MOTHER TERESA HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Powerful acting, cohesive visuals showcase the true meaning of the holiday season
Show #3: A Christmas Carol Where: St. Mother Teresa High School Director: Lindsay Laviolette
With each passing holiday season, the true meaning of Christmas is often foregone in favour of greedier pursuits.
St. Mother Teresa High School’s production of A Christmas Carol exposed what happens when selfindulgence supersedes human kindness.
Through cohesive visuals and powerful acting, St. Mother Teresa High School’s cast and crew delivered a great performance.
Charles Dickens’s novel A Christmas Carol was published in 1843. The classic holiday tale was adapted for theatre the following year, and later immortalized in movies, television, and radio specials. The play opens with a mother telling her children the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy and ill-mannered old miser. In Victorian-era England, Scrooge is counting his money on Christmas Eve when suddenly the ghost of his late friend Marley appears.
Marley’s Ghost warns Scrooge that he has become unkind. His flaws will be reconciled only by the visit of three ghosts, and if Scrooge does not heed their words, he will pay the price.
Rob Kemp’s portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge was unfaltering and dynamic.
Kemp interacted fluently with the actors in his scenes, contemptuously berating his clerk Bob Cratchit, or fearfully pleading with the Ghosts. His delivery included an impressive sneer, strong projection, and a gruff British accent. Kemp embodied his character’s development with a breadth of emotions, and overall was a joy to watch.
In the role of Scrooge’s humble clerk Bob Cratchit, Jose Soares delivered a charismatic performance. His nervous encounters with Scrooge and tenderness with his children were believable. His daughter Sarah was comically portrayed by Hillary Boassaly. Boassaly generated laughs as she sped around stage and teased her sisters. She exuded childlike energy and joy with every line.
The Ghosts’ acting was stunning in its own right. Maggie Blair’s portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas Past was complete with a serene energy and regal physicality. Diana Todd’s engaging depiction of the Ghost of Christmas Present included a booming voice and jovial attitude. Maela Kaminski’s The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was truly chilling. Her powerful delivery consisted of a murderous glare and haunting voice. This production’s hair and makeup by Kemp, Sierra Labelle and Kate Slaughter was immensely detailed. Scrooge’s guise included wrinkles, a prosthetic nose, grey hair and thick eyebrows. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come’s skull look was complete with sunken eyes, carved cheekbones and the illusion of a spinal column down her neck. These ambitious looks were deftly executed, and suited the characters perfectly.
Sound by Rebecca Schroer was truly exceptional, as she executed numerous sound cues with ease and effectiveness. The high-tempo soundtrack accompanying Scrooge’s discovery of his gravestone in particular was captivating. The Ghosts’ entrance music, several carols, and the slow motion dance sequence remarkably enhanced scenes.
Sound cues were in sync with lighting and actors’ movements, the ticking of the grandfather clock occurring as the spotlight brought it to focus, and every turn of the radio dial was immediately met with static sound effects.
The elaborate set designed and constructed by Scott Peasley and team was intricate and functional. The set consisted of Ebenezer’s office, and the street outside his window. Using different pieces of furniture, Peasley created the Fezziwig and Cratchit house.
An eye-catching feature of the set included Scrooge’s portrait of Jacob Marley, which dropped down to reveal Marley’s ghost. A side stage was used for several locales, and Scrooge’s bed was created in a stage shelf. The meaning of Christmas is often lost in the holiday bustle, but for those less fortunate there is little to celebrate. St. Mother Teresa High School’s moving performance of A Christmas Carol revealed that even the disheartened can find their inner kindness, generosity and holiday spirit.
Next review: St. Mark High School’s production of Death: A Comedy in One Act By Woody Allen.