The tradition continues as the Hobnob Theatre Company's annual showing of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is in full production mode, a new Scrooge at the helm.

The show will open Dec. 16 at the Succop Theater on the Butler County Community College campus.

The show is once again under the direction of Liz and Ken Smith, founders of the Hobnob. The duo has featured Shakespeare's works but has made it their mission to give Butler audiences this holiday classic. And for the past three years stage veteran Bob Meals, who will be portraying Scrooge this year, has been involved.

He's been Jacob Marley and Old Joe the pawn broker.

“The challenge there was that I never had the same acting partners twice. It was fun working with different Scrooges,” Meals said. “As to audience expectations, I hope no one goes away saying, 'I wish he'd have stuck with Marley!'”

Meals describes his character as “simply complicated.”

“He is dedicated to the acquisition and retention of money. Until the seventh Christmas after the death of his business partner Jacob Marley, he cares for nothing more than that,” Meals said.

And while Scrooge tries to make up for the past, Meals is challenged by it.

“Everyone's seen it, and almost everyone's done it. I have to earn my place among Marlo Thomas, Ron Lockwood, Bill Murray, Thom Hilliard, George C. Scott, Thom Bennett, Michael Caine, Greg Crawford, Albert Finney, Jeff Carey, Jim Carrey, Alistair Sim (my favorite), and the countless other men and women around the world in the past, present and the future who have or will play this icon,” Meals said.

But for him, it is truly more than just playing a role. It's about the experience as a whole, and what the show means to the community.

“The best thing about doing 'A Christmas Carol' with Hobnob is that Ken and Liz and the others who work with them have the same respect for the material that I think I have,” Meals said.

“I think the audiences that come to see the show expect a joyful, thoughtful and above all entertaining evening that, to borrow from Dickens himself, 'Shall not put (them) off the season,'” he said.

Playing the role of Scrooge's old business partner, Jacob Marley, will be John Henry Steelman of Indiana Borough, who brings more than 20 years of acting experience to the boards but will be taking on the show with Hobnob for the first time.

“The best thing about acting is making a character come to life,” Steelman said. “I find this to be true whether the play is a classic or a brand new work, regardless of what theatrical company I'm working with.”

Steelman in 2007 played Scrooge in an Indiana Players production.

Sarah Altomari of Summit Township is preparing for her role of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

“When making acting choices about this character, it helps for me to think of her as a childlike version of Galadriel from 'Lord of the Rings.' She clearly has wisdom that Scrooge does not have, but rather than sharing that wisdom she is leading him to find it on his own,” Altomari said.

The role calls for the character to stand still and motionless for periods of time and that is not too tall of an order for Altomari, she said.

“Another strength I am bringing to this character is my ability to talk in a sing-song voice that isn't overly annoying,” she said.

She finds freedom in the fact she hasn't been in the show before.

“This leaves me with the freedom to take my character where I want her to be without worrying about past performances,” she said.

The large cast will stage the show three times from Dec. 16 to 18.

WHO: Hobnob Theatre CompanyWHAT: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles DickensWHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18WHERE: Succop Theater at Butler County Community CollegeTICKETS: $10 for adults and $5 for children at www.hobnobtheatre.com/tickets, or at May’s Music Shoppe in December. If available, tickets will be sold at the door one hour prior to curtain.