Celebrating Dickens!

December 10, 2010

I’m very excited to be able to attend Gerald Dickens at his one-man performance next Wednesday, December 15th! Did you know that he got his start performing A Christmas Carol because of Mid-Continent Public Library? He was here in the Kansas City area in 1993 for the Dickens Fair and brought his great-great grandfather’s reading copy of A Christmas Carol with him. With little persuasion, he performed at two library branches - what we referred to as a dramatic rendition. Oh, how his one-man show has developed!

The years following, even after he was in great demand all over the United States, Gerald made a commitment to return to Mid-Continent Public Library. After pausing from his American tour for a few years in order to devote himself a bit more to his family in England, he is now returning to us with two performances! I began my ‘holiday season’ with my family by attending by David zum Brunnen’s The Night Before a Christmas Carol where he portrays Charles Dickens in his study as he creates his famous novella.

This past Wednesday, I enjoyed the Dickens scholar, Dr. Elliot Engel, as he humorously shared how this little story has changed so much of how we celebrate Christmas. As one of my favorite holidays draws near, I’m so looking forward to hearing Gerald Dickens make his great-great grandfather’s work come to life again. For me, it really has been a month to celebrate Charles Dickens!

Marlena Boggs
Adult Services Manager