When the eating and visiting start to take their toll this holiday season the theatre beckons. Traditional fare served light, fast, and mild cleanses the palette and prepares us to embrace family, friends, and all that comes with the festivities. Among the many offerings A Christmas Carol at ACT (through December 29) offers precisely this formula. In a breakneck hour and a half Director John Langs and his capable cast take audiences through the familiar tale of the miser turned magnanimous by multiple materializations and many Merry Christmases.
Along with the requisite plot, in all its Dickensian convolution, this production is awash in punch and jam packed with carols half-forgotten in our current culture. We’re not talking about The Boar’s Head Carol here, but there are a few pieces that may be unfamiliar along with many renditions of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Other atavistic elements include several rounds of Blind Man’s Bluff used to great dramatic effect. In addition to pre-electronic social games there are also social dances rendered so naturally by choreographer, Wade Madsen, that one feels entirely at home with at Fezziwig’s Christmas party.
Peter Crook gives us a Scrooge who is less frightening in himself than in the response others have to him. Matt Schwader gives us this show’s most honestly poignant moment in Fred’s silent concern that his interference might cost Bob Cratchit his job. Without this context Scrooge’s bluster has no bite.
Likewise Hillary Clemens, as Belle, provides most of the chemistry in Scrooge’s brief but pivotal romance. Unfortunately the scene capsizes into melodrama in the break-up, but this is true to Dickens and a crowd pleaser. It is also only the beginning. The sentiment pours on almost until Chrristmas morning.
Relief comes in a lull in the momentum, common to productions of this tale, when we come to Scrooge’s grave. We feel less empathy than an impatience for Scrooge to get over himself and get on with giving away geese. The production eschews the many political qualities of the story and determinedly entertains. There is no exhortation here to follow Scrooge’s example. The show asks nothing of the audience but the favor of our attention. The closest we come to a sermon is Tiny Tim’s carefully phrased “God bless us…everyone!”
With the mourning over Tiny Tim a vanished fantasy, the show explodes into giddiness. Here too there is no risk-taking. Crook’s performance points to the potential for complexity as Scrooge’s transformation shocks and could frighten his community. Instead they overcome their incredulity with only slight hesitation before accepting him at last. We also follow this example setting aside Scrooge’s demand for perfection in favor of Tiny Tim’s determined acceptance and even joy in his lot. This Christmas Carol is not great but it is plenty good enough.
