Steps To The Stage
Steps To The Stage
Steampunk Christmas Carol On Stage: STTS IE
This holiday story gets new gears. We sit down with the Riverside Community Players team bringing a steampunk A Christmas Carol to life—complete with in‑the‑round staging, layered costumes, and a cast that looks and sounds like Riverside. From the first “God bless us” to the final curtain, the conversation uncovers how a first-time director balances reverence for Dickens with the courage to reimagine the world he wrote.
We talk through Sage’s path back to the stage, the decision to lean into steampunk aesthetics, and the practical realities of building a show where minimal sets and 360-degree sightlines demand bold blocking and clean storytelling. Kit Wilson shares his approach to Ebenezer Scrooge—mining classic performances without echoing them, researching 1843 London to ground the character’s arc, and finding the moment where regret turns into change. We also spotlight Tiny Tim, played by Jasper, whose enthusiasm and resilience bring rare authenticity to a role that carries the play’s soul.
Behind the scenes, the creative engine hums: meticulous costume design that fuses Victorian texture with industrial flair; prop choices that do the heavy lifting when scenery stays lean; and a rising scenic designer crafting a modular world that moves as fast as the story. An assistant director with movement training helps the ensemble build truthful relationships, so every corner of the house sees intentions as clearly as words. Expanding the cast unlocks fresh voices and sharper narration, while a commitment to diversity ensures the stage reflects the Inland Empire community it serves.
If you love theater that honors tradition and still surprises, this one’s for you. Hit play, get inspired, then grab your tickets to A Christmas Carol at Riverside Community Players. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a spark of holiday spirit, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.
December 5-14
Riverside Community Players: 4026 14th St. Riverside, CA 92501
Box Office: 951-686-4030
www.riversidecommunityplayers.com
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God bless us, everyone.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_04:Holidays, Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER_05:Wonderful. Welcome to Steps to the Stage, Inland Empire, where we talk to the community theater professionals from the vibrant Inland Empire theater community. We're so excited to be back for our second episode of Steps to the Stage I.e. This is really exciting for us. It's something we've been talking about for years, actually. We recorded our first episode a few months ago. Now we're recording our second episode. And we're pretty excited because we have some people that are familiar to Steps to the Stage and that they've been involved in many of the uh productions that we've done episodes for. But I'm really excited, especially because we have this young gentleman named Jasper Pyle on as well. Yeah. With our director Sey Schmatel and uh cast member Kit Wilson for the upcoming Riverside Community Players, a Christmas Carol that is happening at the Riverside Theater, uh Riverside Box Theater, coming up, opening on December 5th and running through the 14th. Do I have that correct?
SPEAKER_01:It's the 5th through the 14th. It's at Riverside Community Players.
SPEAKER_05:Wonderful, wonderful. But Jasper here was actually in our first season, and he probably doesn't even remember that because he was just, I think, not even one yet. And his wonderful parents were on, and they were giving us a great discussion about preparation for acting. Um, since they're both not only professionals, but they teach and have been involved in so many different productions. So it's amazing to see Jasper here. And I've been lucky enough to see him on several productions that are at the Seventh Street Theater in Chino. But we're here to talk about Riverside, and we're here to talk about a Christmas Carol, and we're here to talk about um Sage. This is one of your first productions, you're directing, if I'm not mistaken.
SPEAKER_01:My very first time directing.
SPEAKER_05:I love that. And you've been involved with theater, at least from my perspective, for the last couple of years. Um, but I'd love to hear, I don't know that we've really gone in depth about some of your history. And if you could just quick give us uh an intro bio, as it were, our our audience would love to hear.
SPEAKER_01:So uh theater started for me in high school. Uh well, junior high, I guess, but in high school, it really uh was a huge thing, a part of my high school. And it it started with a drama teacher, of course. I had well, she was my English teacher and she was taking over the drama department. She took me under a wing. Um she just taught me so much. And I was a shy kid. I didn't talk to anybody. I was very shy, um, awkward. And uh she took me under a wing, and drama kind of created uh uh a loving, safe environment for me in high school because it was a little tough. Um and so I took that on. Of course, my parents were like, Well, you can't do theater, you know, college. But um I went to USC and then I did, I did my bachelor's in communications, but while there, there were groups that did theater. Um, so I did a little bit of theater in in college. And then, of course, you know, we all grow up. And uh I ended up, you know, getting a job, doing all the things, getting married, having my my my boy Dylan. Um, and you know, you get wrapped up in kids. The kids are the most precious things in in our lives. Um, and I spent a lot of time with my child. And then he grew up a little bit, didn't need me as much. And I was looking up online for auditions. I was like, I'm gonna get myself back out there. A little scary at the age, you know. I mean, this is probably like what 25 years later. And I showed up to an audition for Farndale at Chino, and that's how I found Chino Community Theater. And then, of course, I met Colin Karen and uh Jeff Deards and uh uh Julie Mort. Those people were so welcoming, and I stayed.
