UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State School of Theatre and Centre Stage present “A Christmas Carol," December 18-21 at the Penn State Playhouse Theatre on the University Park campus.  The production is directed by Rick Lombardo, producing artistic director of Centre Stage.

The adaptation by Lombardo and Anna Lackaff is full of music, Charles Dickens' beautiful language, fun, and ghosts. The production will be performed by the professional artists on the school's faculty, along with students and members of the community in a truly unique town-and-gown event for the holiday season.

Lombardo wrote, "For this new staging, I wanted to explore combining some of the storytelling techniques of old radio with more modern theatrical approaches and technology. As I developed this hybrid approach with our design team — inviting patrons to become a studio audience in 1941 for a live radio broadcast of the story — I became intrigued by the notion of what this story might mean to a nation poised on the edge of a world war.

"What would the notions of self-sacrifice, charity, forgiveness, love, regret and benevolence mean to a nation just two weeks removed from the attack on Pearl Harbor? And — more to the point, how does this question relate to the conflict-ridden nation and world we inhabit today?"

"A Christmas Carol" is sponsored by AccuWeather and Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. The performance will be aired on WPSU Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 25 at 2 p.m.

Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. are $28; matinee performance at 2 p.m. is $23; and tickets for students are $15. For additional show information, visit the Penn State Centre Stage website. Non-Penn State arts and architecture students can see it for free by visiting this link.