A New Stage for a Familiar Face
Dennis Haskins is ready for his next act. The veteran actor, forever etched into pop culture history as the exasperated principal Mr. Belding on the hit sitcom Saved by the Bell, is stepping back onto the stage. He has officially signed on to star in a major regional holiday production of A Christmas Carol in late 2026. Haskins will take on the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge at the Cumberland Playhouse in Crossville, Tennessee. It is a homecoming of sorts, and a very deliberate move to keep shaping a legacy that goes far beyond the nostalgic halls of Bayside High.
The Electric Pull of Live Theater
At 75, many actors might be content to coast on nostalgia conventions and autograph signings. Haskins still does those. In fact, he does them with genuine warmth and gratitude. But the itch to perform live never really went away.
“There is a different kind of electricity in a theater,” Haskins said when discussing the upcoming project. “On television, you get another take. On stage, you have to be completely present. If you drop a line, you have to fight your way out of it right there in front of hundreds of people. I love that challenge. It keeps you sharp.”
Returning to Tennessee Roots
The choice of venue is highly personal. Haskins grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Decades after leaving his home state to find success in Hollywood, he returned to his roots. In 2015, at the age of 65, he made headlines by earning his bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He finished what he had started years earlier before his career took off.
Taking the stage at the Cumberland Playhouse, one of the state’s premier regional theaters, feels like a full-circle moment. Cumberland Playhouse officials are thrilled about the casting. They note that Haskins brings a unique blend of name recognition and genuine classical training to the production. The theater’s artistic team expects the show to draw audiences from across the Southeast, eager to see the television icon in a brand-new light.
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Redefining an Icon
Playing Scrooge requires a delicate balance of bitterness and vulnerability. It is a massive departure from the cheerful, slightly goofy authority figure that defined Haskins’ career for decades. Saved by the Bell ended its original run in 1993, but syndication kept Mr. Belding alive for generations of viewers. Haskins has never run away from the role. He still speaks of the show with immense respect. Yet, he is quick to point out that an actor’s journey does not end when the cameras stop rolling on their biggest hit.
“People see you as one thing, and that is understandable when a show is as big as ours was,” Haskins remarked. “But I was an actor before Bayside, and I am an actor after it. Playing someone as complex as Scrooge allows me to use different muscles. He starts in such a dark, lonely place and has to find his humanity again. That is a beautiful journey to take an audience on.”
The Hard Work of the Holiday Season
Preparing for a grueling holiday run is no small feat. The 2026 production will demand multiple shows a week, a rigorous rehearsal schedule, and the physical stamina required to command a stage for over two hours. Haskins is already preparing. He focuses on staying active, keeping his voice sharp, and studying the classic text. For him, the work itself is the reward. He wants to prove that age is just a number and that artistic growth does not have an expiration date.
When the curtain rises in Crossville next year, audiences will undoubtedly include a few fans hoping for a glimpse of the man who ran Bayside High. But Haskins is confident that by the time the first ghost appears, they will forget about Mr. Belding entirely. They will just see an actor doing what he does best, continuing to build a rich, varied life on the stage.
