David Melville (Photo by Grettel Cortes)
Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Independent Shakespeare Co.
Through December 23
RECOMMENDED
It’s hard to imagine theater in Los Angeles at Christmas time without Charles Dicken’s cherished tale of the callous, miserly Scrooge and his redemption brought on by the visitation of three spirits who showed him the error of his ways. Dicken’s not only wrote many renowned novels and stories, but he also loved to perform and relished giving public readings of his works, playing the roles of some of the best known and loved characters in English literature. One of these readings was of A Christmas Carol.
This marks the 20th season that ISC has brought this special holiday tale to life. In the program notes we learn that “this adaptation is based on the acting edition prepared by Charles Dickens,” which imparts a subtle, effective layer of authenticity to the story told here. Enacting the role of Mr. Charles Dickens for the reading is ISC co-founder, David Melville, who walks on stage neatly attired like a perfect Victorian gentleman after having been introduced by an “American actress,” (as he blithely states, with just a touch of condescension), named Miss Tichenor (Daisy Tichenor), whose name Mr. Dickens sometimes has trouble pronouncing correctly.
Miss Tichenor does yeoman’s duty throughout, singing carols, engaging in humorous exchanges with the distinguished author (and sometimes annoying him), playing an assortment of instruments, providing wonderful sound effects, giving voice to a few characters, and gracing the audience with some melodies from the xylophone. Oh, and she also does a fine job of making sure that water is readily available for Mr. Dickens to soothe his throat.
The two provide wonderful entertainment and fun. Melville does a superb turn bringing these characters to life.
The show is directed by Mellissa Chalsma.
Independent Shakespeare Co., 3191 Casitas Ave., #130, Atwater. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sun., 2 pm, Mon., Dec. 23, 7:30 pm; thru Dec. 23. www.iscla.org
