In the tradition of Charles Dickens who, himself, performed “A Christmas Carol” as a charity fundraiser, there will be two back-to-back one man shows of Dickens’ Christmas Carol — one written and performed by a Plainsboro resident and Equity actor, the other by a direct descendant of Dickens — on Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12.

Scott Langdon will perform his fresh adaptation of the play on Friday, December 11, at Princeton United Methodist Church, located at Nassau and Vandeventer. Dessert, accompanied by carol-singing, will be served at 7 p.m. and the one-man performance is at 8 p.m. A free-will offering will be taken for the Appalachia Service Project. Call 609-924-2613 or visit http://www.princetonumc.org/ for further information.

Langdon has more than 30 years of performing experience to his credit, ranging from regional theater to children’s television. He has a master’s degree from Oklahoma City University where he studied with Florence Birdwell.

Princeton United Methodist Church has been participating in the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) program since the mid-70s and sent 41 participants last July. ASP operates several centers in mountainous Central Appalachia, which has poverty rates three times the national average.

The following night, Saturday, December 12, at 7 p.m. (not at 8 p.m., as I first said) the Diocese of Trenton presents Gerald Charles Dickens of London to perform in his great-great-grandfather’s classic tale.

A benefit for Villa Victoria Academy’s Foundation for Student Achievement, it costs $25 and it will be staged at the school’s theater at 376 West Upper Ferry Road in West Trenton. Call 609-406-7400 or http://www.dioceseoftrenton.org.

Says Dickens, as quoted by LucyAnn Dunlap in a U.S. 1 article, “My goal with ‘A Christmas Carol’ is to make sure people have a good time. I try to not make it too serious, something to be revered. It’s just a good story. When the audience comes at the beginning they’re coming to see a show. At the end, they’re part of a show. That’s what I try to achieve. Everybody is traveling through this story together.

Says Langdon: “Everyone from Jim Carrey to Patrick Stewart to The Muppets has had a go at delivering this timeless tale, yet it continues to be relevant and gets to the heart and soul of the holidays. It has been a dream of mine for years to bring the story to life in a whole new way.”

Photo by Stephanie F. Black.