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Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol by North Coast Repertory Theatre  Jacob Marley died on Christmas Eve, seven Christmases before
his infamous business partner Ebenezer Scrooge’s fateful night. He was “dead as
a coffin nail,” wrote Charles Dickens. But as it turns out, to borrower
shamelessly from The Princess Bride, Jacob Marley was only mostly
dead. For at the beginning of Tom Mula’s play Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,
Marley died but immediately regained consciousness, finding himself in the
dark, but heading toward a light. Not a bright light like one usually sees in
near-death experiences, but a very dim light…
This dim light leads Marley to a not unfamiliar type of office. It’s a counting house. But this is the counting house from hell, and the devilish, little clerk hunched over the desk has some bad news for Marley. Not surprisingly, it turns out Marley’s a bit short in his “human kindness” accounts, and is therefore doomed to “walk the earth in everlasting repentance” while weighted down with all manner of chains and cash boxes and locks that can never be unlocked. There is just the tiniest chance of escaping his miserable fate and earning the fare to heaven – but it’s no automatic deposit, to be sure. He’s got to save the soul of the one man who is even worse than him – his old business partner Ebenezer Scrooge. What follows is an imaginative and hilarious new take on the Christmas classic filled with clever wit, a creative plot, delightful new characters, and of course the heartwarming conclusion that is now even more heartwarming than before. Bringing to life this terrific new tale and all the new characters is just one man – San Diego’s own Ron Choularton. Ron hysterically transitions between the numerous characters (Marley, Scrooge, the narrator, the three ghosts, a demon tour guide called a “bogle,” the devilish clerk, etc.) with unnatural skill, as if he has been plagued with multiple personalities all his life, doing so with uncommon comedic style and timing in what is surely one of the best performances of the year. Aiding Ron in bringing this story to life are some mesmerizing lighting effects by Samuel J. Essex that create the dim light of the counting house, the pale light of the night, the dismal lighting of Scrooge’s murky abode, and expert effects that enhance Ron’s ability to so fully change from character to character. Robert Neuhaus’s eerie sound design adds a great deal of unearthliness to the feel of the show. And Marty Burnett’s set is simple but effective, from the versatile tiered and slanted wooden floors to the regal, old-fashioned chair from which, at times, the master storyteller sits and weaves his magic on his amused and entranced audience.Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
Jacob Marley, et al: Ron Choularton Director: James Saba Set Design: Marty Burnett Lighting Design: Samuel J. Essex Original Sound Design: Robert Neuhaus Original Composer: Larry Schanker Costume Coordinator: James Saba Stage Manager: Maria Mangiavellano |