Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at DreamWrights Center For Community Arts

The holidays abound with traditions and feelings of nostalgia. Many look forward to watching their favorite holiday movies, baking their favorite holiday cookies, and listening to their favorite holiday music. Charles Dickens classic tale A Christmas Carol has become a holiday tradition. Those who love the story can find a variety of versions from The Muppet Christmas Carol to Bill Murray's Scrooged. Theatres have found ways to bring new and imaginative versions of A Christmas Carol to the stage. This holiday season, audiences can enjoy a fresh take on A Christmas Carol by Barbara Field at DreamWrights Center for Community Arts December 10-19.

Directed by Deirdre Casey, Gabriel Casey, and Gregory DeCandia, this production features a cast and crew of ages 8 and up. Because the majority of the cast and crew are children, in accordance with the theatre's covid safety policies, the cast is masked throughout the performance. Most of the actors do a great job managing to enunciate clearly in spite of the masks, but there are occasionally some lines that are difficult to make out (this is a small price to pay to keep everyone safe and healthy!). The cast features Marley Bell, Molly Bell, Sophia Cherwinski, Sofia DeMercurio, Allen Duprey, Bill Jones, Callaghan McKeon, Bernadette McLain, Noah Palmer, Westley Smith, Benjamin Wesley, Nala Yates, all of whom take on a variety of roles throughout the show, which is a fun twist that gives the cast a chance to show off their versatility. Their transitions from one character to another are well orchestrated so that the story is easy to follow.

The most fascinating parts of this production involve the sound effects, props, lighting, choreography, and staging. The directors did an amazing job designing the movement of the actors on the stage, and the actors execute it beautifully. Their movements are fluid, like a dance, as they move from scene to scene, and it is delightful to watch. Their use of lighting (designed by Chris Velez), sound (designed by Enzo Messina) and props (designed by Victoria Wobber) in the scenes with the spirits is creative and captures the imagination. These elements come together to create one of the most interesting portrayals of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come this reviewer has seen.

Visit www.dreamwrights.org for tickets to enjoy this unique and heartwarming production of a holiday favorite.