A Christmas Carol/Iliad Reviews – Holidays Offerings

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By Kathy Carpenter

James Newcomb photo by Aaron Rumley

North Coast Repertory Theatre has two shows for your viewing pleasure this wonderful Holiday season. Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, adapted by Zander Michaelson. What’s Christmas without viewing the traditional story of man named Scrooge? I am always ready to give a new version a chance and hope you will too. This is one man’s genius on display as he acts out most of the Dickens tale. With a few special effects to enhance the story. Ever endearing and heartwarming as we watch the transformation of one man’s heart from being “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner “, to generous, loving soul.

Filmed on the North County Repertory stage with a backdrop of three Christmas trees, an old fashioned fabric printed chair, on a round carpet for old Scrooge to sit.

David Ellenstein directs. James Newcomb, in this tale of redemption. The story of crotchety old Ebeneezer Scrooge, and the three ghosts of past, present, and future, who appear to him on Christmas Eve, showing him the importance of love and compassion. Reminding us how forgiveness brings joy and happiness to everyone.  

Richard Baird and Amanda Schaar photo by Aaron Rumley

 

Richard Baird photo by Aaron Rumley

The second show you can see is not traditional or a Christmas story and one I really thought not to enjoy, yet a classic.:”An Iliad,” based on Homer’s The Iliad, by Lisa Peterson and Denis  O’hare. Translated by Robert Fangles. Directed by David Ellenstein, and featuring the masterful acting Richard Baird, another one man show. It’s all about the storytelling. Baird captures your attention from the first moment and keeps you captivated all the way through as he rells the story of the Odyssey. The tale spun with nuggets of information we could use to actually understand and picture the account of the Trojan war.

 

One of my favorite moments came when he did his horse impression. A moment that gave pause when he went on for over three minutes listing war after war that has occurred in out history. We never realize how time and time again how ignorant man can be at times.

Richard Baird photo by Aaron Rumley

Baird’s co actors, a chair, a trunk, a bench a ladder. a water stand and the beautiful cello music from Amanda Schaar. A poem of war and the battles men must face. This one hour and thirty seven minute show held me enthralled.

 

Whether you do Christmas or not North Coast Repertory Theater got you.!

 

North Coast Repertory

A Christmas Carol streams December 9th – December 31, 2020.

The Iliad December 9th – January 3, 2021.

photo courtesy of North Coast Repertory Theatre

For tickets to either show go to www.northcoastrep.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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