By Alec Lane

It’s been 7 years since Southwest performed the classic tale  “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (Narrated by junior Nate Mitchell)

A Christmas Carol tells the story of a grumpy old man who despises Christmas and everything warm and happy. The man’s name is Ebenezer Scrooge (Junior Gabe Patton).

Scrooge only wants to do things that will benefit him.  He doesn’t give to the poor, wish anyone a Merry Christmas, he even wants his clerk, Bob Cratchit, (senior Ben Stuart) to work on Christmas Day.

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by his former partner, Jacob Marley (freshmen Zane Maltas).  Marley warns Scrooge of what his future is to become if he continues down the path that he is on. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be haunted by three ghosts: The ghost of Christmas Past (freshmen Campbell Sharp) on the first night, the ghost of Christmas Present (sophomore Tyler Arnold) and the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (junior Kristoff Herrold).

The first night came and it was the ghost of Christmas Past. She took Scrooge through his past to show him what Christmas was like when he was a child and all the fun he had. She showed him Belle, who was scrooge’s love, the girl he wanted to marry. Belle (Sophomore Violet Hudson) met Scrooge at a party. They were poor but they had something more than money, they had happiness and love. At the party, Belle tells Ebenezer that she can’t merry him. This turns him into the  humbug he is today.

Scrooge told the spirit to take him home, the next thing he knew he was back in his home. Then Scrooge is awaken by the ghost of Christmas Present. Unlike Past, Present takes Scrooge through events that are happening now.

The spirit takes Scrooge to his clerk Bob, Cratchit’s, house. Cratchit is a poor man with a wife and a six children to provide for. Scrooge never thought much of Cratchit, he only saw him as a poor man. When he arrives he finds out that Cratchit is a family man and must do what he can to provide for his family, and his litle tiny Tim, who is at risk of dying. 

The last spirt is the  ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. He took Scrooge and showed him the future.  Scrooge saw Cratchit walking with a coffin and scrooge realized  it was Tiny Tim. Scrooge turns and asks the spirit if Tim will live, but the spirit points at another coffin that is to be buried. Scrooge refuses to look at the man in the coffin, then the spirit pointed at a tomb stone, it lights up and the name Ebenezer Scrooge is written on it.

Suddenly Scrooge wakes up the next morning and it’s Christmas Day. Scrooge realizes he has time to make things right with his family and change his future. Scrooge makes his way to his nephew Fred’s (senior Matthew Hakel) house. Scrooge reaches his nephew’s house and when he get’s there he makes amends with his nephew and comes in for Christmas dinner.

In total there were over 30 cast members who were on stage acting, and bring the show to life. That did not include all the people back stage, who were also helping make the show perfect.

LSW always puts on a Christmas show, ever since the school first started doing shows. Christmas is a time for family and friends. LSW wants to get people into the Christmas spirit and remind people of what Christmas is all about.

In the show there were many different scenes that happened throughout the entire show.

“I love the part where the ghost of Christmas Present is walking around to the all the poor and lonely people, and telling Scrooge about all these people and why they’re sad and alone, then a big crescendo happens and all the people turn happy thanks to the spirit,” Said junior Megan Svehla.

Like any show, time was the most important thing but it always seemed that there was never enough of it. Rehearsals were the most important aspect of the show, and they were what truly made the show. During rehearsals, there was a lot going on. The rehearsals first started off fairly simple, when just the cast getting to know their characters, getting to know where they stand and move, and memorizing lines. Then as the show got closer and closer, props were added, scenery, and costumes, then things a little more chaotic. They have costumes to put on and change, props to take on stage and sets that had to move. With all those people back stage it got very stressful sometimes.

“There are a lot of people and a lot of personalities and sometimes those personalities clash, people are also involved in a bunch of other things and just dealing with people’s personalities and making them all feel included,” said stage manager senior Dallis Votava.

With a big show like this, there were a lot of people, and with a lot of people getting along and working together were two very important thing.“It takes dedication and teamwork from the crew to be able to start and finish all these different scenes of the show within only a couple months, ” said scenery crew chief senior Alexis Acton

Along with the acting on stage, the sets really make the show come to life. They transported the audience into a different world, and pulled everyone into the show so it was just like they there as well.

“We build almost everything set wise here in our scene shop. Plans and prints are designed by our tech director Scott and then passed on to the crew to build,” said Alexis Acton

From acting on stage, to doing all the tech things behind the stage, it’s a lot of hard work and dedication. The cast and crew worked hard to make this a wonderful show. Hopefully staff, students and their families enjoyed this marvelous show and are now in the Christmas Spirit.