“Imagine, a Christmas Eve without Ebenezer Scrooge.”
PHOTO BY SAM DIGGINS
On December 6th, 7th, and 8th, the Plymouth State University theatre department put on a reinvented musical rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” It opened with party guests, composed of Ebenezer Scrooge’s nephew Fred (Jacob Tilton) and his family, along with the Cratchit family, gathering to celebrate the Christmas season and Mr. Scrooge, who has just passed away. The merry party sings carols, played on the piano by Michael Portrie, and reads Scrooge’s story to memorialize him and “bring him to life.” Mr. Scrooge (Scott Sweatt), in his ghost form, goes through the retelling of the “Christmas visitations” of his previous self but is pulled back and forth between those scenes and watching over Tim Cratchit, who in his adult life has decided to emulate Scrooge after his transformation and is helping a destitute family.
The production is a delightful retelling of the classic with the added dimension of a grown-up Tiny Tim and a Scrooge who is trying to reconcile himself with his life while watching over Tim. Many of the actors played multiple diverse parts, and the scene at Fezziwig’s Christmas party even features Margaret McGovern on violin. If you missed today and Thursday’s production, be sure to head to the Silver Center’s Hanaway Theatre to catch Saturday’s production and experience the Christmas magic.