REVIEW: Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol

By Fr. Patrick Dorn

As surely as Shakespeare shines in the summer, Dickens dominates December. "A Christmas Carol" in various interpretations, guises, homages and parodies has become a holiday staple for theatre companies nationwide, and audiences can't get enough. The fantastical story of one man's redemption through supernatural intervention enjoys crossover appeal between religious and secular audiences because despite being a story of conviction and conversion, it remains securely in the realm of "spirit," without too many nagging Nativity and Redeemer references.

True to the spirit and tone of Dickens' original, yet with a fascinating twist, Tom Mula's "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol," presented through December 23, 2007 at the charmingly decorated Denver Victorian Playhouse, is a "must see" for Dickens devotees. With a few metaphysical insights and an even more Christian vision than Dickens, Mula's version begins with Scrooge's old partner Jacob Marley arriving in hell to be fitted with his ponderous burden of chains, cash boxes and locks. Before resigning himself to an eternity of torment, Jacob is permitted a brief "grace period," during which he attempts to warn Scrooge of his own impending damnation and doom and scare the old miser straight into heaven. Accompanied by a mischievous fiend, Jacob realizes the kind of sacrifice required to coax a heart of stone into one of flesh.

"Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" has about as much Scrooge in it as Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" has Hamlet. Jacob Marley is the central character, which allows the playwright to take the audience in many surprising and emotionally intriguing directions, without drifting too far from the original storyline. Jacob's earthly life parallel's Ebenezer's, but he takes a more active role in his own redemption.

The production at the Denver Victorian Playhouse is simply outstanding. This is the ideal marriage of artistry and venue. The Vic, located in a 100+ year old Victorian bungalow in north Denver, has the perfect ambience for a heart warming Christmas show. The cozy, black box theatre is located in the basement, which reinforces the show's "underworld" setting. Terry Dodd, a visionary director and accomplished playwright, is the best possible Denver-based director for this script, which is presented in "story theatre" style by four exceptional performers who narrate and play multiple roles. Dodd's respect for the text, ingenuity of staging and attention to every detail from precise pantomime to the delicate and gradual unpeeling of Jacob Marley's emotional armor is stunningly effective. Along with Wade P. Wood's deceptively simple yet surprise-laden set and Karalyn Star Pytel's evocative lighting, Dodd's direction fully engages the audience's imagination.

The conventions of story theatre are a tremendous challenge for actors, and Nils Kiehn (as Jacob Marley and others), Rita Broderick (as the impish Bogle and others), Suzanna Wellens (as Scrooge -- yes, played by a woman and it works!) and Brian J. Brooks as pretty much "everyone else," are more than up to the task. Switching between comedy and drama, going in and out of multiple characters and narrating the story itself with almost no "stuff" to lean on, requires great concentration and emotional dexterity. This is ensemble work at its very best, though Kiehn carries the lion's share with impressive emotional and psychological agility.

Ultimately, though, a story theatre presentation depends most upon the text, and Mula's script is a delight from start to finish. The language is somewhat elevated in keeping with the Victorian setting, and yet there are frequent contemporary phrases and sensibilities to remind us that chestnuts should be left roasting on an open fire, and that live theatre, like the spirit of Christmas, is new every moment and bright with possibilities.

Call 303-433-4343 for tickets and information, or visit www.denvervic.com.