Theatre of Gadsden presents timeless favorite 'A Christmas Carol' this weekend
It’s a story so linked to Christmas that it’s hard to believe it’s been around for less than two centuries.
Theatre of Gadsden will bring Charles Dickens’ tale of holiday redemption, “A Christmas Carol,” to life Dec. 1-3 at the historic Ritz Theatre in Alabama City.
The play, by John Mortimer, retells the timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his fateful encounter with a group of Yuletide spirits.
The word “iconic” gets thrown around a lot these days, but the enduring character of Scrooge would probably fit that description.
The “clutching, covetous old sinner” is played by a ToG veteran, David Jones, who has performed in 13 previous productions, including “Gypsy,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Big River” and “Anne of Green Gables.”
When he’s not torturing Bob Cratchit on the stage, Jones is a hospice chaplain. He says everybody has a little bit of Scrooge in them — the temptation to pronounce “Humbug!” on the cherished ideas of others.
“There are things that we are a Scrooge about,” Jones said. “It’s just a question of getting to let out that emotion that you don't ordinarily. To be a little angry — it's kinda fun.”
Juli Christensen plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, who begins Scrooge on the journey through his memories, showing him how his heart began to harden.
A longtime admirer of Dickens and all things Victorian, Christensen said she reread the classic novella to better understand her character.
“No matter what variation of this story I experience, I never grow tired of it,” she said. “Its message of hope and redemption has withstood the test of time, and there has never been a greater need than now to share it. It is my hope that we can all have a little more compassion and charity this holiday season and strive to keep a little bit of Christmas in our hearts every day of the year."
“A Christmas Carol” also represents the directorial debut of Nica Hodge, who has worked on several ToG productions since 2015, as stage manager and assistant director. For her first time running the show, Hodge is steering a 54-person cast through a well-known story, retold endless times, where every member of the audience perhaps carries their own ideas of the story into the theatre.
“It can be very intimidating,” she said. “For a first show, it's huge. I think it would be easier if it was a little show that nobody knew. We've got a great cast, people doing community theatre for years and people who have never acted before.”
Hodge said she began preparing for the show by listening to the book several times and reading it, until she could see a picture in her mind of the action on the page. She also consulted several other productions, looking for moments that work, and avoiding ones that don’t.
Dickens leavened his Christmas story with a healthy dose of symbolism, which hasn’t always made it into the popular imagination; for example, Scrooge’s fireplace, with elaborate renderings of moments from the Bible. To Hodge, it was important to nail those details to create the rich tapestry of the story.
“It’s like Christmas every day when we come in here,” she said at a recent rehearsal.
Scrooge’s progress through one fateful night, of course, results in his resolution to keep Christmas in his heart. It’s an idea, Jones said, that is desperately needed.
“The message is great, and especially in the world we live in," Jones said. “People are so divided, and our society is so divided, and there's so many people in need."
“A Christmas Carol” showtimes are 7 p.m. Dec. 1, and 2 p.m .and 7 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students/military and seniors, $15 for groups of 10 or more and $13 for groups of 20 or more.
Tickets are available at www.theatreofgadsden.org or by phone at 256-547-7469 (SHOW).
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Theatre of Gadsden presents 'A Christmas Carol'
