{"id":26880,"date":"2007-12-15T18:57:36","date_gmt":"2007-12-15T22:57:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.berkshirelinks.com\/berkshires-news\/theatre-reviews\/review-of-a-christmas-carol-at-berkshire-theatre-festival\/"},"modified":"2007-12-15T18:57:36","modified_gmt":"2007-12-15T22:57:36","slug":"review-of-a-christmas-carol-at-berkshire-theatre-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idealpoetry.com\/rwc\/review-of-a-christmas-carol-at-berkshire-theatre-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of A Christmas Carol at Berkshire Theatre Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dec. 14, 2007 performance reviewed by Frances Benn Hall.<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the joys of this Christmas season<\/strong> is that the Berkshire Theatre Festival<\/strong>\u2019s delightful production of Charles Dickens<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d<\/em> is back again in the Unicorn Theatre<\/strong> where it will be running, in numerous matinees and early evening performances, until December 30<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cast of A Christmas Carol at Berkshire Theatre Festival
\n(Photos by Ryan Chittaphong)<\/p>\n

The Unicorn stage on which Victorian England<\/strong> has been lovingly created by scenic designer Carl Sprague<\/strong> is awash with 27 actors, ages ranging from third-grader Helen Crescentini,<\/strong> as a young Crachit,<\/strong> to adults such as leading actor Eric Hill<\/strong> as a Scrooge<\/strong> who looks a hundred in his first gloomy appearances but is, by the end, capering and jolly.<\/p>\n

Hill, who also co-directed the production, along with E. Gary Simons III<\/strong>, has woven the 90 minute story into an ever-flowing, ever-evolving, ever-loving holiday gift for the Berkshires<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cast of A Christmas Carol at Berkshire Theatre Festival<\/p>\n

The production is rife with music, beginning with the London streets crowded with carolers while Scrooge looms in distain high above them. The rapid-fire, finely coordinated many scene changes are accompanied by music and at times by individual songs, those of the young children in the cast being especially effective. <\/p>\n

A \u201cSilent Night\u201d<\/em> duo by two beautiful wistful young girls in harmony was lovely. Sorting out their names from the program eluded me, but the violinist high on her balcony was Jahana Stanton<\/strong>, a 7th grader, and one of a family of four talented youngsters present in the production.<\/p>\n

Costumer Jessica Risser-Milne<\/strong> has done a magnificent job in recreating the period down to the very tips of the tiny boots worn by the children. The top hats, the women\u2019s gowns, and of course the fantasy attire of the three Christmas ghosts\u2014all stepping right off an old Christmas card.<\/p>\n

Central to the play and the production is Scrooge. Hill is, as one might expect, wonderful in the role\u2014from curmudgeon to philanthropist his face and gait registering subtle transition.<\/p>\n

In such a large cast one cannot mention and praise all who deserve it. Moments that stood out for this reviewer were, at times, tiny ones.<\/p>\n

When Hallie Novak<\/strong> and Rider Stanton<\/strong> stood perfectly still in the embrace of the second ghost (Anthony Mark Stockard ), representing Want and Ignorance, not moving, just there in a quiet hopelessness, while the Spirit taunted Scrooge with his own words, \u201cAre there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?\u201d – Dickens\u2019s dark-side message of the play struck right at the heart.<\/p>\n

All three ghost scenes (plus Matthew Crider\u2019s Marley<\/strong> appearance) are handled brilliantly, from the light airy time\/spacer traveler (Ramona L. Alexander<\/strong>), to the silent stilted black figure of Christmas future (Travis G. Daly). Their eerie aspects should tend to fascinate but not scare children at the matinee.<\/p>\n

And children will love, as we do, Tiny Tim<\/strong> (Nate Stump<\/strong>) who at the play\u2019s end gives us Dickens\u2019s message, God bless us, Every One<\/em>! <\/p>\n

Go and be blest. Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n