Madison E. M. Garey, 12/10/2024
Dickens’ Christmas Carol, by Mark Landon Smith is a Christmas themed show that will certainly lighten the heart this holiday season. Your sides will ache from laughing so hard. This unique production, Directed by Kevin Colbert, is really a show within a show. Local actors play troupers, who in turn play several characters each in the classic tale of A Christmas Carol. From forgetting lines, costume malfunctions, drinking on stage, and a sword fight between competing ghosts to the entire set crumbling, there is nothing that happens in this play short of disaster.
A Christmas Carol is typically considered a solemn sort of story, showing the sadness that leads to Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Sir Selsdon Piddock (Bill Bossman) becoming, well, Scrooge. The viewer does meet the ghosts of Christmas and Scrooge has his Grinch-ish change of heart by the end. Even with the basic story line in tact, the show is not as perfected as it should be, considering it is the 15th annual farewell tour of the London based troupe of characters. Of course Scrooge, is the star of the show often engaging with the audience, hoping for an additional applause at every “Bah, Humbug”, then blowing kisses when it is granted.
The cast is composed of brilliantly selected local thespians, who are actors for the Styckes-Upon-Thump Repertory Company, Inc who play all roles including Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, The Ghosts and of course, Tiny Tim. The characters play a number of roles which only adds to the confusion and comedy of this show. In fact, the 7 person cast plays over 40 different characters. This leads to Bob Cratchit, played by Mr. Elyot Crummels (Wade Mumford), to be wearing stilts designed for the Ghost of Christmas Present while engaging with the Cratchit family. The intoxicated Ghost of Christmas Future, played by Dame Rowena Middleton-Lewis, who doubles as Peter Cratchit (Samantha Colvarro), forgets to remove the cloak and skeletal hands before sitting to dinner with the Cratchit family. These blunders helped to cause confusion to the cast.
Amid the confusion on set there is also competition. One of the stars of the show, Mrs. Bettina Salsbury (Betty Colbert), is out sick at the start of the show. Her understudy (short notice replacement) Mrs. Cordelia ffoliet-ffolkes ffortescue Woods (Rosalie Duffy), is thrilled to take on the role of Ghosts of Christmas Past and Emily Cratchit among other roles. When Mrs. Salisbury shows up after the show has began the two not only rival one another for a role, but partake in a duel of sorts with their magic wands wearing identical costumes.
Mrs. Salisbury’s absence as the start of the show allowed for the understudy Cynthia Imbry (Amanda Charles) to take a role in the show. It becomes immediately evident why in the cast biographies it simply states that “she likes to read”. Every time she is on stage, something is hiding and holding her highlighted script to read from. She is involved in several other blunders including getting the engagement ring she was to give back to the young Ebenezer (Nathan RH Wilson) stuck. Removal of the ring was to no avail.
Though several props (intentionally) failed, the set design by Kevin Colbert vividly captured the essence of London in the 1800s. Scenic artist Linda Dabbs brought to life a series of townhouses and shops, each appearing as if freshly covered by a layer of snow. The audience could almost feel the chill of the London street, as snow was frequently awkwardly thrown into rooms when doors were opened throughout the performance. The costume design by Kathryn Cover further facilitated the audience’s immersion into the past alongside the cast.
At the beginning of the show, viewers are warned of unintentional loud noises in the play. From falling down on stage to falling down stairs behind stage, there are too many bloopers to count in this intentionally bad depiction of A Christmas Carol. Best of all was the least expected. At the end of the show, large portions of the set came crashing down. It was the perfect end to this show of reoccurring blunders.
The first weekend of showing is over, but there is still time to see the show. On Thursday December 19, the tickets are only $12! Make sure to head to Manley, Nebraska this weekend to see Dickens’ Christmas Carol.
To get tickets Get tickets at lofte.org/tickets or call 402-234-2553.
Performance dates: December 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, & 22. Shows start at 7:00 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2:00 on Sundays.
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