Holiday Productions

I have to admit to being a bit of a Scrooge about holiday theater, particularly about A Christmas Carol. I’ve always felt that the first ghost is quite enough and that the following ghosts simply add to the suffering—of the audience. Much of that humbug feeling melted away while attending the Commonweal’s 2003 production. It’s likely that up until that appearance of Ghosts Past, Present, and Future, I’d simply never seen a production that handled Dickens with the humor, warmth, and inventiveness of a fine company like the Commonweal.

While no one is ever likely to say of me, “he knew how to keep Christmas well,” I have found myself enjoying A Christmas Carol and other holiday productions the past few Decembers. I realize that I’m the odd one; for many, a holiday-themed production may be the only theater they see all year. And that’s why theaters big and small produce holiday shows; it’s a dependable way to fill the seats and cover some of the year’s operating costs. And A Christmas Carol is the most dependable of the holiday plays.

This season, Southeast Minnesota Theater goers have the opportunity to see two A Christmas Carol “spin offs”: Inspecting Carol at the Commonweal and Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol at the Jon Hassler Theater. (Of course there’s sure to be many productions of the traditional version, including one at the Guthrie Theatre.)

Inspecting Carol

By Daniel Sullivan, Directed by Alan Bailey
Commonweal Theatre, Lansboro

In Daniel Sullivan’s Inspecting Carol, which is running at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro this season, a non-profit theater is staging the holiday classic in hopes of staving off financial ruin. Unfortunately—for the fictitious company—everything that can go wrong in a production goes wrong. The play good naturedly lampoons actors, directors, arts administrators, subscribers and even the National Endowment for the Arts. Sullivan, one of the most sought after directors in the country, created Inspecting Carol while serving as the Seattle Repertory Theatre’s resident director, and the play was developed along with the Rep’s actors, who are in a pretty good position to know what’s funny behind the scene.

Inspecting Carol runs through December 23.

Visit the Commonweal for schedules and tickets: Commonweal Theatre

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol

By Tom Mula, Directed by Jon Ferguson
Jon Hassler Theater, Plainview

Dickens opens A Christmas Carol with him: “Marley was dead: to begin with.” Tom Mula has taken the “to begin with” and spun a tale that he claims is the real story behind A Christmas Carol: “the story of Jacob Marley’s heroic behind-the-scenes efforts to save old Scrooge’s soul.” The result is a unique and humorous (irreverent, funny, and ultimately, deeply moving, says the publisher) take on the holiday classic.

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol runs through December 23

Visit the John Hassler Theater for schedules and tickets: Jon Hassler Theater