Livermore Shakespeare Festival celebrates the holidays with Charles Dickens

Two of Charles Dickens’ short stories, What Christmas Is As We Grow Older and The Poor Relation’s Story will be brought to life on December 9th and 16th when artists from Livermore Shakespeare Festival present a staged reading of these lesser known classics. Associate Artist Gary Armagnac directs a cast of Livermore Shakespeare Festival actors including Russ Marcel, Michael Wayne Rice and Hester Wagner. Armagnac recently directed the company’s critically acclaimed production of The Taming of the Shrew in 2013 and last year’s reading of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory at Swirl on the Square.

The readings will take place at Swirl in downtown Livermore, to the festive accompaniment of a glass of wine or other beverage and a tapas sampler plate. There will be four performances in total, with showings at 5:30PM and 7:30PM on both December 9th and 16th.

Livermore Shakespeare Festival Producing Artistic Director, Lisa Tromovitch states “the Holiday Reading at Swirl is a very special event for Livermore Shakes. Gathering together in an intimate venue to hear stories read aloud creates that sense of community so central to the holidays. The telling of stories is the basis of theater; so we sip wine, and nibble on tapas plates as we reconnect with our artistic core. We take a moment to slow down, and celebrate the season in a thoughtful way with family and friends. It’s an opportunity to nourish our spirits.”

Swirl on the Square is located at 21 S. Livermore Ave., at the corner of Railroad and S. Livermore, in downtown Livermore, CA. The first reading will begin at 5:30 pm, the second at 7:30pm on December 9th and 17th. Tickets are $35 and include the performance, a glass of wine or other beverage and a tapas sampler plate. Pre-sale ticket purchases are required as seating is limited. Tickets are available at LivermoreShakes.org or by calling (925) 443-BARD.