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| Media Article for A Christmas Carol |
| As published by The Tuscaloosa News on December 13, 2002 written by Mark Hughes Cobb |
Play for all ages
Tuscaloosa Children?s Theatre?s 'A Christmas Carol? is performed for -- and by -- children and adults
By Mark Hughes Cobb
Staff Writer
December 13, 2002
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Greg Hagler, playing Scrooge, talks with Harrison Chambers, playing Fred, as Vincent Shakir is shown in the background playing Bob Kratchit, during a scene in the Tuscaloosa Children?s Theatre rehearsal of ?A Christmas Carol" at the auditorium in Central High East.
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Tuscaloosa Children?s Theatre certainly gives kids theatrical experience -- there are several dozen in this weekend?s ?A Christmas Carol" -- but the shows also are aimed at and performed by adults.
Using the same script Theatre Tuscaloosa used in 1987, TCT brings in a few older folks to play pivotal roles.
?The age range is tremendous," said TCT coordinator and ?Carol" director Brent Jones. ?The youngest is 5, and we go up to the early 40s."
Among those elders is Greg Hagler, back for a second turn as Scrooge. Hagler?s most recent success was as Mysterious Old Man in Theatre Tuscaloosa?s summer hit ?Into the Woods."
?Playing evil is fun for me, because I?m such a nice guy," he said, smiling. He?s half-joking, but Hagler has been cast a couple of times as Fred, Ebeneezer Scrooge?s thoroughly nice nephew.
He plays it no differently than if this were a Theatre Tuscaloosa show, Hagler said.
?It?s a little bit of a caricature. There?s not a lot of explaining to do. Even for kids who?ve never seen it, there?s an awareness of who Scrooge is, what he means."
Working with and observing Michael Carr, now Theatre Tuscaloosa?s artistic director, helped him get started, Hagler said.
?Having seen Michael do Scrooge three years, that?s a learning experience; so I had a head start," Hagler said.
And despite W.C. Fields? admonition never to work with kids or animals, both Jones and Hagler call being on stage with the younger actors one of the biggest/srewards of the job.
?To see the realization come over their faces, as we put it together, of how it all works and that it might just work, is a big part of the fun," Hagler said.
Jones trumpets the accomplishments of TCT veterans such as the multi-talented Wheeler Kincaid, who?s been with the group since he was 6 or 7, and is now about to graduate high school.
In addition to playing the ghost of Christmas Present, Kincaid also designed the sets and arranged the props for ?Christmas Carol."
?He?s gone so far and above what anyone could ask ...I don?t know how we could have done this show without Wheeler," Jones said.
Having the older guys around helps the kids, too.
?Role modeling is a genuinely very effective teaching method," said Jones, whose day job is drama teacher at Central Elementary.
?Greg and Matthew [von Redlich, playing Fred and, in silhouette, the Ghost of Christmas Future], work a lot with kids and have a lot of stage experience," he said.
?I don?t want to tell the kids ?Watch him.? That would probably be less effective.
?Instead, just knowing these guys up there are pros gives them that inspiration: ?Wow, I want to be like him!? "
This adaptation of Charles Dickens? story is by Charles Jones, with a lot of English Christmas carols in the mix.
?They don?t really help move the story, but they do give it that Christmas feel," Jones said.
Costumes are by Linda Garcia, with choreography by Rebecca Tingle and music direction by Benny Russell.
If You Go
Tuscaloosa Children?s Theatre will perform ?A Christmas Carol" at Central East?s auditorium at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $9 for adults, $6 for students and $15 for patrons. Call 345-0577.
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