By ADAM CROWE
A Seat on the Aisle
This year marks 179 years since the publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. In the spring of that same year, Preacher William Miller of Massachusetts predicted that the world would end on March 21st. Miller was wrong about that, allowing us to continue to celebrate Dickens’ genius every December since.
Since 1980, Indiana Repertory Theatre has presented A Christmas Carol, adapted by former Artistic Director Tom Haas. As this year’s production director (and soon to retire Artistic Director) Janet Allen notes in the program, the adaptation has seen many incarnations over the years.
In one season’s version, a male actor portrayed Christmas Present dressed as Queen Victoria, in a nod to British Christmas Pantomime tradition. Sadly, as Allen notes, this was not a popular experiment. Pity. After experiencing this year’s Christmas Present, one can dream of the brilliance that Chicago actor Sean Blake would have delivered in such a royal performance. Even without the nod to Victoria, his costume and performance still rise to regal heights.
Annual theatrical traditions can wax and wane, even ones as storied as this. I am delighted to report that this year’s version is a true gem. A spare cast of eight performers beautifully embody all of London – past, present, and future. Rob Johansen was the only actor spared the task of multiple roles. His Scrooge growled, sputtered, and trembled in a performance that held the audience in the palms of his hands throughout.
Surrounding him, in every role you remember, are seven strong performers, effortlessly slipping between narration and memorable characters. This chorus of sorts was made up of Ryan Artzberger, Sean Blake, Caroline Chu, Jennifer Johansen, Elliot Sagay, and Maria Argentina Souza. In addition, two young actors appear as the assorted children, Weezie Chavers and, in the performance I attended, Belle Taylor-Moore.
Every performance is fully alive and vibrant. With spare set pieces that dreamily suggest all the necessary locations and times, the production elicits all the warmth and wonder of this timeless story.
As directed by Allen, this production’s technical aspects were a wonderful mix of new and old. The ever-present snow on a raked stage still enraptured the audience. Russel Metheny’s scenic design has abandoned the golden picture frame of old, but still draws gasps from the audience with tricky floor-trap magic. Linda Pisano’s costumes are practical and pitch perfect. Michael Lincoln and Bentley Heydt draw joy, mystery, and a little terror, in their lighting design. Finally, Michael Keck’s accompanying music envelopes the audience in the perfect moods throughout.
Bottom line: it is hard to imagine an experience that could fill one with more Christmas joy than this year’s A Christmas Carol. A full-length production, with intermission, this Carol sets the perfect holiday mood and makes a very familiar story feel simultaneously new and comfortable. Indiana Repertory Theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. How fortunate for all of us that it continues to tell stories so well after all these years.
Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production of Tom Hass’ adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol runs through Dec. 24 at the Theater’s home at 140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Tickets and further information can be found at irtlive.com or by calling (317) 635-5252.
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