Klingon Christmas Carol

A Klingon Christmas Carol
Poster Art for 2009 (MN) and 2012 (IL) productions of A Klingon Christmas Carol. Design by David Talarico; Copyright Commedia Beauregard
Written by	Christopher Kidder-Mostrom Sasha Warren Translation by Laura Thurston Bill Hedrick Christopher Kidder-Mostrom Chris Lipscombe
Characters	see below
Date premiered	December 8, 2007
Place premiered	Saint Paul, Minnesota
Original language	Klingon
Subject	A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Genre	play, parody
Official site

A Klingon Christmas Carol is the first play to be performed entirely in Klingon, a constructed language first appearing in the television series Star Trek. The play is based on the Charles Dickens novella, A Christmas Carol. A Klingon Christmas Carol is the Charles Dickens classic tale of ghosts and redemption, adapted to reflect the Klingon values of courage and honor, and then translated into Klingon, performed with English supertitles.

Originally created as a fundraiser for Commedia Beauregard theatre company, it was written in 2007 by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom and Sasha Warren and was originally translated by Laura Thurston, Bill Hedrick and Christopher Kidder-Mostrom. Additional content and translations were provided by Chris Lipscombe when the show was expanded in 2010.

Commedia Beauregard produced the play from 2007 to 2010 in Minnesota and in Chicago from 2010 to 2014. The play has also been presented in Cincinnati in 2013, and Washington DC, in 2014. Additionally, the play returned to Minnesota in 2014.

The play opens in a classroom; a member of the Vulcan Institute of Cultural Anthropology begins a comparative lecture on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and its Klingon counterpart tlhIngan ram nI' bom (Klingon Long Night's Song). The Vulcan Narrator is assisted by members of the Imperial Klingon Players, who proceed to act out the play. SQuja', a Klingon money lender, demonstrates a lack of courage and honor - refusing to participate in the "Year Games" and to provide assistance to the sons and daughters of fallen warriors. He is visited first by his deceased partner, marlI', who tells him that he will be visited by three spirits; these will prevent him from sharing marlI's fate of fighting without end and without glory. The first spirit to arrive - ben qeylIS qa' (Ghost of Kahless Past) takes him on a journey through his history - first at his school, then at the party of his former employer (veSIwIq) and finally to a moment shared with his former mate, bel. He is returned to his quarters and anxiously awaits the arrival of the next spirit.