SPEAKER_05:And just as a history, Jeff Deards uh was actually the director of a Christmas carol that I was in back in 2019, and I got to play a couple of uh characters and it was really great. And I just have to share with our audience we normally do this face to face, but with some you know, conflicts and things that are happening, we're we're recording over Zoom, and Sage is doing her very best to keep a straight face and tell us her story while Jasper is giving us every face he could possibly imagine, and it is just fabulous. Get you into the holiday season. Sage, thank you very much for that. Um, and let's go through and let's meet Kit because Kit, you and I, this is the first time I think we've been able to interact. I'd love to hear a little bit about your story as well.
SPEAKER_02:Well, um, I gotta say I actually started my theater experience uh in seventh grade uh doing a show. And um I've been active ever since, and primarily uh I've been to RCC and I graduated from Cal State University of Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in local performance. And my theater primarily has been musical theater and some opera. So uh I've done a lot of that in all four counties uh in Southern California, and uh so I've been doing that for quite a few years, and this is my very first uh production at Riverside. Well, no, not at Riverside, but at uh as a drama. Oh, okay. So it's all got it, yeah. So it's been a very great experience with my wonderful director who you have on today, and it's just really nice to work with, and such a fabulous and entertaining and most talented cast of uh members to be with, uh very supportive and and and everything. So RCP um I worked with. I've done this, it'll be my really fourth show. Okay, and um I've worked with them over the years. Uh, I took about a 20-year hiatus, but uh that's okay too.
SPEAKER_05:It's amazing. I we just did an episode for the holiday production that's going on at Chino, and the gentleman that's playing Chris Kringle, it had been 30 years for him. So so fantastic for us here at Steps of the Stage, right? To see all uh, I mean, every walk of life, every age, um, every experience from every part of the country come and and just the everyone has such a love for theater and putting it together. Kate, I really appreciate you you sharing that with us. And what role are you playing in a Christmas Carol? Well, I'm playing Ebenezer Screw. Oh, look out at the mutton chuck. You're getting ready to go. That's amazing. And uh over uh as well, one of our cast members we have here is Jasper. Jasper, do you can you tell us uh what role are you playing?
SPEAKER_00:I am playing Tiny Tim.
SPEAKER_05:Tiny Tim. That is uh just a perfect role for you. Are you excited about being in this production? Yeah, you know, I've seen you act before in several other productions, and I'm just so thrilled and elated to see you on the riverside stage playing Tiny Tim. Are you excited yourself, Jasper? Yeah, what have you been doing to get ready for this role?
SPEAKER_00:Learning your lines, and practicing with a crutch.
SPEAKER_05:You're practicing with a crutch?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yes, and singing songs.
SPEAKER_05:That's that is amazing. What else? And singing lines, and singing lines, and uh amazing. You're and how old are you, Jasper? Four, four, and you are now getting ready for uh just a uh a seminal role in a classic play and a classic production, and we're so glad that you joined us this morning. And I see that you have you're welcome, and I see that you have your wonderful mom who's been a guest on our podcast multiple times, not only as an actor, but also as a director and also leading superstars, and also with her work in Ontario. So it's just amazing to see the ties. Sage talked about her wonderful parents, the Larsons, who we've also had on this program several times. So just so excited to see this uh this this theater family all across the inland empire uh coming together for this magical production. Sage, talk to me about leading up to it, picking Christmas Carol and the decision to be a director and and what went into your preparation.
SPEAKER_01:So uh I was uh Riverside picks the shows and the directors get matched. So I one of the shows that they want a first-time director to do is a Christmas Carol. This one is um obviously written by Charles Dickens, adapted by Catherine L. Gage, who actually is um is a board member or an ex-board member, but uh works at the theater. Oh, and it's her script. Yeah, and they've been doing it for I think it was 40 years, the same script that they do every year. It's very traditional in their in their theater that uh this is done every year. Um, leading up to it, I uh I was talking to my happens to be my tech director, Kyle Whitlock, and he was talking about I want to direct Christmas Carol. This was before submissions. And he and I said, Oh, how would you do it? And he's like, Well, I was thinking steampunk. And I was like, Oh, I never thought of that. And so I started looking at it. And um, when he and I talked again and he was gonna submit for something else, I said, Hey, Kyle, would you mind if I steal your idea? I have no issue with plagiarism. I mean, getting ideas, that's all being creative and collaborative, right? I mean, that's what this is about, art. And he said, Yeah, go ahead. And I'm like, Okay, well, you got to be my tech director because I love tech. Yeah, tech is a huge project what I do.
