A Scrooge for Today’s New Normal

Manuel Cinema’s Christmas Carol

Here we are, still in the depths of a worldwide pandemic that’s put a damper on our usual Christmas festivities and prohibited our typical social gatherings. The spread of the disease has demanded that, to protect ourselves and others, we continually  wash our hands, keep six feet apart and wear surgical masks, when we’re out and about. The result is that the majority of us are remaining quarantined in our own homes. This is the new normal for this holiday season. But Manual Cinema, the creative theatrical/multimedia company that brought us their unique interpretation of “Frankenstein” at the Court Theatre, just a year ago, has devised a clever, imaginative, contemporary new version of the world’s favorite holiday story.

Everyone knows Charles Dickens’ much-celebrated, Victorian morality tale about old Ebenezer Scrooge, that prickly, penny-pinching tightwad, whose name has become synonymous with being a cynical cheapskate. He hates Christmas and all that it stands for. Because of an oppressed childhood and a disappointing youth, Scrooge has forsaken all hope, love,  optimism and any obligation to help those less fortunate. Manual Cinema has beautifully adapted this English novella to reflect the New Normal, the events and the mood of Chicago in 2020.

Following her husband’s recent, tragic death from Covid-19, Aunt Trudy valiantly attempts to recreate Uncle Joe’s annual holiday puppet show. Using Joe’s collection of homemade paper puppets, miniatures and silhouettes, and boosted by a melancholy soundtrack of music and original songs, she attempts to faithfully reproduce his presentation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” This was his heartfelt Christmas gift for the family every year. But because the pandemic is still raging, Aunt Trudy is attempting to provide her late husband’s gift to the family via a Zoom conference call. Between Aunt Trudy’s inexperience with performing, a lack of understanding of how to use high tech devices, coupled with a raging storm outside, complications arise. Suddenly, in true Manual Cinema style, the Dickensian story takes on a supernatural life of its own. The effect is exhilarating and inspiring, as a skeptical Aunt Trudy morphs into Scrooge and undergoes her own change of heart.

The 60-minute, multimedia production is quite special and an exceptional experience for the entire family. It’s a production that’s perfectly suited for viewing on the computer, tablet or TV screen. It wisely deals with the pandemic that has changed everyone’s lives, while providing the same feeling of hope that the original Charles Dickens story displayed. 
The play opens in an amateur way that’s very appropriate. Playing a supposed novice performer and computer-user, let alone a Zoom call participant, N. LaQuis Harkins creates a very believable portrayal of Aunt Trudy. She fumbles about with the puppets, dropping any suggestion of British dialect, misdirecting the lighting and becoming understandably frustrated. At one point, she almost gives up before Uncle Joe’s spirit seems to take over the show. 

She’s joined by several other talented artists. Puppeteers, Lizi Breit, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman (who also accompanies on guitar and piano and provides the lead vocals), Julia Miller and Kyle Vegter, who assists on cello, keyboard and additional vocals, all helping to bring this story to life. The adaptation was written by the artists who are performing; and the haunting, original score was created by Kauffman and Vegter.

This original version of “A Christmas Carol” is as timely as Charles Dickens’ original story, when it was first written in 1843. Chicago audiences looking for something contemporary,  new and different in the way of holiday family entertainment, a show they can all enjoy in the comfort of their homes, should look no further than Manual Cinema’s gorgeous, heartfelt, new production. Following each live presentation, audiences can type in their comments and questions, to be answered by the cast.  Wisely reducing the Victorian novella to its main story, and drawing parallels between the effects of the pandemic and the poverty of Victorian London, this “Ghost Story of Christmas” offers new meaning for the holiday today.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented live December 3-20 by Manual Cinema and streamed directly to home audiences by Marquee TV (www.marquee.tv.com)

Tickets for performances may be purchased at www.manualcinema.com. The online presentation is also commissioned by Writers Theatre as part of their “Two Scrooges: A Christmas Carol Two Ways,” Only December 3-13; tickets for “Two Scrooges” are available at www.writerstheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.