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There’s arguably no new idea under the sun, and with a play as familiar as “A Christmas Carol,” it’s hard to imagine a production that easily separates itself from the other versions offered this season. Ford’s Theater production, however, once again breaks away from the pack with unparalleled production values and a pace that barely gives the audience time to breathe.
Ford’s Theatre’s production…again breaks away from the pack with unparalleled production values and a pace that barely gives the audience time to breathe.
The sense of 19th-century history at Ford’s Theater is enhanced by Lee Savage’s steel and grit set that soars to fill the 30-foot-tall stage. The audience is transported back to London in the Industrial Age, with decaying, steel walkways and dirty factory buildings serving as the exterior backdrop, as well as the interiors of Scrooge’s counting house and Fezziwig’s Christmas shindig. The jagged, chimney-lined evening skyline is ever-present as it hangs below a luminous lunar clock that ushers in the hours of ghostly intervention.
Rui Rita’s lighting design adds to the bleak industrial feel, as well as framing the action on stage beautifully as one scene moves seamlessly into the next.
Director Jose Carrasquillo follows Michael Baron’s original stage direction for this production. He uses a chorus of well-dressed carolers and adults to fill in any gaps in the action on stage, between scenes, or while the sets are being moved. The result is a happier, less deafening production that leaves little room for reflection until the entire theater is lit up with Christmas cheer at the end of the play.
Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge has a larger than life presence that fills the stage. His gentle voice drifts into disdain as he scares the children and puts the pleading adults in their place. He is rivaled only by Stephen F. Schmidt as Jacob Marley, who rattles and howls around the stage with a heavy, stomping gait that reflects the gravity of his misdeeds.
Jonathan Atkinson, as a suave and good-natured Bob Cratchit, seems less intimidated than well-practiced in handling his cantankerous boss. The spirits, who play many parts, are unforgettable as they twinkle and charm a debt collector Scrooge and lead him to his true change of heart.
Every corner of this production is technically charged, with ghosts emerging from paintings or floating above the London skyline to fires and graves rising from the floor, and the clever technical twist is much appreciated by audience. This production makes repentance and redemption almost happy.
Running time: Two hours with a 15-minute intermission.
“A Christmas Carol” runs through December 31, 2022 at Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW, between E and F streets. For more information or tickets, please contact the Box Office at 888-616-0270, or go online. Covid Safety: Masks are strongly encouraged.
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