Scrooge, center, played by Aidan Losito, meets the three Christmas ghosts: from left, Abigail Karaszewski, Garett Beach and Allison Zelazo. The production of "A Christmas Carol" will be presented by St. Mary School in Swormville on Dec. 14. (Courtesy of St. Mary School)

A unique adaptation of the classic holiday tale, "A Christmas Carol," will be presented live on stage at St. Mary School in Swormvillle on Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. Admission is free.  

A Christmas Carol, by L. Don Swartz, features a cast of 22 students in fifth through eighth-grade.  In addition to well-known characters like Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley and the three ghosts, the production includes a new character referred to as "The Voice." 

Sean Polen is the music teacher and drama director at the school. He will be the director of the production which will be co-directed by Liz Sanderson. Polen said the take on the classic production is always that more respect is needed for the less fortunate in life.  St. Mary School has the flexibility to focus on what faith teaches.

"Pope Francis has made it the hallmark of his papacy to charge us as Catholics to focus on Jesus' teaching about those who are needy," Polen said. "Our modern day Christmas has become so focused on what can I get and what is in it for me, that we have a tendency to overlook that Christ came to help the least among us."  

This timeless story gives a reminder that people often get caught up in the excitement of Jesus' birth, but forget why He was born in the first place. The school's presentation  incorporates that theme very well and has some hidden surprises throughout that make it a very different version of "A Christmas Carol" than people are used to seeing.