There’s a reason “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is such a classic — it’s a story about the power of hope and how even the most seemingly unredeemable among us can find a more positive way to engage with the world.
At least that’s how Steven Maler, founding artistic director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, sees it. He’s directing the company’s production of the classic this holiday season at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, which runs Dec. 8 through 22.
“‘A Christmas Carol’ is an iconic story,” Maler told the Globe in a phone interview Thursday. “Just like the canon of Shakespeare, Dickens’s work is seminal, and this piece in particular is such an extraordinary vision of how to live your life, how you engage in the world, how you care for others and support your community.”
“Those values are so foundational to CSC,” he added. “I think, from a storytelling point of view, it’s the perfect story for CSC to tell.”
The play, which is based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy misanthrope who is confronted by three spirits on Christmas Eve. The upcoming CSC production will feature veteran actor and the voice of GBH’s “Frontline” Will Lyman as the infamous pessimist.
According to Maler, the production will be “transformative” for the company, which has offered free Shakespeare productions on Boston Common since 1996, as it will increase the company’s size by 50 percent and radically change its revenue stream. Ticket pricing will be tiered to ensure accessibility, with balcony and mezzanine tickets starting at $20 and orchestra tickets starting at $60, according to a press release.
“Our hope is that we will be remounting this production for years to come,” Maler said. “Our expectation is that this becomes a new holiday tradition for folks in Boston and the greater Boston area to come into town, see a beautiful production, have a dinner out, do their shopping and really enjoy this beautiful time of year in Boston.”
Maler believes bringing in a holiday show has an opportunity to be an entry-point to theater for Bostonians in the way Shakespeare on the Common has, furthering the company’s mission of bringing the community together.
“We want the audience to feel surrounded by the story and engage with the story,” Maler said. “[I want to] do a lot of fun things around that idea of making the story feel very communal and celebratory.”
CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL
At the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St. Dec. 8-22. Presale tickets available starting July 16. commshakes.org
Emily Wyrwa can be reached at emily.wyrwa@globe.com. Follow her @emilywyrwa.