Family Theater Project Presents A Christmas Carol Nov. 26-27

Saline Community Education’s Family Theater Project will present Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27 at , 7265 Saline-Ann Arbor Rd., Saline.

General seating tickets are $5 and will available at the door approximately one hour before curtain. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit performing arts college scholarship funds.

The 20-member cast includes Charles Antonelli, Kate Conley, Joe Eadie, Stacey Erskine, Misty and Morgan Filsinger, Nancy Klein, Calder, Caitlin, Courtney and Mark Pellerin, Dave and Maddie Ringe, C.J. Slotten, Joel Stralnic, Anthony, Cody, Megan and Nicholas Stockenauer and Austin and John Terris.

Family Theater Project is made possible by a grant from the Saline C.A.R.E.S. Advisory Council and creates theater experiences that provide an intergenerational theater opportunity for parents and their children, a non-competitive educational and process based acting experience which encourages group collaboration and cooperation and creative risk taking for all ages and skill levels and inexpensive entertainment for the local community.

Rebecca Groeb-Driskill, founder of the program and artistic director for the production, talked about the importance of theater in a young person's life.

“Some of my most vivid memories as a child are of doing community theater productions with my mom. I was a shy little girl and my mom pushed me toward the stage as a way to help me ‘come out of my shell.' In the process of preparing for auditions, attending rehearsals, learning lines, and performing in front of my family and friends, I learned invaluable lessons about self-expression, risk-taking, creativity, collaboration, leadership, discipline, and responsibility," said Groeb-Driskill . "Moreover, the experience provided me with a life-long passion, hobby, and, ultimately, a career that I would continue to share with my mom as I grew older."

She many of the students she's taught over the years let her know how important the experience was.

"I’ve often had parents of my students come up to me to share how they used to do theater in high school or college and how seeing their own child participate in the same activity reminded them of how much fun they used to have doing the same thing!" said Groeb-Driskill.

Over the years, adults have used the Family Theater Project to break new ground and even conquer fears.

"Adults would approach me curiously inquiring about how they could get involved, seeming terrified about the idea of actually having to get up in front of a room full of people to audition to be a part of it," she said. "Why couldn’t I come up with a theater experience that parents could share with their kids, while at the same time being a non-threatening and all inclusive process for all who were interested in participating? That’s how Family Theater Project was born."