A new play, “Carole’s Christmas,” takes its cue from that classic holiday tale — Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” — but shifts the story. Specifically, it asks: What if there are only the ghosts of Christmas past and present, but not the future?

The play, written by Emma Palzere-Rae, will be given staged readings, co-produced by Emerson Theater Collaborative and Mysterium Theater, this weekend in Mystic.

The title character is a middle-aged dance professor who learns she has four weeks to live. Carole decides not to battle the diagnosis but rather to celebrate Christmas — even though it’s only July.

“With her daughter Ivy, best friend Marla, estranged husband Paul — and even the benefits manager from the university — by her side, Carole refuses to succumb to sadness and instead searches for the light in her situation. In the end, the magic of Christmas prevails,” according to the show’s press release.

Marla Ladd directs the production.

“Carole’s Christmas” is dedicated to Lisa Giordano. Giordano, who passed away in May 2024, co-founded Emerson Theater Collaborative alongside Palzere-Rae and Camilla Ross.

“Carole’s Christmas,” 7 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and 4 p.m. Sun., First United Methodist Church, 23 Willow St., Mystic; tickets $15-$20; https://bit.ly/CarolesChristmas24.