Theater Review: A pleasant 'Christmas Carol' from Menlo Players Guild (December 08, 2004)

By Bryan Wiggin

Almanac Theater Critic

Menlo Players Guild, with the co-sponsorship of the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, is presenting an attractively staged, solidly acted, skillfully directed, and generally festive production of that inescapable holiday favorite, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens.

Ebenezer Scrooge, the old skinflint, is damning Christmas as a distraction for fools. Then the Ghost of Christmas Past (well done by Leslie Newport) takes him back to see himself as an unloved child (Robin R. De Les Dernier) and as a young man (Allan Malloy) engaged to his employer's daughter, Belle (Jessamy Collier, a belle indeed), who breaks off the engagement because she is repelled by Ebenezer's pursuit of wealth.

Then the Ghost of Christmas Present (a bit underplayed by Michael Uimari) shows him the lives of those who know him: his clerk, Bob Cratchit (John Owen), and family, including Tiny Tim (an attractive Maximilian Reed Burgi, who occasionally needs to project his voice more clearly); and his nephew Fred (Norman Luce) and wife (Megann Crowley).

Dickens stretches his storytelling here, making these people, who have all been ill-treated by Scrooge, almost saintly in their willingness to forgive him and to drink to his health. It's the kind of caricature that is sometimes called Dickensian.

The Ghost of Christmas Future (Dean Burgi, hooded and nearly wordless) shows him Bob Cratchit visiting the grave of Tiny Tim on Christmas day, and Scrooge is so grieved that when he awakens from this night of ghostly visitations, he plunges into putting everything right.

He has a big turkey anonymously delivered to the Cratchits; he pardons all his debtors; he gives a large sum to a charity he had previously scorned. This part of the show goes on a bit too long, but it comes to a rousing finish, with cries of "God bless us, everyone," and it wins enthusiastic applause.

Todd Wright has excelled at playing vigorous, manly men, such as Petruchio in "The Taming of the Shrew." He is physically robust, and I was curious to see how he would transform himself into the cantankerous old Ebenezer.

He does it with a raspy voice, a gimpy walk, and arms that never reach full extension, as if his elbows are cramped by arthritis -- or meanness. It's a fine performance.

Director Bruce W. De Les Dernier, who also adapted the story, has created a busy and complex production. Sometimes the text of the novel is spoken by the actors, tossed among them in short bits. This has to be well-rehearsed to succeed, and here it generally does, though some of the actors don't enunciate with adequate clarity.

Mr. De Les Dernier also enriches the production with singing and some spirited country dancing that shakes the floor.

The costumes of Pati Bristow are colorful and widely varied -- a job well done. The set, designed by Dean Burgi, is minimalist but suggestive of the story's various locations. The lighting from Shayne Rivers and Reed Singer contributes without calling attention to itself, and there are some dramatic visual effects from Matthew Riley.

The show is being staged in the McKinley Institute of Technology in Redwood City. It's an old and rather stark auditorium, but the acoustics and sightlines are good, and the wooden seats are not uncomfortable.

This "Christmas Carol" doesn't reach the high standard of the one Mr. De Les Dernier directed in 2000, but it's a good show and a good story, and if you see it you'll have a good time.
INFORMATION

"A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens, is being presented at the McKinley Institute of Technology at 400 Duane St. in Redwood City through December 19. For information, call 322-3261.

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