"A Christmas Carol" Propels I AM PWD Campaign, Features Tribute to Director Corey Allen

Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at the Edgemar Center for the Arts features disabled and able-bodied actors in a rousing show.

At the end of the opening night performance, an emotionally moving presentation was held to honor Director Corey Allen, who has a long history as an advocate for performers with disabilities. When his home was destroyed by recent fires, Allen's Emmy for Best Direction of a "Hill Street Blues" episode was destroyed. The cast proudly presented Allen with a new Emmy as he received a standing ovation for his work in the entertainment industry.

Casting Director David Zimmerman was extremely pleased to honor Corey Allen.

"I never met any of my grandfathers and Corey, over the last decade becoming his assistant and his friend, it feels like family. Every time I go over to visit people ask, 'Is he your father or grandfather?' To see him honored and to see joy from others is very special," Zimmerman said.

In casting the show, Zimmerman was happy to be a part of the process.

"I guess I'm a people person, I just love getting new family. The more shows I do, the more family I get," Zimmerman noted. "This is such a beautiful time of the year and to have Corey involved and everyone here involved, we're all one blue planet. We're all on stage together and you forget someone happens to be in a wheelchair or someone else has Cerebral Palsy or an inner struggle. In a way, we all have our own disability."

Actress Geri Jewel said theatre performances are very important in showcasing talented people with disabilities.

"This shows what they can do and how versatile they are. This is a prime example of that. People with disabilities are the least employed minority group in the entertainment industry, but we are the biggest minority group in the world. The more people see us in the media or behind the camera, that's a statement of employment for all of us. There is only 1.5% employment of people with disability. It has to change. I've been here for over 30 years. I come from way back when I was the first person with a visual disability ever to be cast in a prime time series," Jewel explained. "So, I'm from the beginning and I've seen some changes and hopefully the I AM PWD Campaign will expand the horizons and visions of what we can do."

Producer Scott Krantz said, "The show's been going really well. I'm so glad to be able to put it on and showcase all of these actors with a variety of disabilities and blending them in with able-bodied performers. Everyone is doing a great job. I'm one of the committee members of the I AM PWD Campaign. This is definitely coming out in the forefront of what we´re trying to do by showing the general public and everybody at large that disabled actors can perform, dance, act and sing just like able-bodied actors," Krantz reinforced. "There's not a lot of opportunities for them. I'm very fortunate for myself and with Media Access Office and Gloria that we're able to bring this together and give these people a stage where they can actually perform their craft."

The goal is to have access to a variety of performance opportunities including theatre, cable, television and films. "For instance, I'm on a cane. I have a spinal cord injury but I was an airline captain. And a guy like me or a guy in a chair, we should be able to play any role on a series and play a doctor or a surgeon, an airline pilot or a teacher. It just shouldn't be for parts that are required for someone to be on a cane or in a wheelchair. That should be secondary, it should just be the person," Krantz explained. "I had a motorcycle wreck in 1976 and I've been an actor since then, but real serious about acting for the last six years. Now, it's really slowed down to only a few auditions during the year. One year I had 25 auditions, but now it's down to just a few a year. It's progressing. There are so many groups of people who have overcome their boundaries and have really made a huge splash in the entertainment business, except for the disabled group. We just want to be able to rally everyone. There are so many disabled people and with 56 million disabled people, maybe we can get the studios to understand that. It's such a huge market that should be tapped into. There are so many people who are willing and able to work, but just aren't getting the chance."

Actor Robert David Hall, a series regular on the CBS television show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," enjoyed the performances.

"I happen to love 'A Christmas Carol,' it's one of my favorite pieces. It doesn't matter whether it's disabled or able-bodied, this is a difficult piece to pull together quickly. Everybody was working together and there were professional actors and there were people who've never acted before. I had a wonderful evening. It was done well and the spirit behind it was the love for Corey Allen, but I'm always pleased to see actors with disabilities, young ones especially, do their first performance. That's what happens, you get bitten by the bug. It was a lovely evening and I'm really glad I came. I loved the costuming too, I thought they pulled it together nicely," Hall reflected. "This show draws attention to the I AM PWD Campaign and that's what we want to happen. It's all about synergy. It's about getting as many people aware that the talent is out there. It's also about growing the talent. A lot of us went through decades of training, but it all starts with something like this. That's why I was pleased to see able-bodied and disabled actors working together. The ultimate result is a great show."

Actress Alice Diehl, who delivered some of the funniest lines in the show, has been acting since the age of five.

"This is my 17th year in acting," Diehl said. "We have the ability to change the atmosphere in a room and instill change just by being ourselves. I think that disability is power and when there are all of us together in a room, that's extremely powerful. It's a gift. I've always thought of my disability as a gift and it's nice I get to share that with everybody."

"I thought it was great the way they included people with disabilities in the play," said actor Danny Murphy. "I was impressed that they included an actress who was deaf as well. Overall, it was a professional production."

For lead actor Daniel Zacapa, who portrayed the many emotional levels of the character Ebenezer Scrooge, said it was opportunity to perform that led him to the stage in Santa Monica. "It was amazing, the transformation on stage with all of the actors. I had complete faith in the director, Tom Ardavany. I've worked with him before and he asked me if I was willing to play this part. I never even dreamt at this age that I would be able to play this role. It's like Shakespeare. The language is so rich. It takes you on a very human journey from being self-absorbed to his own redemption and discovering we're all here to be of service to each other." Zacapa added, "To work with this cast has been truly a wonderful, loving experience."

"A Christmas Carol" runs four days only, December 18-21, at The Edgemar Center for the Arts. The Edgemar Theatre is located at 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, California. For more information or tickets call (818) 409-0448.

To read a review on "A Christmas Carol" visit "Disabilities Disappear on Stage for Performers in "A Christmas Carol".

Pictured: Director Corey Allen accepts his new Emmy on stage.

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