There's a new English-language theater group in town, and they've already commenced rehearsals for a December production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The new company, Shanghai Repertory Theatre, is headed by Rosita L. Janbakhsh, formerly the producer for EastWest Theater.

Rosita split from EastWest, and took much of the EWT creative team with her. Some familiar faces from EastWest will also be on stage for Shanghai Repertory Theater. Rob Tromp is playing Scrooge; Christy Shapiro's the third ghost (Christmas Yet to Come). Charlie Mayer (you may have seen him at Chinatown) will be Bob Cratchit. There will also be many fresh faces.

Janbakhsh tells us she decided to go her own way because of unresolvable differences in vision. She aims to develop a fully legal, professional theater company "with a core,resident group of actors and creative team" so she and the rest of Shanghai Repertory Theatre can tackle "bigger and better and more artistically challenging" plays.

Projects in the making include a theater festival (May 2010), which Janbakhsh hopes will attract other participants from theater companies in Shanghai and from other cities in Asia.

"That's our ultimate goal," Janbakhsh says, "to travel and perform beyond the borders of Shanghai, to be able to invite professional guest stars, etc."

A Christmas Carol is scheduled to run December 2-6 at Ke Center.