All the Creatures Were Stirring ... It's Opening Night!

The Cratchit Family, observed by Scrooge.

There is nothing like the excitement, anticipation and trepidation of opening night.  I imagine it is what a tightrope walker must feel when he first performs without a safety net.   As Roger DeBris said to Carmen Ghia in The Producers, “Will they love us?  Will they hate us?  The anticipation is killing me!”   Unlike The Producers, which was an over-the-top, anything-goes comedy, A Christmas Carol is more about the story than the gags.  Don’t get me wrong. There are still plenty of amusing moments, and even some slapstick comic relief, but A Christmas Carol’s brand of humor is clever and witty, not crass and crude.   The strength of this performance is the genuine warmth and creativity that the actors bring to the stage in this holiday classic.

Most people know the basic story line:  Ebenezer Scrooge, a hard-hearted miser, thinks that Christmas is for fools who should be “boiled in their own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through their heart.”   He is visited by various ghosts who show him glimpses into his own past, present and future.   Scrooge is humbled, redeemed, and truly transformed by the experience, and ultimately becomes a generous and gregarious celebrant of the Christmas holiday.

What you might not know is that the Farmington Players’ production of A Christmas Carol begins not with Scrooge, but with the tale’s author Charles Dickens (both enthusiastically played by Dorne Lefere).   When Dickens’ family and friends gather for a Christmas Eve celebration in his home, instead of telling them all a story, Dickens puts his guests to work in performing the tale that we now know as A Christmas Carol.   This play-within-a-play context shows the family members creating their own magic with various accents, despite limited costumes and props.  The 10 actors portray over 40 characters and are also onstage observers of each other’s performances, which helps bring the audience into the action.

We hope that you come out to Barn to see what we have created.   Some tickets remain for opening weekend and other dates (through December 18^th) are selling fast, so buy your tickets today at www.farmingtonplayers.org or call the box office at 248-553-2955. Find us on Facebook under "Farmington Players".