SPEAKER_05:Yes, right. We know you do.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And so he, you know, we I I thought about it, thought it through, submitted it in the vision. The vision's changed a bit, right? What we can make happen in the time frames and and the holidays, people are mostly volunteering, but it is it's such a beautiful production. I mean, the steampunk elements, um, they're elements to the natural Victorian age. Yeah, so the story's still the classic. Yeah, it's the visual that you get all that steampunk y kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_05:And in Riverside, if I'm not mistaken, you're essentially in the round, as it were. So you have audience members all around you. So that really has to present a whole different thought process as a director. In how do we ensure that we are engaging with everyone? How do we build a set? How do we create this space and make it engaging for everyone? Tell me a little bit about that process.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so that was for me uh a challenge, but it was also just a lot of fun because there's a lot of fun blocking you can do with this show. Um again, minimal set pieces. We're using that entire stage. I mean, Kit and and and Jasper can attest, we're using that entire stage to tell the story. We're just bringing in pieces. But the challenge is um getting to all the sections, like you said, making sure the audience members have the view and like they're not missing out. Because I know if I sit there, I'm like, oh, I couldn't see that, but I want to, you know, so I think about it at points. I I maybe overblocking. And so I got to keep that in mind and trust my actors to be like, yeah, hey, make sure we're we're we're feeding the entire audience because everybody's gonna want to see what you guys are doing.
SPEAKER_05:Now, Kit, you've you've said you've done several productions here before. I'm sure you can help someone, Sage, who's a first-time director there. Tell us a little bit about your experience there and and specifically your approach with Ebenezer into the space.
SPEAKER_02:Well, well, I uh yeah, like you said, I that's my fourth show, and um I've uh worked with many directors, and I'm very happy and pleased to be working with Sage. She's fabulous, and probably one of the most organized directors I've ever worked with. I mean, boy, she had cast lists out, she had all kinds of notices, she's she's using band, um, she she's just very informational, and it's just wonderful to work with somebody with that much because that puts so much you don't don't have to worry about kind of you focus on the acting, you don't focus about that.
SPEAKER_05:That's that's great to hear.
SPEAKER_02:Right, right. Now, as far as my approach ebonese or Scrooge, well, uh one of my favorite movies during Christmas time to watch really is uh Scrooge with uh Alistair Sims. Okay, and to be able to play a role like this is just fabulous. I did have one of my producers say that there are two roles that an actor just loves to do and really needs to do, and that is Ebenezer Scrooge and the other's Hamlet. Well, I wouldn't be any good at Shakespeare, I know that. But and and Scrooge is coming along really well. Um and my approach has just been really catching every single film that I could see of every actor, including the uh uh animated version, just to get a good idea and some just searching history background. Well, what was it like to live in 1843? And you know, was Scrooge as bad as he really is portrayed in the book and everything, but um it's really, really been just marvelous for me.
SPEAKER_05:So that's great, and especially with a story like A Christmas Carol and all the different adaptations. Um, there's so much source material for you to go to, which can be good and bad, right? Because sometimes if there's one that maybe is is very popular or you you may find yourself you know going in that realm. But I love that Sage is is taking on a thematic with the theme punk to kind of take you away from that. It like it it establishes right from the beginning this is the overall look. We want the same message, but we're gonna we're gonna present it in a different way. So, speaking of presenting, while we've been talking, uh Jasper, I have a question for you. Are are you going to be a future potentially makeup artist, or is that just something you love to do? Is getting into costume and putting on the makeup? Because I've seen you're doing a fabulous job of putting on makeup, you're working on makeup, yeah. It's important, isn't it? It helps to give that look.
SPEAKER_00:Do you like putting makeup on my face?
SPEAKER_05:How come? Why do you put makeup on your face?
SPEAKER_00:Because I was a raccoon.
SPEAKER_05:You were a raccoon, and I remember that. That was in the Mole Hill stories, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Oh and I was a kangaroo too.
SPEAKER_05:It was such a great production, and you did so well. And I must comment, I know our listeners are are can't see us, but Jasper has the most incredible blue bow tie on with a matching vest and just a fabulous, splendid shirt. He's even got, I think, a little uh handkerchief in his pocket. So he is Dapper Debonaire, and we already know he's a fantastic actor. So uh that is just great. Sage, I'd love to hear about some of your casting, uh, your other members that you've casted and that casting process. That's again difficult because you now have a theme and you have their traditional characters, but you talk to us a little bit about that casting process and some of the other actors in the production.
