The Pharr Community Theater will present the popular Charles Dickens adaptation, A Tejano Christmas Carol 2019, on the Pharr Community Theater FB page. The two-act play will be screened live and free of charge starting December 20, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. until January 4, 2021. To watch the show, find The Pharr Community Theater FB page and give it a like and you can watch it with your family at home.

 

This version of the Christmas Carol was adapted by PCT Artistic Director Pedro Garcia who also plays Ezequiel Codos, the equivalent to Ebenezer Scrooge. Ramon Flores and the late Cecilio Garcia Camarillo from NM also contributed to the story.

Codos is an avarice attorney and water broker living in the RGV, where the story is set. His greed causes the Rio Grande River to practically dry up in the future with dire consequences to the population. Luckily, he’s visited by three ghosts who include La Rielera de la Revolución Mexicana, played by local actor, Armandina Sesin, who by day works as the San Juan Library Director. The other two ghosts appear as Laurence Welk and the Dark One played by Frankie Sharp Hooton and Joel Gutierrez respectively.

The 25 cast members and understudies, including children and adults, are all from the Valley and auditioned back in the fall of 2019, with eight weeks of rehearsals and two weeks of performances in Christmas of 2019. The play, now in its fourth consecutive year, could not be recast, rehearsed or refreshed this year due to Covid 19, but this video production is sure to bring you lots of smiles, spirit and perhaps a few tears.

If you are familiar with the original Dickens story, then you know that the miser scrooge character has a change of heart and begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This full production, predominately in English, will be complete with beginning and ending credits to all those who participated in putting it together. The video tape was produced by Christopher Cabello and the play was directed by Seres Jaime Magaña. The stage manager was Claudia Jimenez and Robert Longoria served as technical director. (see the remaining credits at the end of the play)

The Pharr Community Theater was established in 2008 by Drs. Elva and Keith Michael and Pedro Garcia and is a 501 (c) 3 theatre company, producing three to four plays per year including ongoing acting classes for youth and adults. Auditions for each play and acting classes are always open to the public.

“We are grateful to our City of Pharr administration for their continuous support throughout the years and we’re hoping to go live again, once the pandemic settles down, at our intimate theater and to tour the new outdoor stages surrounding Pharr City Hall including the nearby City of Pharr and Vanguard Academy Nature and Birding Center and the newly remodeled Pepe Salinas Building,” said PCT Artistic Director Pedro Garcia.

Don’t miss A Tejano Christmas Carol 2019 on the PCT FB page at 7:30 p.m. and running anytime afterwards through January 4, 2021.

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to PCT, feel free to message the PCT Face Book page or text or call (956) 655-9308.

Find out more about PCT on FB and soon on the new PCT website to be launched in January.

Photo 1: Joel Gutierrez as the ghost of Fernandez pays a visit to Ezequiel Codos played by Pedro Garcia.

Photo 2: Jacqueline Castro who plays Little Tina is comforted by Mrs. Gomez, her mother, played by Monica F. Navarro.