‘A Christmas
Carol’
By ADAM
TANOUS
Express Arts Editor
While
Charles Dickens’ classic tale "A Christmas Carol" has been
told, staged and filmed countless times since it was first published in
1843, its central idea—that of moral transformation—will likely always
resonate with audiences. It is so basic as to almost define the nature of
being human. What’s more, Dickens peoples his story with vivid
characters like Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.
Andrew
Alburger and Renee Knappenberger rehearse "A Christmas
Carol." Photo by Kirsten Shultz
Thursday at
7 p.m. marks the opening curtain for the Company of Fools production of
"A Christmas Carol." Playwright Douglas Jones has adapted the
story to the stage for the Fools. The play will run Thursdays through
Sundays until Dec. 30 at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. Curtain time is 7
p.m., except for the Sunday shows, which start at 3 p.m.
The
original story of "A Christmas Carol" is of the miserly and mean
Ebeneezer Scrooge. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by an apparition
of his deceased business partner, Marley. Then, the ghosts of Christmas
Past, Christmas Present and Christmas As Yet To Come take Scrooge on a
tour of his bleak life, past, present and future.
Scrooge
sees his loveless life amount to little more than a headstone no one will
visit. It is a realization that causes Scrooge to change his ways. With
new kindness toward Cratchit and Tiny Tim, Scrooge is transformed.
Starring in
the Fools’ production are Andrew Alburger, Everett Frazer Ford, John
Glenn, Renee Knappenberger, Jennifer Perry, Richard Rush and Russell
Simone Wilson. Denise Simone is directing the production.
Simone said
that this adaptation is about 50 minutes long and, though not a musical,
it is what she terms a "play with music." A pianist will be on
stage at all times accompanying carolers during the play. There will also
be carolers in the lobby as the audience enters the theater. It is the
company’s hope to "expand the experience beyond the
footlights," Simone said.
To that
end, the Company of Fools has also organized a series of events around the
production. On Thursdays and Sundays, students of the Sun Valley Summer
Symphony Music Conservatory will perform in front of the theater 30
minutes before curtain time. The Community Carolers will offer up some
holiday songs at Friday and Saturday performances, again 30 minutes before
curtain time.
On Friday,
Dec. 14 and 21, there will be a Holiday Gift Fair in the E.G. Willis
Building from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Local artisans will set up shop and sell
items such as hand decorated cookies, pottery, jewelry and hand painted
bird houses.
Of the six
actors in the show, all but Alburger (Scrooge), will play two to four
parts and will be on stage in some form at all times. Great use will be
made of sheets—for effects, costuming and as sets—because the
production will emphasize the ghost story aspect of the tale, Simone said.
As to her
role as director, she tries to "remove obstacles for the actors and
not to impose too much." Of late, Simone has been more likely to be
on stage than directing. She likened her return to directing to "not
exercising for a long time."
She
recognized the difficulty of doing a play that has been produced on
television, film, on Broadway and on countless regional stages. But she
added, "Since Sept. 11, each story we do resonates strongly."
Putting on this play is a way to reaffirm the "hope that any of us
can awaken from our darkness and have new opportunity and hope."