MADISON —  Rabbit Run is throwing a summer-long birthday bash for a guy who was born 200 years ago.

Renowned author Charles Dickens will be honored beyond our standard theater season. It is an enhanced theatrical experience providing numerous events and opportunities to experience Victorian England, its times and customs. 

All of the productions chosen for the summer are based on the works of Dickens.

The season opens June 1 with the one-man show, “The Mystery of Charles Dickens,” followed by the heartwarming musical “Oliver!” 

July brings the epic “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby” and the summer ends with the musical with no ending, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

A pop icon of his age, Dickens was immensely popular not only in his native England but throughout the western world, and his popularity has waned little over the past 140 years. Prolific author (15 novels, hundreds of short stories), actor, theatrical director, lecturer, advocate for children’s rights and social critic, Dickens not only entertained the world at large; he changed it forever.

The shows 

The one-actor show, “The Mystery of Charles Dickens” by Peter Ackroyd brings to life no less than 49 of Dickens most beloved and some not-so-loved characters. Rabbit Run is the only theater to ever produce this show aside from the productions in London’s West End and on Broadway featuring actor Simon Callow. Actor and Dickens enthusiast Mark Cipra is the featured performer. “The Mystery of Charles Dickens” runs for two weekends only, June 1 through June 9.

The three-time, Tony Award winning musical “Oliver!” is a family friendly production in more ways than one. Not only are family members of any age encouraged to come, but the cast itself is made up of no fewer than nine families who have at least two family members in the cast. “Oliver!,” with music, lyrics and book by Lionel Bart, runs from June 15 through June 30.

“The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” by David Edgar is an epic production that was phenomenally successful in London and New York. The show was originally produced by London’s Royal Shakespeare Company and is considered one of the greatest theatrical experiences of our time. This two-part show is rarely produced due to its scope and scale. Nickleby opens July 6 and runs to Aug. 5.

Closing out the summer from Aug. 17 through Sept. 1 is “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” a musical by Rupert Holmes. The murder mystery by the same name was Dickens’ last and unfinished work as he died before he could disclose “who-done-it.” Each night the audience decides who the culprit is making this a show that never ends the same way twice.

The events

Show-specific events are planned all summer long to give Rabbit Run patrons the opportunity to not only see Victorian culture as depicted in a play but to participate in Victorian culture, giving them a broader theater experience.

A Dickens of a Summer – A Reading Celebration is a book reading and discussion series held in collaboration with the Madison Public Library, the Morley Library and the Perry Public Library. Participants can read a book, discuss the book and see the play, making Dickens’s incomparable characters come alive.

The featured novels for this series are “Oliver Twist” (Perry Public Library), “Nicholas Nickleby” (Morley Library) and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Madison Public Library), corresponding to the productions at Rabbit Run. Participants may read one or all of the books.

As an added benefit, all participants in the reading program receive two Rabbit Run Theater show tickets to the production corresponding to the book in the series. 

Kirsten Parkinson, associate professor of English at Hiram, is the season-long humanities scholar for this reading program and will give the presentations and lead the discussions for each of the Dickens works featured. This book series is funded in part by the Ohio Humanities Council.

A Dickens Dance: Guests will learn several English country dances similar to those seen in the feature films “Pride and Prejudice,” “Emma” and “Sense and Sensibility.” Live music and a dance caller will be on hand to lead the dances June 30, prior to a performance of the “Oliver!” and July 29 in between the matinee and evening performance of “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.” A Dickens Dance begins both evenings at 6 on the grounds of the theater. Tickets are $8/person (does not include show ticket). Call the box office at 440-428-7092 for reservations.

A Day of Dickens On three Sundays only, July 22, July 29 and Aug. 5, patrons may see both Part I and Part II of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. In between performances they may enjoy a Dickens dinner on the theater’s patio. The Dickens dinner is a traditional Englishman’s meal. The boxed dinner features a choice of either a hearty roast beef sandwich, a chicken salad sandwich or a cucumber sandwich. Fresh garden vegetables with dressing, homemade English potato crisps, fresh seasonal fruit with cream, English shortbread and Welsh tea cake and beverage are all included. Tickets for A Day of Dickens are $45/person (includes a ticket to Part I and Part II as well as boxed meal.)

The Frivolity and Fashions of the 1800’s What did people do for fun before the electronic revolution and what is with those hoop skirts, anyways? On Aug. 19, guests will participate in popular parlor games of Victorian England as well as a fashion show of the latest trends, circa 1860. Light refreshments will be served. Frivolity and Fashions begins at 6 p.m. at Rabbit Run Theater. Tickets are $8/person (does not include theater ticket). Period dress is encouraged, but not required.

A special added bonus for those with an interest in the Dickens productions at Rabbit Run Theater is a season-long online ticket lottery. Individuals, both adults and students will may register online to win a pair of tickets to one of the Dickens productions. Rabbit Run has committed to providing tickets for every individual performance throughout the season. The online ticket lottery is supported in part by the Ohio Humanities Council and through the generosity of a private donor. To enter this ticket lottery, visit www.rabbitrunonline.org. One entry per person per week.

Theater tickets are available by calling the box office at 428-7092 or online at www.rabbitrunonline.org. Box office hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 3 to 7 p.m. 

Rabbit Run Theater is located at 5648 W. Chapel Road. It is one of the few remaining barn theaters in Ohio.