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'A (Charles Dickens) Christmas Carol'

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Contributed by: Jackie Houchin on 12/16/2007

The Knightsbridge Theatre has opened a wonderfully authentic production of "A Christmas Carol" playing weekends through Dec. 23.

Adapted by Raymond Donahey and directed by Joseph Stachura, this version of the holiday favorite is darker, but truer to the era of the author. Charles Dickens had a penchant for exposing poverty and cruelty in his stories, and Scrooge seems to epitomize both.

The play opens on a bare stage, save for a desk and chair, and a dozen white masks arranged on the floor. While two costumed gentlemen announce the show, actors slip out, don the masks and lie down in place.

From among them, in a solitary spotlight, arises the famous author, who begins conjuring up characters for his new story. Slowly they stand, and when he says, "Marley was dead as a doornail..." they remove the masks and become the townspeople outside the counting house of Marley & Scrooge.

Donahey, as Dickens, narrates and watches over the proceedings, smiling and frowning as "his" characters act out the story. Sometimes he steps into the play and becomes a character, such as the ghoulish long-dead Marley, or the laughing Ghost of Christmas Present.

The lithesome Spirit of Christmas Past is played by Shaina Vorspan who brings an unexpected empathy to the otherwise sunny role. The mean and miserly Scrooge, who makes an attitude adjustment after a night of ghostly visitations, is played convincingly by Dan Cole.

Tim Polzin is a very believable Bob Crachit, and Vicki Conrad plays his loving, but wonderfully opinionated wife.

If you expect to find the crippled, but sweet-natured Tiiny Tim in this production, you'll be disappointed. Following the theater's "Year of the Woman" theme, the sickly, youngest Cratchit is played by Jasmine Anthony in her role of Tiny Tess. (But she does wish God's blessing on every one of us, when the story ends.)

With only seven performances, call and reserve your tickets ASAP at (323) 667-0955. General admission is $20 (seniors and students are $18).

The Knightsbridge Theatre is located at 1944 Riverside Drive (near Los Feliz Blvd. and the I-5 Freeway) in Los Angeles.

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