A Bay Area tradition for 30 years, American Conservatory Theater’s “A Christmas Carol” opens Dec. 5 in San Francisco and runs through Dec. 24. 

Domenique Lozano, a founding member of the Napa Valley Repertory Theater, is associate director for the production.

Two lower-priced preview performances are scheduled for Dec. 5-6 at 7 p.m.

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” follows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, who over the course of a long Christmas Eve is visited by four ghosts who guide his transformation from coldhearted miser into open-armed philanthropist in one of literature’s most enduring and often-quoted stories of hope, triumph, and communal spirit.

This year’s production of A Christmas Carol features new and revised scenes developed from the Dickens novel, a major revision to the musical score and a new Christmas hymn based on Dickens’ own lyrics.

“I adore this play,” Lozano said. “I adore the risks and the challenges of the play and how it attempts to make the impossible happen onstage with the appearance of ghosts and the magic that must be a part of its telling, as well as the sense of transformation of an entire community and spirit. It’s a thrill to work on this story that is so about community with a community of artists for which it is tailor-made.”

A holiday event for audiences of all ages, A.C.T.’s A Christmas Carol is a multigenerational experience for performers, as the production features a cast composed of professional actors, the entire third-year class of A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program and 16 actors from A.C.T.’s Young Conservatory. Celebrating 30 years at A.C.T. this season, A Christmas Carol is a cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory, having been performed more than 900 times to a collective audience of more than 775,000, employing nearly 1,000 actors and 600 backstage staff along the way.

A.C.T is at 415 Geary St., San Francisco. For ticket services call (415) 749-2228 or visit www.act-sf.org