Have you ever thought of Christmas as a humbug, or just another ordinary day? Probably not, but if you were to ask Ebenezer Scrooge (from A Christmas Carol), his response to Christmas would be “Bah, Humbug.” Just after we finished reading the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, last week, on December 1, 2017, my classmates and I went to see a live performance of A Christmas Carol at Actors Theatre of Louisville. The play was adapted by Barbara Field, and directed by Drew Fracher. In this essay I will be reviewing how well Actors Theatre portrayed the plot, setting, and characters from the book A Christmas Carol into a live play.
A Christmas Carol takes place on a cold, snowy Christmas Eve in London, England, during the Victorian period in the 1840’s. The day started very cold, yet everyone was still joyful. I think the performance depicted the Victorian setting very well. I would describe the set very detailed and extravagant. There was fake snow falling from everywhere is the ceiling, and it almost looked very real to me. There was also walls that stood very tall and could turn to make the stage look like a whole new set. The costumes also created the 1840 Victorian mood because it was very old style looking, and ragged. You could tell which people were very rich at the time, and people who were not very wealthy by the style and condition of the costumes they wore. There was also great, loud sound effects, that set the mood the most when it would get scary
Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year, for me, and the many stage and film versions of Dickens’ masterpiece offer many opportunities to experience the joy and revelation of A Christmas Carol. Pick from Alastair Sims version, Patrick Stewart, Bill Murray’s Scrooged, The Muppets and the 3-D masterpiece with Jim Carrey, just to name a few. It’s safe to say it is a very popular show done an infinite number of different ways. That is why as a director I would create a contemporary staging of A Christmas Carol in New York City. Now, at first glance this may seem unoriginal, but for me it is a perfect setting to honor the story in its original form.
“I am not the man I once was…” (Dickens 675) might be the most famous words of Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” Written by Charles Dickens. Ebenezer Scrooge is a horrible man who is haunted by three spirits overnight in hopes to make a new man out of the old miser. Throughout this story, Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by three spirits ,Christmas present, past, and future, and during this time he learns about his greed, what joy he missed on christmas, and that he had a chance to become better.
Charles wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843. This short novel has a Christmas theme and has been popular since it was first published. This moral story is about an old man called Scrooge who hates Christmas and is mean to everyone, but he is transformed. The lessons he learns are as much for the reader to benefit from as Scrooge.
Some of these may be very scary and some may only be mildly scary. It
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was first published in London on the 19th of December 1843, the novella was instantly popular and still is to this day. Dickens inspiration for the short story seems to come from his childhood experiences and his sympathy for the poor. In the story a miserable old man, Ebenezer Scrooge, is shown the error of his ways and what will come of it if he doesn’t make drastic changes. Various ghosts and spirits slowly transform him into a kinder more pleasant man. A Christmas Carol is a powerful novella that uses symbolism like the children Ignorance and Want, Scrooge’s transformation, and Scrooges nephew Fred, to reinforce significant themes like social isolation, rebirth, and family.
a prison or a treadmill; he did not think for a second that the places
The play was very well done and was not dull even though it was catered to a large audience. The musical numbers are very entertaining, and the spectacle, both visual and emotional, is well accomplished. I would recommend this to most children and adults, due to the Christmas themes and general lightheartedness of the play.
a small old man. It is partly the form of a child to emphesise Scrooge
The novels A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, and Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte display a strong parallel in the ways in which they use their different styles of narration in the story to reveal the true inner-feelings of characters. In A Christmas Carol, the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is taught many valuable lessons through the testament of three different spirits, each working to bring out the true emotions of this man. Likewise, in Wuthering Heights, the main character, Mr. Lockwood, is taught stories of his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff, through written recollections from the testaments of others, showing the inner-feelings and thoughts of him through diary entries. Although they are written in two different styles, indirect
In Spring Ford Community Theater’s production of A Christmas Carol, the rhetoric utilized by the director and actors in the creation of this play helps strengthen the argument that the tale is still relevant and connects to the modern era, which is proposed in Stephanie Allen’s Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” Told Uncomfortable Truths About Victorian Society, But Does it Have Anything to Teach Us Today?. Through the use of emotional appeals and the chronological progression of the play, this production makes the tale believable and reconnects it to common themes found in modern literature. The purpose of this production is to reinforce how these themes affect life and to display a positive outlook to the holiday season, which is done by the connection of this production with the viewer.
old sinner! Hard as a steel and sharp as a flint, from which no steel
A Christmas Carol is one of the most iconic play as it displays an abundance of successful components. From acting, to stage directing, scenery, costumes, and lighting, the production portrays all those significant aspects. Throughout the process of the play, the plot and acting was incredibly engaging and dramatic. As for the stage directing, all props and cues are organized and well constructed. As for the costumes, scenery, and lighting, all elements was focused on the theme of the play; this created a remarkable environment for the audience to settle on.
A morality play, not unlike some of the popular plays I have seen. I think we all have seen this familiar theme many times over the years. As we head into the Christmas season, where reflective thinking becomes this very theme. I can compare this play with some of these seasonal plays. The play that comes to my mind immediately is, "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.
The movie “A Christmas Carol” is better than the book. The book is a very descriptive christmas novel. The movie shows more feeling than the book did. The setting and lighting has set a better mood overall than the book.this is why the movie is better than the book.
“ Spirit, hear me. I am not he man I was. I will not be the man I have been for so many years. Why show me all of this if I am past all hope? Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me. Let the boy live! I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” (Scrooge, p.140). A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is an important story as it has a meaningful theme of change, as the quotes states above. But that isn’t the only theme that this beautiful story shows us. Many different spirits encounter him to help him realize why Christmas is important (I’m pretty sure that is the meaning of the spirits). When the first spirit of the past encounters him, he realizes what he has done, and regrets some of the things he did. The second spirit helped Ebenezer Scrooge recognize how what he has been doing has had an impact in other peoples life. When the frightening third spirit came and showed him his future and others futures, he discovers about himself and how people didn’t care that he died. When we read A Christmas Carol, we learn that it can have many different themes that can be a very important component to the story and even our lives.