By Marilyn Jozwik
Charles Dickens’ story of redemption, “A Christmas Carol,” has been told in many different ways and from many different perspectives.
Acacia Theatre Company’s holiday offering, “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” by Tom Mula, fleshes out Scrooge’s business partner, Marley, who in the original is long dead and only appears in ghostly form. Elaine Wyler directs.
In this version, we learn about Marley in the afterlife, and how his greed and unkindness during life, not unlike Scrooge’s, forged the chains made of money boxes and other metals that he must carry in death. He is told that he did not learn the lessons of charity and love offered him in life and now he must pay the price.
But Marley is given a chance at vindication: He must use his power of time travel and his ability to change form to return to earth and redeem a lost soul. His project? Ebenezer Scrooge. Not only that, but he must accomplish the feat in 24 hours.
Jason Will takes on the many characters in the show with incredible skill and humor. The show’s venue is the small, modern black box theater at Norvell Commons at St. Christopher’s Church in River Hills that is comfortable for the audience and offers lots of opportunities to enhance the show with lighting, visuals and sound, giving this one-man show and simple set the sense of many locations and immersing the audience in each scene. And in the hands of Will, numerous characters come vividly to life.
In the first act, we see Marley in his final earthly days. He is described as “being wound too tight” or “having all the juice squeezed out of him.” Mula’s language is vibrant, creating all sorts of imagery that Will enhances tenfold with his marvelous portrayals. The story then follows Marley to the afterlife where, through sound, light and Will’s physicality and performance skills, we see Marley’s suffering in many forms, including a “hellish aquarium.”
Lest the show get weighted down by Marley’s heavy links, the show contains many modern references and intriguing characters, such as The Bogle, a tiny spirit that fits in Marley’s ear. In one of the many voices Will uses, The Bogle has a Cockney accent with Will portraying the spirit in a sort of hunched manner and light-hearted, whimsical way. He is remindful of Jiminy Cricket in Disney’s “Pinocchio,” serving as the main character’s guide. The Bogle explains how Marley can “apply for a transfer” to the Record Keeper, whom Will portrays in a suitable administrative tone.
Act Two follows the Scrooge story, with Marley transformed into a couple of the familiar ghosts, with several twists, including going back to Marley’s childhood. The same joyful scenes of redemption which have made Dickens’ story so enduring – and endearing -- are magnified here, allowing all to ponder how they might be able to change a lost soul.
I must confess that I am often skeptical before I see one-person shows, as they can often contain long, static monologues. With Will’s expertise, the stage is filled with colorful characters, each given a distinctive persona. Marley’s father, Bob Cratchit, the young Marley, Scrooge and many others become crystal clear. Will consumes every inch of the stage, every ounce of his energy and every dramatic facial and vocal device to create worlds of characters and scenarios.
Set designer Ashley Petrowsky, Light designer Dan Hummel and Sound designer Colin Kovarik must be commended for their expert contributions to the show, a wonderful way to realize the true meaning of the season and get into a suitable holiday spirit.
If you go
Who: Acacia Theatre Company
What: “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol”
When: Through Jan. 8
Where: Norvell Commons at St. Christopher's Church, 7845 N. River Road, River Hills
Info/Tickets: www.acaciatheatre.com; 414-744-5995