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by Fred C. Wilson III
December 10, 2010
A Play for All Seasons
Part One
“Reflect on your present blessings of which every man/woman has many; not on your past misfortunes of which all people have some.”
–Charles Dickens–
Chicago’s Goodman Theatre’s annual presentation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a must do event during the Holiday season. I had the privilege of reviewing this annual Chicago event for Mega Scene a week ago. The main character Ebenezer Scrooge played by John Judd, an actor with a long list of impressive film and stage credits, staged a splendid performance. In your writer’s professional opinion Mr. Judd was on par, if not above, with former Scrooge greats as Alastair Sim the late Scottish artiste who put the Scrooge character on the theatrical ‘map’ alongside other acting greats. Even George C. Scott of ‘Patton’ fame could take a side seat next to Judd. He was that good!
‘A Christmas Carol’ is a book many Dickens Scholars consider his finest work. The performance starts with Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a mean-spirited, mad-at-the-world, sort of fellow who’s a miser’s miser. Old man Scrooge hates the world and everyone in it. Basically he’s angry at himself over his misspent life. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve seven years after the death of his business partner and best friend Jacob Marley. Old Scrooge’s personality is established in the first part (stave) of the play. The Dickens play masterfully draws audiences into the soulless personality of the stingy businessman. Theatre goers are immediately repelled by the play’s lead character a broken man who has no place in his stilted life for romantic love, kindness, compassion, or the works of charity. Throughout Christmas Carol he utters his time honored words “Bah-humbug!” which codifies his world view.
On the night before Christmas evil Scrooge is visited by three life changing spirits. The first spirit of the evening is the Ghost of Christmas Past who transports Scrooge to his boyhood home when he was a young schoolboy. This spirit presents him with scenes of his life when he was of a kinder, gentler nature, a time when he still had some semblance of humanity left.
The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to several radically different scenes. The initial scene is one of a market where busy shoppers are making their last minute purchases for their holiday dinners. Scene two focuses on the meager Christmas bill a fair of Scrooge’s impoverished clerk Bob Cratchit in the Goodman performance is played by Ron Rains whose other credits include: Passion Play, A Good War, The Quiet Man, and many more ‘feathers’ in his thespian ‘cap.’ The second spirit takes Scrooge to the hovels of the poor. All this is an effort to bring wicked old Ebenezer Scrooge to his senses before he meets the same fate as his business partner-HELL. Unlike other Christmas Carol performances I’ve seen throughout my life, the Goodman play shows audiences Bob Marley going screaming, kicking, and clawing his way to a fiery Hell but more on special effects later.
The final spirit of the evening is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This is when things get really graphic. This spirit is none other than the Grim Reaper; Mr. Death! The black hooded terror stands tall. With scythe in hand, it silently shows Scrooge his last end. This ghost silently warns old Ebenezer, who’s literally quaking in his slippers, that he’ll end up like his now silent partner if he fails to get his act together. His neglected grave, former helpers fighting over his stuff, and his enemies (the human race) speaking ill of him now that he’s ‘six feet under’. They all remind the still living Scrooge that if he’s going to change he’d better be damn quick about it. After this meeting old Scrooge is scared straight; he’s a changed man. His conversion is complete!
In the final stave, Scrooge awakens. Its Christmas morning and he’s still alive! He didn’t fry after all! Immediately he lives his reformation experience! With joy and love in his heart, the born again ex-miser spends his Christmas Day at his nephew with his family drinking, dancing, embracing and kissing female relatives, eating, and having the time of his life! To the couple collecting alms both of whom he earlier “bah humbugged” out of his office, he gives a more than generous donation with a pledge of future support. Mr. Scrooge spends the rest of Christmas Day at the Cratchits. With love in his heart which now overflows with kindness and generosity towards all, he says “Merry Christmas” to everybody he meets on the streets on his long walk back home. The play ends on the day after Christmas with Scrooge giving his associate Bob Cratchit a hefty raise. His transformation complete, Scrooge quickly gains a reputation of the man who’s the embodiment of the Christmas spirit.
LA CRITIQUE
The theme of the play rings true today 2010 as it did in 1843 when it was written, wasted lives end tragically. Throughout the play there were a variety of special effects that was absent from earlier performances; the large video screens, semi-invisible cables that enabled the two main characters to ‘fly’ overhead, the flaming fireplace with attendant noises that showed Marley frightful decent into Hades, and other modern enhancements that detracted nothing from the original character of Dickens play. Modern technology enhanced the play making each scene more meaningful, fully alive, and the supporting cast rendered a masterful performance throughout the evening.
ABOUT PART TWO
Next week part two we’ll explore Dickens the man, life in mid-19th century London, the London Poor Laws a key factor behind the writing of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ the relevance of Charles Dickens in the 21st century, how we can end poverty in the Philippines and globally. In the mean time that’s it for this week’s MegaScene’s Philippine Adventures. Reader may GOD bless you and your family. Drive sober and never drop your ‘guard’ (reserve) at holiday office parties or you’ll be sorry the morning after. See you next week.
(vamaxwell@yahoo.com)