From the story that gave us the expression “Bah, humbug!” and the character Scrooge—A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, a new holiday tradition will debut next week.
Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Charles Pasternak has adapted Dickens’ beloved story and will direct the upcoming Santa Cruz Shakespeare production opening next week in the downtown Santa Cruz Veterans Hall. The story is well-known, well-loved, and will warm the hearts of audiences of every age.
The ghost of Jacob Marley—greedy business partner of tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge—is condemned to an afterlife bound in chains. His midnight visit to Scrooge sets up a series of emotional episodes that will transform the cold-hearted Scrooge into a generous benefactor. Mike Ryan, former Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director plays Scrooge, with Julie James, Charlotte Munson, Robert Zelaya, and Andrea Sweeney Blanco, also young actors Lincoln Best and Joseph Pratt Lukefahr alternating the role of Tiny Tim.
We asked Charles Pasternak, Mike Ryan, and Julie James about this eagerly-awaited production.
Charles Pasternak: The key thing for me in adapting Dickens’ amazing novella was to trust Dickens. With the exception of a word here or there, the entire adaptation is taken straight from Dickens and arranged dramatically. This story has been adapted hundreds of times—I don’t believe I’ve done anything new, but I’m proud of the exciting pattern we’ve found of telling a dynamic story with only five adult actors, and two kids.
Mike Ryan: The delight of playing Scrooge is that the actor gets to play one of the greatest character arcs ever written. What thrills us about the story is the total transformation that occurs from the start of the play, when Scrooge is such a “covetous old sinner”, to the end when he is “as good a man as the good old city knew”. The greater these opposites, the more joy there is in the journey.
The beauty and joy of playing Scrooge is not just in his wickedness, but in watching the light reach the dark places, and in seeing his vulnerability. I may not be the wickedest old coot of an actor that ever graced the stage, but I like to believe that one of my strengths as an actor is my ability to express vulnerability on stage, to find light and humor where there is often little to be found, and in expressing joy. These three things are all essential to Scrooge and what makes the story, and the meaning, of Christmas, so important to us all.
Julie James, known for countless Jewel Theater productions, plays many roles.
Q: It must be such a challenge to play multiple parts after so many years as a leading actor.
JJ: It is a lot of fun to do multiple roles. But it is definitely challenging too, because you want them all to be distinctly different from each other, so you go about finding the particular vocal and physical aspects of each character that helps contrast them compared to the other characters. But you also want what you are doing to feel organic to the character and be believable to the audience. So there is a balance needed to not go too broad just for contrast’s sake.
Q: You play Fezziwig, the Ghost of Christmas Present, Mrs. Dilber. How does that work?
JJ: I’m also playing Jacob Marley, a narrator type character, which is great fun, and I do have different costumes for each but that means when I’m not on stage acting, I’m off stage changing my costume, usually very very quickly. Most of us in the play have several quick changes. So no time to think about what’s next, just jumping from one thing to the next and hope I don’t skip anything!
A Christmas Carol, produced by Santa Cruz Shakespeare, from the novella by Charles Dickens, runs Nov. 23 – Dec. 24 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 846 Front St, in downtown Santa Cruz. santacruzshakespeare.org for tickets. The show is 90 minutes and has no intermission.
By Christina Waters
