On today’s episode we’re joined by company members from Lifeline Theatre production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.

Playwright Tom Mula recently retired as an Associate Professor in Columbia College Chicago’s Theatre Department but has been a Chicago actor, director, and playwright for more than 45 years. After seven seasons (that’s over 400 performances) playing the role of Scrooge in Goodman Theatre's perennial A Christmas Carol, Mula wrote the novel “Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol” in 1994 which quickly became a Chicago Tribune bestseller. The award-winning play version premiered in 1998 at the Goodman. Since then, it was broadcast nationally on NPR for many seasons, and has received over 400 productions worldwide.

       Some of Mr. Mula's acting credits include Hot Mikado, King Lear; Richard III, and another solo turn in The Circus Of Dr. Lao; His directing credits include Jeff nominations for Porch and A Life, and the world premiere of Larry Shue's last play, Wenceslas Square.

        Mula has spent twenty-six summers at Peninsula Players in Door County, Wisconsin. There he has directed productions of Amadeus, Lion in Winter and Red Herring, among others and appeared there in Heroes, Art, Cabaret, The Mystery of Irma Vep, and many, many farces.

Phil Timberlake, who is the sole actor in the production repeats his Jeff Nominated performance this year. Previous Lifeline acting roles, for which he was either nominated or won Jeff Awards, include Soon I Will Be Invincible, Pride & Prejudice, Neverwhere, Busman’s Honeymoon and The Two Towers.

At Lifeline, he also coached dialects for Treasure Island, Strong Poison and A Room With a View and throughout Chicago he has coached dialects at The Goodman, American Players Theatre, and was the resident voice and dialect coach at First Folio Theatre.

Other Chicago acting credits include roles with First Folio, Apple Tree, Powertap, and Shakespeare’s Motley Crew. Phil has taught actors for over 20 years, most recently as the Head of Voice and Speech at the Theatre School at DePaul University.

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol is running now through December 21st. You can get your tickets at lifelinetheatre.com or simply click the link in our show notes.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Tom Mula and Phil Timberlake. Now let’s go to the top of the show!