SPEAKER_01:So this script typically only has eight actors playing multiple roles. Um, we had two days of autism.
SPEAKER_05:Three roles when I was parallel Fezziwig and the Ghost of Christmas present, I believe.
SPEAKER_01:You're just rushing around putting your costume on. You're like, hey, I gotta yeah. So what initially we went in, it was gonna be about 13 going in because the narrator I ended up splitting into three. It's a lot of lines, and we I want the narrators to be engaging. Um, and so we split that into three. So it made it a cast of about 13. When auditions happened, we had uh 29, 30 people show up, which was unusual because usually during the holidays, most theaters have a struggle of casting because people are busy and that's understandable.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_01:Um when all the folks showed up, um, we decided to go to 19. So we split up a bunch of roles. Um, our spirits are um most of them playing one their spirit role alone. Okay. And you know, there's a few people playing double roles. Um, we didn't have a tiny Tim. And so I actually did reach out to Jesse and I said, Do you think Jasper would want to do Tiny Tim? Because I in my head, he is the perfect tiny Tim, and especially with his cancer survival story. There there is so much for me that that that connection of you know, Tiny Tim having uh some some kind of condition at that time, and him, you know, basically the future of what that looked like.
SPEAKER_04:Right.
SPEAKER_01:There's such a connection there. I also have seen Jasper on stage. Yeah, he he's just amazing to watch.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So Jesse thankfully checked the schedule and said, Yes, we can do it. So I was so excited to have Jasper join us. But for the rest of the cast, like we have some incredible actors and we have a diverse group of actors.
SPEAKER_04:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and that was really important to me. Yeah, that we represent the community.
SPEAKER_05:I I want to shout out, and I really appreciate this, you know, because I do a lot of the social media as well for for the podcast. But Riverside Community Players does a great job of highlighting the cast members and giving a bio and and and giving that image. You know, the same thing you'll get obviously in a playbill when you when you get there, but it's nice to get that up front, and it's great for the actors to get that recognition and to tell their story. So I just really wanted to shout out I really appreciate Riverside Community Players, and they do a great job leading up to their productions and telling about the And by watching it, because I do obviously follow and enjoy those updates, diversity was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw that. So I appreciate that was a focus for you. Tell us a little bit more about your your production team. You mentioned, I think it was Kevin, your technical director. What about costumes? Oh, Kyle, sorry. My apologies.
SPEAKER_01:Kyle Willock, who who's done a lot of tech. Okay. He's also directed. He directed Charlotte's Webb. He's directing Alice next year.
SPEAKER_05:Okay, great.
SPEAKER_01:He he he's wonderful. I also have Barb Pendergast.
SPEAKER_05:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And she's doing costuming, and it's probably the biggest job. Um, because steampunk, you know, it airs to really adding the top hats, adding those details.
SPEAKER_05:Well, and and you're sorry to interrupt, but you're in the round, so there's not really a set outside of you know a chair and a table and some prop pieces and whatnot where you know other theaters you that that is a character, and not that this isn't, but your your the presentation of your actors in the costumes is really that first thing they see. So yeah, that's such an important role.
SPEAKER_01:And it was a big and it's a it was a big task. It's a big task, but when you see these costumes, I they're you're gonna knock your socks off. I mean, they're amazing. Her attention of detail, she's amazing. Um, Terry Pope is doing my props, which we are a little prop heavy because again, like you said, the sets minimal. So we focus on how are these added elements that represent the world. Yeah. Um, Addison Addison Snyder. She's a young lady. I believe she are she did graduate from high school last year. She does my scenic design. And she is an incredible talent to watch for. I think this young lady is gonna go so far, and we're gonna see her again, possibly, you know, on the regional and the Broadway stage. Yes, for sure. And I wanted to give young people the the chance to be to do shine.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, we can always go to our true tried folks, but young people are gonna be the future of theater, yeah. And so giving that opportunity to her, I can just say, Hey, Addison, I want this. You'll see the set and you'll be like, Okay, yes, she's gonna go far.
