From The Brattleboro Reformer
Thursday December 15, 2011
BRATTLEBORO
The marvelous thing about the New England Youth Theatre’s production of "A Christmas Carol" is not merely that the world of Dickens comes to life on stage in all its teeming, colorful glory -- but it is how that world comes to life.
Not simply successful in evoking the look and feel of mid-19th century England, the cast and crew at NEYT have achieved something deeper and more wondrous -- they have recreated a world of real depth, feeling and emotion; a world in which the full measure of Dickens’ powerful, iconic story springs to life; a world in which the joy of Scrooge’s miraculous transformation is set against the poignant backdrop of all of human experience -- the sorrowful, the scary, the spirited ... all that is resilient, lovely and gracious.
That is why "A Christmas Carol," directed by Peter Gould with assistance from Doran Hamm, is such a triumph. That is why you should treat yourself to the experience. You know the story, but it will come to you in fresh light at NEYT.
Performances continue Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Dickens’ world is a busy place, and NEYT’s "Christmas Carol" reflects fine ensemble work to bring this world of newsboys, butchers, charwomen, schoolmasters, businessmen, bankers, beggars, undertakers, servants, and yes, even ghosts to life. Still, a few individuals deserve mention.
First off, we have the two Scrooges -- Alex Luckham and Guthrie Hatton-Bullock. Seamlessly sharing the role, both are polished, mature actors who handle a difficult role in compelling ways.
This use of two Scrooges is a clever construct, and when you think about it, true to Dickens’ story, which often has Scrooge looking at his former, present or future self with the help of ghostly tour guides. NEYT makes good use of its two fine Scrooges, including a couple of memorable scenes in which both are present.
Also, mention must go to Alec Silver, whose high-energy turn as the Ghost of Jacob Marley brought the house down last Saturday night.
Kaelan Selbach’s sympathetic performance as Bob Kratchit, and Tyler Latulippe-Haselton’s bold work as the Ghost of Christmas Present are also worthy of mention, but in truth, this is, above all, an ensemble triumph.
Credit, too, and plenty of it, must go to NEYT’s backstage and tech crews. The costumes are beautiful, the sets are cleverly conceived, the scene changes were crisply and professionally executed. Add to it, compelling lighting, sound and projections, and music and dance that are well done, and you have a play which unfolds in stunningly beautiful fashion -- and is often scary to boot. Remember, this is a ghost story, and NEYT achieves some quite scary effects. Very cool.
On top of all that, Gould has reached into his very large bag of tricks to make all this work. Borrowing from his own lifetime of theater and clownwork, as well as from diverse sources (including the Marx Brothers), Gould and Company make their "A Christmas Carol" click in clever, funny ways that will sometimes make you ask "How did they do that?" I still don’t know what happened to the Ghost of Christmas Past. Can anyone tell me?
Perhaps the kindest complement you can give to this -- and many other NEYT productions -- involves words you don’t use. You don’t have to qualify what you think of the show by saying it’s "by kids" or "it’s pretty good, for kids."
NEYT’s "A Christmas Carol" does need qualifiers -- it’s a great night of theater that will make you laugh and cry, send chills up your spine and make your jaw drop. It is an unqualified success.
