A Ghost of an Idea

A Christmas Carol was put on by the New Heritage Theatre Company in association with the Morrison Center. The play adapted by Barbara Field and originally produced by The Guthrie Theatre was originally written by Charles Dickens in 1843 and is one of his best known stories.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a hardened old man who hates Christmas. He is taught the true meaning of Christmas by ghosts that show him his past, present and future, and what will become of him if he doesn’t change.
The tale unfolds in an old English village. There are signs of poverty and wealth mixed together in an untidy heap of color and grays.
Probably one of the most marvelous things about the production of this play was the incredible set, and lighting co-designed by Brent Karlberg, and Genny Wynn.
Ghosts popping out of the floor, side walls opening, homes moving into the center of the stage, city streets becoming evident, and a graveyard, all in the telling of the story. The lighting changed the atmosphere from dark to light hearted. We believe that an old man can be capable of transformation after he is exposed to the true way of things, and made to feel them in all their passion and tenderness, that he had up to that time disregarded and became deadened to.
Ebenezer Scrooge over a period of time became the hardened man that we see in the beginning of the story, a series of flash backs show the audience how disappointment and neglect managed to make him the distrustful hateful old man we come to associate with the name Scrooge. Living life in a harsh boarding school, being separated from the sister he loves, then later his sister’s death at a young age. His first job was little more then slave labor, these things and more lead to his desire to be wealthy and hold on to that wealth for securities sake.
Jacob Marley’s high regard for Scrooge caused the chain of events and the visits from the spirits from the past, present and future. Jacob Marley and Scrooge were business partners for many years and worked together in their business, until Marley died on Christmas Eve seven years before. Since that time, Marley had been carrying the chains of regret because of his greed and failure to help those in need. Perhaps he gets to work off some of his time of punishment in the afterlife if he recruits the most hardened man of all? As unsentimental as we view Jacob Marley, there is a realization that there must be something in it for him. What if he sheds some light on the horrible outcome of living in the next world when one leads a life of selfishness and greed?
And so as expected, Scrooge goes through a series of reluctant journeys in which each spirit imparts a truth from the past present and future. Learning that no good comes from hording one’s wealth, but in helping and sharing it with others.
Scrooge wakes up Christmas morning and realizes that he has survived the night and has a chance to set things right. He solemnly thanks Jacob Marley’s memory and praises the spirits that taught him a lesson and begins his new life of amends.
Our narrator, Charles Dickens, tells us that Scrooge’s last years were spent in goodness and generosity and he was loved by all who knew him.
There were many talents that contributed to the telling of this story; I will name the ones that I talked about in this review.

Michael Denney portrayed Jacob Marley’s ghost in eerie detail. Ebenezer Scrooge was performed by Craig Kreiser. Charles Dickens, the story narrator was Luke Massengill.
The diversity of the costumes seemed to fit the time and was presented to us by Vicky Nebecker-DeStasio. There were the drab browns of poverty, the bright silks of the wealthy, the winter bonnets in wool, and the stylish hats worn by men of business. Small boys in knee pants chasing little girls in plain drab dresses, finally ghosts in glowing rags and chains.
This was the dress rehearsal that I was privileged to see so I am hoping that they fixed the acoustics.
The Narrator was drowned out by the carolers and when Scrooge yelled no one else was heard on the stage. There was also trouble making out what the characters were saying as the sound echoed off the walls. Anytime anyone sang on stage all the sound and back ground description was drowned in the noise.
A pleasing version of Christmas Carol. May your spirits be happy and bright this season.