Tetreault is the director of Ford’s Theatre (www.fords.org). He’s currently working on the theatre society’s 30th rendition of “A Christmas Carol.” The show was set to open Monday night and runs through Jan. 3.
What was your role in putting on “A Christmas Carol”?
My role was basically hiring the creative personnel. Micheal Baron is the director of this production. I also sat through and worked on the casting and hiring of designers.
How will this year’s “A Christmas Carol” differ from the one Ford’s Theatre has put on in previous years?
It’s a brand new production and it’s the first “A Christmas Carol” production back in the renovated Ford’s Theatre. The last two years we were kind of nomadic in the Landsberg theatre on Seventh Street. [This production also has] new scenery, new costumes, new music, and it’s going to be absolutely fantastic. … There will obviously be components of the story that are the same; it’s the same great story of redemption, but I think it’s told in a different fashion and it’s going to be beautifully staged and produced.
What is your personal Christmas Carol story?
I’ve been producing “A Christmas Carol” consistently for the last 16 years. I started in 1994 in Houston, so I have had “A Christmas Carol” in my life [for a long time]. I saw it when I was a kid, but my Christmas Carol story is always about keeping it fresh because I think that’s what makes it exciting.
How many times have you seen the show?
I’ve probably seen [“A Christmas Carol”] over 50 times, but every time I do I still get choked up at certain points during the show. The day that doesn’t happen is the day I know I need to change the production.
— Violeta Ikonomova
