PHOTOGRAPH BY CHERIE B. TAY
Andrew May is currently performing in his seventh production of “A Christmas Carol.” Yes, you heard that right. But this time, May has stepped into the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge in Playhouse in the Park’s new reimagined production of A Christmas Carol, which runs until Dec. 30 in Playhouse in the Park’s new and improved Moe and Jack’s Place – Rouse Theatre. This will be the first production of A Christmas Carol inside the new space.
We spoke to May about his experience in the new revamped production.
Where are you from? How long have you been an actor?
Originally, I’m from Ohio. I was born in Medina, Ohio, up near the Cleveland area, because my father was with Air Canada and the airlines in the 60s. I moved around a lot, so my family is from England, and I lived most of my childhood in Canada. I then graduated from high school in Illinois. I’ve been a professional actor since 1983.
Is this your first time being cast in A Christmas Carol?
Not even close, but this is my first time playing Scrooge. I’ve done it in four different cities and six productions, so this is my seventh. Mostly I’ve played everything but Scrooge, and of course, all completely different adaptations. This is my first time being a part of a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol as it’s being created. Everything else I’ve done, I stepped into somebody else’s shoes.
What has the process been like to get the show off the ground?
[The director] has put together an incredible team of all the artists. The lighting design, set design, and the sound design is really quite remarkable. It’s new, and we’re working out the bugs. I’m proud to say that there haven’t been that many bugs because the planning was so well done.
How many shows do you do a week and how do you destress from everything?
Eight to nine times a week. I have two shows tomorrow, one show the next day and two shows the next day. That’s how it works out, and it is very exhausting. A great example of de-stressing was when my wife and I discovered the Union Terminal here in Cincinnati. We’re big architecture people, and we also like to investigate the cities that we work in. I had the best day yesterday discovering this incredible art deco train station, Union Terminal.
What do you hope audiences gain from seeing this production of A Christmas Carol?
You can’t beat live performance. It’s like listening to your favorite musical artists. You love the album they’ve put out, but seeing them live is a special treat. It’s a different phenomenon. And the same thing for theater. You can watch movies all day long, but when you have actors in front you live and do things that are really quite difficult but amazing, it’s a different experience altogether.
For more information about the show or to purchase tickets (which are selling out!) click here.
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