It all began last October. Seriously. I was working on a production of "Guys and Dolls" in Federal Way and getting ready for my Canada trip when I got a call from Renton Civic Theatre asking if I wanted a part in "The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge" that they were opening in December. Sure, I thought. A dramatic role. Good pay. Why not?
Because of "G&D" and my trip I came a couple weeks late to rehearsals and really felt like I was playing catch up. That finally disappeared around week two of our run in Renton.
The show takes place one year after the events of "A Christmas Carol." Scrooge is taking Marley and the three ghosts to court. It's a very clever script with lines from the original story woven throughout. I especially loved playing this character. Grumpy, angry and loud ("Now. Sit. Down").
The Renton run was good. There's always something so fulfilling about doing a Christmas show during the holiday season. After a two week break we moved the show to the Kirkland Performance Center. Lighter houses, but the show went fairly well (my car got egged one night, but whatever). Then another break and two weeks in Bellevue at the Meydenbayer.
The cast were a delight to work with. Bob Barnett was a fascinating to watch as Scrooge. Totally in character all the time. Loved Nathaniel Jones as Rothchild ("Look a the naked blind man"), Keith Remon was a great put-upon bailff, and Sean Mauer, Jason Pead, Heather McRobbie and Elizabeth Adkisson all excelled in multiple roles. And of course Ellen Zabrowsky-Huls in her cameo as Mrs. Cratchit.
Thanks also to director Bill Huls, and Curt and Will for all the help backstage.
20 performances. 9 actors. 4 months. 3 theaters. 1 knee injury. A Christmas-themed show in Feb.? I can now say I've done it and survived.
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