Technology. The play, and the spaghetti and meatball dinner, were well received by those in attendance.

Both shows were sold out, with over 160 tickets having been snapped up by members of local Lutheran Congregations and friends. While there was no charge for the tickets, all  donations received were given to United Campus Ministry at Pennsylvania College of Technology. The play, and the spaghetti and meatball dinner, were well received by those in attendance.

Many others participated as carolers or behind the scenes, working the lights, playing instruments or moving scenery.  Some cooked and served the food.  Others painted scenery and set up and cleaned up after the production was concluded.  (Read the program for the full list.)

Everyone who was involved with this monumental effort should be proud of the achievement.  The hard work of all was obvious in the quality of the production and the reaction of the audience.