Bernadette Nason has read Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” nearly every year since she was 10 years old. She has read it while commuting in London, sitting on the rooftop of her company building in Libya and relaxing on a beach in Dubai. When she came to the United States 20 years ago, making Austin her home, she discovered that stage adaptations of the Dickens classic were “full-scale musical productions” — quite different from what she thought they should be.

“I thought they lost some of the simplicity Charles Dickens had intended for his redemption tale,” she said.

So Nason, an actress and storyteller, decided to create a production of her own, a one-woman presentation of the abridged version of the novel, verbatim and with few props and sets. She has acted out “A Christmas Carol” alone since 2004, when she started going to schools in the area to help students grasp the meaning of the story. She has also performed it for a couple of Austin theater groups and is taking her one-woman show to Bastrop this weekend.

From Dec. 14-16, Nason will be at the Bastrop Opera House with only a couple of stools, benches and a coat and hat rack on stage with her, performing “A Christmas Carol” in the simple way she imagined Dickens had done it when he held public readings of his work.

She has taken the show to Bastrop this year in honor of Dickens’ 200th birthday, which would’ve been in February. She had intended to tour Texas more widely, but wasn’t able to schedule additional venues in time.

But as she has always done, she plans to put her heart and soul into the performance at the Bastrop Opera House, a Victorian theater built in 1889. She said the performance runs about an hour long, and she zips from character to character, using distinct voices to keep them straight for the audience. She also makes sure that her version of “A Christmas Carol” isn’t “over-sentimentalized,” as she believes many U.S. adaptations of the story are.

“It’s quite a dark story,” she said. “I try to keep the darkness so that Scrooge’s redemption means something at the end.”

Theater & dance

“The Attic Space.” Palindrome Theatre presents a play with puppetry. Opens Friday. 8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 22. $10; Wednesday’s performance is pay what you can. Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 E. Manor Road. 736-5191, www.palindrometheatre.com.

“Land Without Evil.” Sky Candy presents an aerial stage show adapted from a novel by Matthew Pallamary. 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $20. Stateside at the Paramount, 719 N. Congress Ave. 474-1221, www.austintheatre.org.

Family

“Peter Pan: The Musical.” A presentation by Austin Children’s Theater. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $10-$15. The Vortex, 2307 Manor Road. 927-6633, www.actpresents.org.

Literary events

Author appearance. Chef Jesse Griffiths speaks and signs copies of “Afield: A Chef’s Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish.” 7 p.m. Friday. Free. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. 472-5050, www.bookpeople.com.

“The Moth: On the Road.” An interactive evening dedicated to the art of storytelling. 8 p.m. Friday. $50-$60. The Paramount Theatre, 713 N. Congress Ave. 474-1221, www.austintheatre.org.

Film

Blue Starlite Urban Mini Drive-In. “Gremlins,” 6 p.m. Friday. Double feature: “Christmas Vacation” and “A Christmas Story,” 6 p.m. Saturday. Drive-in slots $25, walk-in and bike-in admission $5. Blue Starlite III, 1901 E. 51st St. www.bluestarlitedrivein.com.

ERCATX! An evening dedicated to moving image artists, with short films and video projects. 8 p.m. Friday. Free. Tiny Park Gallery, 1101 Navasota St., Suite 2. www.ercatx.org.

Music

Hurricane Sandy Musician Benefit. Proceeds benefit Un-Flood BK Music. 7 p.m. Friday. $7. Holy Mountain, 617 E. Sixth St. www.holymountainaustin.com.

Upcoming recreation

Girls on the Run 5K. A family-friendly event for walkers and runners. 8 a.m. Saturday. $25. Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park, 6614 Blue Bluff Road. 608-4687, www.gotraustin.org.

Run for Your Lives. A zombie-infested 5K obstacle course race and party. 9 a.m. Saturday. $87. Big Longhorn Ranch, 294 CR 231, Cedar Creek. www.runforyourlives.com.

Holiday events

Austin Children’s Nutcracker. Austin City Ballet presents an original adaptation of the holiday classic, starring young dancers. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $15-$25. Dougherty Arts Center Theatre, 1110 Barton Springs Road. 537-7045, www.austincityballet.org.

Ballet Austin’s ‘The Nutcracker.’ 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, plus additional performances through Dec. 23. $12-$75. Michael & Susan Dell Hall at the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive. 476-2163, www.thelongcenter.org.

Buda Trail of Lights. Holiday lights, vendors and food. Opens Friday. 6 to 10 p.m. nightly, through Dec. 20. Free. Historic Stagecoach Park, 800 Main St., Buda. 295-7170, www.ci.buda.tx.us/Calendar.aspx?EID=29.

Center Stage Texas Holiday Showcase. A family-friendly evening of singing, dancing, skits and more. 6 p.m. Friday. Free. Center Stage Texas Theatre, 2826 Real St. 391-1800, www.centerstagetexas.com.

“A Christmas Carol Radio Play.” The Way Off Broadway Community Players present a comedic play. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. WOBCP Theatre, 11880 W. FM 2243, Leander. 259-5878, www.wobcp.org.

“Christmas Is ON the Air.” An original comedy variety show by the Spuradical Players. 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, through Dec. 22. $10-$18. The Salado Silver Spur, 108 Royal St., Salado. 254-947-3456, www.saladosilverspur.com.

“Dashing Through the Snow.” A Christmas comedy set in a tiny Texas town. 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. $10-$12. The Gaslight-Baker Theatre, 216 S. Main St., Lockhart. 376-5653, www.gaslightbakertheatre.org.

Ebenezer’s Journey. Watch Dickens-era England come to life, with vendors, singing and an interactive performance of “A Christmas Carol.” 7 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. $12. Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr. 837-1215, www.pioneerfarms.org.

The Grapes & Friends Annual Xmas Extravaganza. Dress festively and bring old holiday photos. 9 p.m. Friday. $5. The Hole in the Wall, 2538 Guadalupe St. 302-1470, www.facebook.com/events/448680708522253.

“Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical.” A family-friendly holiday show. 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 30. Special 7:30 p.m. weekday performances Dec. 20, 26 and 27. 2 p.m. Saturday shows this Saturday and Dec. 22 only. $10-$24. The Georgetown Palace Theatre, 810 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown. 869-7469, www.georgetownpalace.com.

Noel: An Early Christmas Eurotour. A holiday performance presented by the Texas Early Music Project. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. $15-$25. Friday-Saturday: First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis Ave. Sunday: First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive. 377-6961, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/266878.

Poo Poo Platter: A Very Scary Christmas. A holiday drag show, costume contest and toy drive for Toys for Tots. 11 p.m. Friday. $3. Elysium, 705 Red River St. 474-2285, www.elysiumonline.net.

The Sagittarius Ball. Slacker Magazine hosts a benefit for Toys for Tots, with food, live music and an ugly sweater contest. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday. $5; free entry with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy. Club de Ville, 900 Red River St. www.facebook.com/events/420764947989940.

“Starshine.” A holiday-themed cabaret show. Opens Friday. 8:45 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m. Dec. 21 and Dec. 22. $5-$10. Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St., Bastrop. 303-6283, www.bastropoperahouse.com.