See you on our next adventure!
A short audio play that follows a group of Minnesota ghost hunters with a strong following on social media as they get called in on an urgent spectral emergency across the pond on Christmas Eve. While the timing's not ideal, their client is more than willing to pay the holiday surcharge to have her home exorcised ahead of a fancy Christmas celebration the next day, so the crew packs their bags and heads to an old manor house outside London. There, they encounter Scrooge's own Ghost of Christmas Future, and must figure out a way to outsmart and expel one of the great Dickensian spirits without falling into any traps themselves
By Jacqueline Bircher
A short audio play that follows a group of Minnesota ghost hunters with a strong following on social media as they get called in on an urgent spectral emergency across the pond on Christmas Eve. While the timing's not ideal, their client is more than willing to pay the holiday surcharge to have her home exorcised ahead of a fancy Christmas celebration the next day, so the crew packs their bags and heads to an old manor house outside London. There, they encounter Scrooge's own Ghost of Christmas Future, and must figure out a way to outsmart and expel one of the great Dickensian spirits without falling into any traps themselves
By Jacqueline Bircher
Podcast Play | Presented as part of the Oncoming Production's Blight Christmas, a holiday horror Podcast play
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For more information about about Blight Christmas here!
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CAST
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Melissa Nicole Miller (Clara)
Melissa Miller moved to the Twin Cities in the summer of 2018 after completing her masters in Theatre Performance and Pedagogy at Texas Tech University. Locally she has worked as an actor with Theatre Unbound, Theatre 301, Grumble Theatre, and Minnesota Crisis Intervention Team. As a teaching artist she has worked with Stages Theatre Company, Ashland Productions, and River Valley Dance Academy. Melissa focuses on honesty and empathy in bother her stage and classroom work. She works to find ways theatre can bridge the communication gap between people and provide tools for understanding one another better. |
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Andoni Marinos (AJ)
Andoni is thrilled to finally make his debut with MGT! Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, he moved to Minnesota almost 6 years ago to obtain an MFA from MSU, Mankato and now resides in Minneapolis. Favorite past roles include Sebastian in Theatre Coup d’Etat’s The Tempest, Wickersham Brother #1 in Suessical the Musical at Highland Summer Theatre and O’Brien in 1984 at MSU, Mankato. When not on stage, you can find him hosting community events with the Twin Cities Road Crew as Doni the Aussie. He wishes everyone good health this holiday season and looks forward to a time when we can all gather for live theatre safely again soon. |
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Nick Ong (Sam)
Nick is a NY-based actor and writer. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to join Market Garden Theatre for this pandemic-friendly production. Favorite NY credits include Wendell & Pan (Skeleton Rep), The F**k Am I Doing? (NYMF), Midsummer (Tiltyard), What You Leave (Urban Stages), and Another Revolution (EST). GWU graduate, ramen enthusiast. Wear a mask. nickong.com |
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Stanzi D. Schalter (Lady Cordelia Fraser & The Ghost)
Stanzi is overjoyed to join Market Garden Theatre for this spooky holiday-time podcast of Jacqueline Bircher's Clara and The Shadow Catchers: The Spirit of Christmas. Previous collaborations with MGT include Jacqueline Bircher's, Another Revolution and readings of Alayna Jacqueline’s The Amethyst and Keith Hovis’ Ignominity. Stanzi has worked locally with Mission Theatre Company, Classical Actors Ensemble, The Stillwater Zephyr Theatre and Theatre Pro Rata, where she also served as Company Member. Thanks to Oncoming Productions for hosting the festival! |
CREATIVE TEAM
Lucas Skjaret (Director)
Lucas is a theatre director, costume designer, and teaching artist in the Twin Cities. As the Artistic Director of Market Garden Theatre, he has directed My Barking Dog, Gray Duck, Three Days of Rain, On The Exhale (featuring Jane Froiland) at the Minnesota Fringe, the world premiere of Keith Hovis’ Public Exposure, and a staged reading of Ghosts & Zombies. With his colleagues, he also co-produced and directed readings of three new plays for MGT’s newest program, Fresh Roots Series. He most recently has directed both Mulan Jr. and High School Musical with Young Artists Initiative. He has also worked with The History Theatre, Little Life Boats, Park Square Theatre, Artistry, Yellow Tree, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Freshwater Theatre, DalekoArts, Theatre in the Round, Minnesota Musical Theatre, The Public Theater of Minnesota, and Teater Neuf in Oslo, Norway. Lucas received his double B.A. in Theatre Arts and Scandinavian Studies from the University of North Dakota where he studied Norwegian culture and Ibsen in Oslo, Norway and did research at The Ibsen Centre. He is a proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of North America. www.lucasskjaret.com
Lucas is a theatre director, costume designer, and teaching artist in the Twin Cities. As the Artistic Director of Market Garden Theatre, he has directed My Barking Dog, Gray Duck, Three Days of Rain, On The Exhale (featuring Jane Froiland) at the Minnesota Fringe, the world premiere of Keith Hovis’ Public Exposure, and a staged reading of Ghosts & Zombies. With his colleagues, he also co-produced and directed readings of three new plays for MGT’s newest program, Fresh Roots Series. He most recently has directed both Mulan Jr. and High School Musical with Young Artists Initiative. He has also worked with The History Theatre, Little Life Boats, Park Square Theatre, Artistry, Yellow Tree, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Freshwater Theatre, DalekoArts, Theatre in the Round, Minnesota Musical Theatre, The Public Theater of Minnesota, and Teater Neuf in Oslo, Norway. Lucas received his double B.A. in Theatre Arts and Scandinavian Studies from the University of North Dakota where he studied Norwegian culture and Ibsen in Oslo, Norway and did research at The Ibsen Centre. He is a proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of North America. www.lucasskjaret.com
Jacqueline Bircher (Playwright)
Jacqueline Bircher is a playwright born and raised in New York City. Her work has been produced and/or developed with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Primary Stages, Market Garden Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, Duluth Playhouse, City Theatre, Campfire Theatre Festival, Nora's Playhouse, Clutch Productions, and Talk Back Theatre. Full-length plays include Another Revolution, The Once and Future Casey Colman, Webster's Bitch, and The Rule of Thirds. Her short plays have been produced in the Detention series at Primary Stages and the Sam French Off Off Broadway Festival, and she was the 2020 first-place winner of City Theatre's National Award for Short Playwriting. She studied literature and creative writing at Oxford University and Fordham College at Lincoln Center.
Jacqueline Bircher is a playwright born and raised in New York City. Her work has been produced and/or developed with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Primary Stages, Market Garden Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, Duluth Playhouse, City Theatre, Campfire Theatre Festival, Nora's Playhouse, Clutch Productions, and Talk Back Theatre. Full-length plays include Another Revolution, The Once and Future Casey Colman, Webster's Bitch, and The Rule of Thirds. Her short plays have been produced in the Detention series at Primary Stages and the Sam French Off Off Broadway Festival, and she was the 2020 first-place winner of City Theatre's National Award for Short Playwriting. She studied literature and creative writing at Oxford University and Fordham College at Lincoln Center.
