Growing Up with A Christmas Carol

Growing Up with A Christmas Carol: An Interview with Tyra Harris

By Theresa MacNaughton, Communications and Community Engagement Associate

Photos courtesy of Stephanie Harris.

Tyra Harris, 12, is growing up with A Christmas Carol. This year marks her fifth appearance in the Charles Dickens holiday classic at Hartford Stage. Tyra’s mother, Stephanie, recalls learning about A Christmas Carol through an email notice she received for local youth auditions. Tyra, then a second grader at the Kinsella Magnet School of the Performing Arts in Hartford, auditioned for a role and was cast as a Cider Child, Angel Baby and Want in the production. Tyra has also played Fred’s Daughter, a Spoiled Child, and a School Boy. This year she plays a Townsperson.

Stephanie and Tyra have loved being part of the Hartford Stage family. Since first getting cast in A Christmas Carol, Tyra immersed herself in acting and has taken numerous Hartford Stage education classes. While she is hard-pressed to pick a favorite class, she is grateful for the guidance she’s received from her teachers and credits them with giving her more confidence when auditioning. Two years ago, Tyra was the youngest participant in an intergenerational oral history project coinciding with Hartford Stage’s production of Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years.” That same year, she understudied the role of Maretha in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. These experiences helped fuel her passion for performing.

Stephanie and her husband, Jay, are proud of Tyra and welcome every opportunity to see their daughter perform. “She’s always singing at home and making up skits with her friends. It’s great to see a positive creative outlet for her to express herself,” Stephanie said.

But it is A Christmas Carol which holds a special place in the Harris family’s hearts.

“It’s definitely a family show, and the costumes are just beautiful. I love being able to introduce new friends to the show, and they return each year to see it,” Stephanie said.

For Tyra, A Christmas Carol is “magical” and she especially loves the snow in the production. “You always have it on you. Even when I get home, sometimes I still find it in my hair.”  She also enjoys working with the large ensemble company, which includes equity actors, students from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, and over two dozen local youth.

When asked what advice she would offer to the new youth cast performing in A Christmas Carol, Tyra said, “Don’t be nervous and have fun. It’s a serious job but a fun one. Everybody becomes family, and it’s an experience you’ll have for the rest of your life.”