Christopher Leon Simms, Bree Pavey, Raymond Donahey (Photo by Paul Davis)
Reviewed by Julyza Commodore
Loft Ensemble
Thru Dec. 22
RECOMMENDED
During the holiday season, an array of emotions can be felt, from joy to sorrow, even indifference. In Mrs. Dilber’s Christmas Carol, an original work written by Arthur M. Jolly, this turns out to be true as many emotions are not only felt but put on display.
The play tells the Charles Dickens’s traditional “A Christmas Carol” story, but from Mrs. Dilber’s point of view. Mrs. Dilber (Bree Pavey) is a witty, no-nonsense woman who is poor and fed up with “the 1%” as she refers to them throughout the show. Of course, this includes the unhappy Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Leon Simms) whom she gets to see the younger version of when goes to the past with none other than the Ghost of Christmas Past (Carlos Gomez Jr.). Indeed, she is also paid a visit by the Ghost of Christmas Present (Matthew Scheel) who is seemingly in high in spirits and at times a tad obnoxious, and the Ghost of Christmas Future (Barbera Ann Howard), who is haunting yet comedic.
The Cratchit family includes a lot of children (as in Dickens’s story). Emily Cratchit (Brieyonna Monet) and Bob Cratchit hold down their family fort as they search to cure one of their sick children, Tiny Tim (Robert Jolly). What does stand out here is the way in which the Cratchit family is portrayed as a family that truly does stick together through thick and thin and, although they are not rich, it isn’t emphasized as much as the focus on healing Tiny Tim.
Directed by Michael Houston, each and every actor not only delivers as their character and shines in their respective roles. The show doesn’t feel sluggish or, as if it’s too long, it feels just long enough because of how well it’s paced.
Loft Ensemble, 11031 Camarillo St., NoHo; Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm ; Sun., 7 pm, thru Dec. 22. https://loftensemble.org. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
