The Lord of Misrule
Merry Crassmas
"It's Christmas Ebenezer! Christmas ya dick!"
-Bailey Martin as Fezziwig
An Ancient Christmas Tradition RevieD
The Lord of Misrule is an ancient Christmas tradition dating back to Christmas’ origins as Saturnalia. A beggar is crowned the Lord of Misrule to preside over drunken mobs and Christmas parties. The Lord of Misrule would often make demands of local gentry (usually more food or booze) and if the gentry failed to meet the demands; the Lord of Misrule would incite a riot against the gentry, destroying property and threatening violence. Basically, forced Christmas Charity. We’ve taken this ancient Christmas practice and devised a new kind of play. Raucous Christmas absurdity, for the betterment of the community. Instead of paying for a ticket, the audience donates money toward homeless resources during the play to change the way the actors perform their scenes.
"God Bless Us... All of us
-Little Jimmy as Tiny Tim
Revelry Against The Machine
Televangelist Lucas Karol, "heals" the "sick," performs "exorcisms." Most importantly, though, he collects donations from his followers for these miracles on his daytime TV show, Scriptures Unscripted. Then, during Pastor Karol Presents: A Christmas Carol, a rowdy mob hijacks the show and the Pastor, his wife, and his special guests are forced to obey the orders of the Lord of Misrule who is leading the mob.
The Audience can change the play in various ways by making donations to a homeless advocacy group. The show’s program will have a list of challenges for the actors an audience member can order. As more and more of these challenges are piled onto the characters, more of their real personalities rise to the surface.
PResS
"This Christmas time, enjoy holiday cheer with an irreverent Christmas play to support Salt Lake City’s homeless."
- ABC4 Utah, The Lord of Misrule: Raising funds for SLC homeless
"That's how holiday charity becomes holiday hilarity."
- Salt Lake City Weekly, The Essential A&E Picks for December
