December 2, 2015 at 4:49 p.m.
Bringing Scrooge back to the stage  
'A Christmas Carol' cast members embrace community theater
Bringing Scrooge back to the stage  
By Kayla Thomason-
Some are first-time performers while others have many years of experience walking the boards.
Ashley Bredeson is one of the veterans, having participated in drama since middle school. She said she's found the "A Christmas Carol" cast to be among her favorites.
"I think Jim (Nuttall, the director) really picked a great cast for this play," she said. "Everything is coming along great. The dynamics between certain actors is awesome. The actors have worked really hard in developing this show and I'm excited for everyone to be able to come see it in December."
Bredeson, an actor since eighth grade, has been involved in four Nicolet productions.
"'A Christmas Carol' is one of the largest and most well known plays I have been involved with, so there is a lot of energy and work that goes on in putting on this particular production," she said.
Bredeson is playing the role of Caroline and one of Fezziwig's daughters. The two characters' personalities are polar opposites, but the actress said she likes the challenge.
"The role of Caroline is a more serious role," she said. "(Caroline) and her husband owe Scrooge (played by stage veteran Jerry Shidell) money and throughout the play they are struggling with how they will pay back the money to Scrooge. My other role, one of Fezziwig's daughter, is very light-hearted and fun. The daughters are silly and love to laugh, and are very different from the role of Caroline. Having two roles that are very different allows me to have fun with both and also test my acting skills."
Bredeson said the most challenging thing about acting is fully embodying the character.
"It's easy to just get up there and recite some lines," she said. "The most difficult part is actually becoming your character and trying to think like they do or react like they would in a situation. No matter the size of the part, every character has a background and a personality that you as an actor have to develop and be able to show the audience."
New to the stage is John Uhlarik, who is also playing two roles - Marley and a businessman.
Uhlarik said he was nervous about trying out but went for it after receiving a little encouragement.
"I really enjoy the storyline of 'A Christmas Carol' and the director, Jim Nuttall, encouraged people who haven't been in plays before to try out," he said. "As it turned out I did get a few small parts. I just took a chance and trusted Jim to cast me where I could be used."
Once the lines were memorized, the hard part was incorporating them into the character, which has been fun and challenging, according to Uhlarik.
"I feel the play is coming along fine as I watch it all come together scene by scene," he said.
He admires the work and patience Nuttall puts in with all 27 or so performers of various ages.
To those who have always wanted to try acting, but have been too afraid to audition, Uhlarik says take a leap of faith and get your feet wet.
"I would encourage someone to try out for a play such as this one because it is not too demanding (with regard to) practice schedules and the scenes are rather short," he said.
Bredeson concurred, noting that even small roles can lead to a lifelong love of theater.
"My advice for someone who is interested in being in a play is to just go for it," she said. "There are some people who have been in Nicolet plays who had never acted before, and by taking a chance in auditioning they were able to get a role and discover how much they love the theatre. Never be embarrassed for wanting to try out something new."
"A Christmas Carol" will be performed Dec. 3 - 6 and Dec. 10-13 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Nicolet Theatre.
The Sunday matinees is set for 2 p.m.
Admission is $9 for the general public, $7 for students and seniors.
To purchase a ticket, call (715) 365-4646 or visit www.nicoletlive.com.
"'A Christmas Carol' is really a play designed for any type of audience," Bredeson said. "Young or old, I believe anyone would enjoy this play. Don't miss the opportunity to come see the show."
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@ rivernewsonline.com.
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