Staples Players will put on a radio performance of “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 13 at 6:00 p.m. 

“[The radio show is] definitely a really different experience because we’re not all together like we used to be,” David Corro ’21, who plays Mr. Potter, said, “but we spend a lot of time rehearsing to make sure everything works over Zoom which makes the shows sound good.”

Since the start of the pandemic derailed in-person stage performances, Players has been able to put on several radio shows, including “Pride and Prejudice” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. The show this December, due to its proximity to the holidays, is Christmas-themed. 

“I think during the holiday season many people ‘get into the spirit’ by watching and listening to holiday music and movies,” Neha Arora ’22, the head of costumes, said. “Since the upcoming performance is a well-known Christmas themed show, I think it will attract a larger audience.”

Despite not being an in-person performance, the anticipation of the show has still been generating excitement from Staples students. 

“I’ve always enjoyed watching Players shows,” Pluto Schnirring ’22 said, “and I think that doing radio shows is a great way to still keep the magic of Players alive.”

The show will also feature the character of Scrooge being played by a female, Samantha Webster ’21, for the first time in Staples history. 

“I started out by first finding his voice in terms of pitch and placement, playing around with how to sound older and more masculine,” Webster said in an interview with Broadway World. “Then I worked on incorporating the RP British accent. It has evolved quite a bit throughout the rehearsal process.”

The show will be airing on WWPT radio on Sunday.

The place of radio shows in the future of Staples Players is yet to be determined, but members consider them a valuable part of performance art during the pandemic. 

“After coronavirus, I expect  mostly on-stage shows to dominate since they are such an integral part of the Players experience,” Arora said. “However, I think that there is some possibility of continuing the radio shows, as they offer variety to both the students involved and the audience.”