When Indianapolis playwright and actor Ben Asaykwee was 7 years old, he saw “A Muppet Christmas Carol” for the first time. They were fascinated by the film, particularly the spirits. Their mother gave them a Christmas-green copy of Charles Dickens’ classic book with fake gold-leaf pages and an inlaid image on the cover of Scrooge being confronted by Marley’s ghost.
Shortly after receiving the book, Asaykwee was cast as Oliver in “Oliver!,” a stage play based on the Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist.” It cemented the author as an important figure in Asaykwee’s life. Dickens, he said, changed the way people view Christmas — turning it into “a time of service and giving and inclusion as opposed to just another holiday we celebrate.”
“I mean, I just adore the man,” Asaykwee said.
Inspired by their love of Dickens, Asaykwee wrote a parody, “A Christmas Carol Comedy,” that played at the District Theatre on Mass Ave for the past three winters. This year, Asaykwee wanted to switch things up. They wrote “Wonders,” a holiday musical from the perspective of the spirits Scrooge meets in “A Christmas Carol.” It will show at the District Theatre from Dec. 4-21.
“For me, creating something new out of something old kind of bridges both worlds,” Asaykwee said. “So we can still nod or even bow to the traditions, but also keep things moving forward.”
While “Wonders” offers a new take on a holiday classic, there are many theaters that present classics in their original form, such as Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” and Civic Theatre’s “A Christmas Story.”
“I think those pieces are what make pieces like ‘Wonders’ even more magical,” Asaykwee said. “Because if you were to go see ‘A Christmas Carol’ and then come see ‘Wonders’ you would get things in layers that are different. And the same with the other way around.”
At other theaters, new work itself has become a tradition. The holiday sketch comedy show, “A Very Phoenix Xmas XVII: Sleigh, Queen, Sleigh,” has been running for more than 15 years at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, with a new script each time.
This year’s iteration is written and directed by Zack Neiditch with music by Paige Scott. Playing from Nov 29-Dec. 21, it will showcase Christmas throughout the timeline of its existence.
If you go
“A Very Phoenix Xmas: Sleigh, Queen, Sleigh”
🗓️ Nov. 29-Dec. 21
📍 Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, 705 N. Illinois St.
🎟️ $17-52
“I think it represents something that maybe appeals to an audience who wants to do holidays in a different way,” Neiditch said. “The beauty is that if you wanted to, you could go see Yuletide down on (Monument) Circle and get the full Christmas explosion, and then you could come up to the Phoenix and see Christmas in a different way.”
Asaykwee and Neiditch both said it’s important to have a balance of traditional offerings and newer pieces at the holidays.
“I always hear about counter-programming when it comes to films,” Neiditch said. “You know, how you could actually have a lot of success by releasing a horror movie at Christmas because somebody’s going to want to get away from Christmas. So it’s interesting because this Phoenix Xmas show is a tradition in itself, but the content is always different.”
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Emily Worrell is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor and Indy Documenters assistant editor. You can reach her at emily.worrell@mirrorindy.org.
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