This years rendition of the classic holiday play reminds audiences that ‘we (all) can embody the spirit of Christmas’

By Lucie K. Scheuer for the Rogue Valley Times

This year’s production of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, playing at the Collaborative Theatre Project and directed by Tommy Statler, is original, imaginative and lighter than last year’s production of the same.

The story of the miserly curmudgeon who finds redemption in the meaning of Christmas is more in keeping with the spirit of the season. The audience really liked this Scrooge — perhaps even felt a kinship with him. Plus, this year’s show is one you can take your kids to.

For the record, last year’s production was energetic and stirring — but also darker and different. The sets were heavy, the auditorium dark, as was the story. The light in last year’s production was Tyrone Wilson as Scrooge. A seasoned thespian, Wilson portrayed a tortured soul, but in the end, a contrite one.

This year we have actor Russell Lloyd in the guise of Ebenezer Scrooge. Lloyd has starred in some of CTP’s finest productions and he shines in this one. Perfectly cast, his Scrooge is less intense, sometimes humorous, almost approachable. He allows himself to be more at the mercy of the ghosts who are ready and willing to haunt him. Lloyd makes it clear — we do have the power to change outcomes by changing ourselves. We can embody the spirit of Christmas.

Thanks to Director Statler and an attentive crew, there are a number of elements that make this production tick like clockwork. The actors become props, benches, beds, doors, yes even mechanical mannequins that might grace store windows. We never know what’s coming next. Movement director Liz Lanier, along with sound and lighting designer Ryan Kelley and technical director Elliot Anderson, have made this such an interesting play not only to see but to experience.

Once again, one of the most charming aspects of the production is the use of puppets to play Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit’s children. They move us and charm us in ways that many of us may not have felt since we were kids.

The ghosts of Christmas Present, played by Alexandra Szabo; Christmas Past by Blythe Lloyd and Christmas Future by Erny Rosales; are costumed by artistic director, Susan Aversa and add a great deal of visual interest to the production.

Szabo is in classic Dickensian garb, outfitted in a bright red plaid dress and bonnet. She is eye-catching and represents the joy that is expressed with the season. Blythe Lloyd is robed in white with a headdress that conjures up winter in all its wonder. She leads us through scenes from Scrooge’s lost childhood, the death of his mother and the joy he once relished in stories like Ali Baba. We begin to see Scrooge’s broken inner child. Erny Rosales is dark-robed and mysterious as the foreboding ghost of Christmas future.

As with many of CTP’s offerings, the five actors play multiple parts. It is wonderful to see Liam Jones as Jacob Marley transition to the character of Bob Cratchit for instance. Indeed, the costume changes and character changes were cleverly carried off, the characters emerging without anyone noticing.

The story opens with colorfully designed panels that show the London hamlet in which Scrooge lives. At times they light up, but unfortunately were blocked for most of the play by two heavy wooden buttresses with green curtains, made to represent Scrooge’s living quarters. The scenic crew might want to juxtapose those props so that the village views are more accessible.

Scrooge is a loan shark. He loans money to desperate people and charges interest that is nearly impossible to pay back. He is a miser and tempestuous in nature, but in facing his difficult past he discovers his future. With his willingness to change he discovers the promise of Christmas, which is joy. He finds a family who loves him unconditionally, and intimacy in the sharing of a comforting meal. In the end, we discover that through love, gratitude and forgiveness, we too can find our way home.

Performances of Collaborative Theatre Project’s “A Christmas Carol” are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through Dec. 29. Tickets are $40, $35 for seniors and students.

Collaborative Theatre Project is at 555 Medford Center, Medford.

Tickets and information are available at ctpmedford.org, on Facebook, or by calling the box office at 541-779-1055. Group rates are available.

Reach Ashland-based writer Lucie K. Scheuer at [email protected]. This review first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.