SPEAKER_05:And I love that. And I sorry to interrupt, but you know, again, we're talking about a wide swath of of people and ages and diversity, and and what's great for me in in in this role and in interviewing different directors and and different actors and other people that are part of the production crew, and having good close friends and family that are directing now and going to school and getting educations. And I love seeing this whole new batch, young and old, right? Because I've now been in the theater scene for you know almost 10 years now, and and you see the waves every couple of years of new people coming in. And um, you you see, you know, Jasper now, a third generation of of that family that's so involved in the theater. Kit coming back after 20 years, the other gentleman that I interviewed with the other uh episode, 30 years. Uh me, I I always tell my story. I was a soccer guy, right? I didn't get into this until I was in my 40s when my kids got involved. It's just amazing. Kit, why don't you tell us a little bit about that? Uh I mean, having that, even though you had a gap, I'm sure there was still a love for theater, and you were still consuming and watching and and attending, even though you weren't necessarily acting. Um, it's got to be great to be, you know, a part of this diverse community.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, it it's marvelous. I've I've I love my theater family, as I like to call all the people I've met over the years. And we stay in touch. And uh for myself, not doing a show for a while is is okay. Um, I had other things I needed to concentrate on and get retired from my work, and it was getting harder. Um it's just age. Uh but uh it it uh has really played out. I've really enjoyed this, and I met Sage doing my previous production of RCP of Manela Mancha, and she was fabulous as a uh crazed uh innkeeper's wife. So uh, but for myself, uh just coming into it again uh and meeting new theater friends who who mean so much to me. I I like to tell people when I talk about theater that um uh you make a friend and you go away and you don't do anything for five, ten, fifteen years together, and all of a sudden you come back and you start up the same conversations uh that you had when you left. And uh it's just fabulous working with people.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. And lifelong friends, I I think is something that that we all experience if if we're lucky enough to be a part of theater at any level, right? And community theater especially. And uh I've really enjoyed also meeting with some of the local high schools and and spoke with Jesse about her program and several of the other programs in the inland empire. And as Sage mentioned, the the younger actors that are now coming up and helping in those different roles, right? They're they're taking on these roles, and then now some of them are even directing and they're in their early 20s, and you know, they're amazing. They're they're getting an education um for this, with you know, the desire to do this for the rest of their lives because of that immediate experience. And I understand, you know, and specifically with my you know, doing uh I've only done two, I've only done two productions, and because I I travel a lot, unfortunately, I can't do as many, but I am still amazing friends with most of the cast members from both of those products. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So it's I wanted to mention my um my AD stage manager. So her name's Rochelle Claire. We worked a lot on character uh with the entire cast because I think Christmas Carol, I think it tends to people feel like they know every, you know, the know the story, know the characters. Um, we wanted to bring a lot of realism. I mean, when you think about the poor and the rich, um, somebody with more money treating others, you know, badly. I mean, we we can parallel it to today. So, one of the things I really wanted to bring in somebody that actually had training. Um, and Rochelle Claire has training, she's a graduate from NYU, and bringing her into work, character, movement, all of these things, building a story was really important. So I just want to give a shout out to her as well as being a huge part of the creative team and and having that bringing that experience to the actors because many times we're putting these productions on real quick. Yeah, and so some things we don't really get into, and we did spend a lot of time getting into those stories and character and movement, right?
SPEAKER_05:So important, so important. Well, you guys, this has been very exciting for us, and I'm glad you're able to share us, share a little bit of the story. Jasper, I I have to ask, is there any advice that you would give to any up-and-coming actors now that you are seasoned and getting lead roles on a regular basis? Big question, I know. Any advice to younger actors, Jasper?
SPEAKER_00:Go out there and have any fun.
SPEAKER_05:Going out and having fun, and I just don't think there's anything better that we could leave on. Everyone at Christmas Carol is playing at the Riverside Community Players, and it is in Riverside. You can call the box office at area code 951-686-4030. You could also go to the website at www.riversidecommunityplayers.com. I'll repeat that. Riversidecommunityplayers.com. Our production opens December 5th. It goes through the 14th. We have a few matinees that start at 2 30. Normally the uh the productions will start at 7 30. Thank you so much, you guys, for taking some time out of your day to be with us. Uh, can't wait to get this episode out into the world and specifically to get people to come and see this magical production. Kit, sage, Jasper, and Jesse, thank you so much for your time. It was amazing speaking with you, and we can't wait to see this.
SPEAKER_00:God bless us, everyone.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_04:Holidays, Merry Christmas, everyone.
SPEAKER_05:Wonderful. Thanks for listening to Steps of the Stage in the New Fire. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform. And if you're enjoying the show, leave us a five star rating and a review. It really helps. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or visit our website. Steps to the Stage was created by Joey Rice and Kirk Lane. Logo created by Marley Lee. Original music by Joey Rice. Executive producer, editor, and sometimes host Kirk Lane.
