A Tale of Two Carols

This holiday season one is perhaps tempted to shout “Bah! Humbug,“ snuggle deep under the covers, and wait a few months to peek one’s head out from a carefully chosen hibernation hidey-hole. After all, carbon dioxide may be classified as a greenhouse gas, the economy is in the toilet, the conflict in Afghanistan is ever escalating, and don‘t forget the bone-numbing cold front that is hovering over the area. Yet there is reason to put on a happy face, bundle up, brave the frigid temperatures and take the whole family to the theatre. Fargo residents in the mood for cheer have two excellent productions to inspire their Christmas spirit. Both Theatre B and Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre have selected adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as their mid-season Christmas play. Each will transform even the most miserly Scrooge into a Tiny Tim, with audience members leaving the theatre exalting, “God bless us, every one!”
Theatre B has done it again with Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol. “It” meaning the thoughtful execution of a phenomenal, well-acted, powerful play. Entering Theatre B’s intimate Main Avenue space, audience members have no inkling of the awe that awaits them. Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol is a modern text (written by Tom Mula) within it, four lovely actors perform all parts, nimbly maneuvering from character, to narrator, to character, to yet another character.
Perry Rust, Colin Froeber, Scott Horvik and Joe Geinert are simply four men, but they are four men with the ability to capture the essence of a cast of thirty. One cannot help but be enthralled by their ability to keep us on the edge of our seats during the moments of narration. These moments could be dull, or devoid of emotion, but through the energy of these men, narration becomes action. This is “third person” at its best. The audience is living each minute of description with the actor. Yet, this is only the narration. When each actor is allowed to explore a character for any duration of the play, the magic happens.
Rust’s Marley is heart-wrenching. Witnessing the metamorphosis of his character is astounding. Marley is a literary icon who, as modern Americans, we all recognize, but to whom perhaps we have not given much thought. Mula’s text examines the inner life (or more accurately death) of this man, taking us along on his journey through purgatory. Marley, being an awful human, must redeem his spirit self by taking on an insurmountable task: inspiring in Ebenezer Scrooge an irreversible change of heart.

Theatre B’s production performs technical cartwheels. The special effects just keep coming. Jaws drop and mouths open wide in grins as the upstart theatre company budget-defying moments occur. Bring the whole family, really. What does it mean to be a good person? This is a show that will open the dialogue in any household.
At FMCT there is another carol tolling. Fargo Moorhead’s own Jeffrey Nibbe authored this particular adaptation of Dickens’ classic. This is a more traditional take on the story.
In the midst of a lovely sparse set, the actors at FMCT are allowed to enter the stage and own Dickens’ tale. Nibbe’s adaptation is surprising. It contains secrets that do not come to fruition until near the end of the show. The ensemble is strong. With J. Malcolm Thompson’s Scrooge, Jeffrey Rondeau’s Marley, and Jacob Priesler’s Son coming to the forefront of the pack.

This is a Christmas Carol for the whole family, from the youngest grandchild to the oldest, wizened grandparent. The story is a classic in its best form: “Think upon this tale, child. Else, you risk becoming part of it.” Audience members will leave the theatre asking themselves, “What is the spirit of this day?” And hopefully, “How can I perpetuate this spirit?”

Pull off the covers, Fargo. Go see either of these great Christmas shows.

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