PLAY REVIEW: See play for Scrooge, spirits

Dec. 9—PLAY REVIEW

VALDOSTA — If for no other reason, see Theatre Guild Valdosta's "A Christmas Carol" for Bryan Layton's performance as Ebenezer Scrooge.

And the spirits.

At a nearly three-hour running time, "A Christmas Carol" is long. Really long. The version contains long passages of Charles Dickens' original manuscript narrated by groups of Guild actors and several Christmas songs.

But the performances are strong, especially Layton and Whitney Singletary as the Spirit of Christmas Present, Sunny Lee as the Spirit of Christmas Past and Caleb Andrus as the ghost of Jacob Marley.

Singletary brings a vivacious charm to Christmas Present, leading Scrooge through the Christmas Day to come. She enters with an almost larger-than-life presence then transforms beautifully to the more diminished Spirit as visions of the coming day slip away.

Lee is a more ethereal presence as Christmas Past. She moves like mist, like the lifting of a veil personified, as she leads Scrooge through memories of his past.

Andrus is appropriately frightening and jarring as Marley, the seven-years-dead business partner, returned to warn Scrooge that his miserly ways in the material world forges long chains of despair he will bear in the afterlife if he does not change his ways.

Joshua Luke, Tasha Conrad and Blake Carnline create a sympathetic portrait respectively of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's put-upon clerk, Mrs. Cratchit, Bob's frustrated wife, and Tiny Tim, the sickly child at the heart of "A Christmas Carol."

But it is Layton who carries the show. Scrooge is in every scene. Even when he's just observing tableaus of the past, present and future, he's still deeply involved in each scene.

Layton conveys the many shades of Scrooge, from miser, to terror-filled man haunted by spirits and even more by his actions, to the repentant man seeking forgiveness and a chance to mend his ways, to redeemed Scrooge who carries Christmas in his heart every day of the year.

Layton makes these changes believable and he brings the familiar character to new life. A brilliant, multi-faceted performance.

Brock Gilliard creates a haunting tale but, as Dickens did, one steeped in hope.

Theatre Guild Valdosta's "A Christmas Carol," continues 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, Saturday, Dec. 10; 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11; 7:30 p.m., Dec. 15-17; 2 p.m., Dec. 18, The Dosta Playhouse, 122 N. Ashley St. More information: Visit theatreguildvaldosta.com or call (229) 247-8243.

This review is based on the Wednesday night dress rehearsal performance.