Mountain Movers Close Out the Year with Final Performances of “A Christmas Carol”

ountain Movers Theatre Company closed out the year with their final performances of “A Christmas Carol”, adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens, which was directed by Kimberly Willard.  The play was held at The Garden Theater in Louisa, KY, and ran for six performances, all of which were performed before a packed audience.  

Most everyone is familiar with the tale of A Christmas Carol.  The story focuses on Ebenezer Scrooge, who is known for his miserly ways.  On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is forewarned by his old business partner, Jacob Marley, about a series of ghosts that will visit Scrooge that night.  The three spirits are the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  These spirits guide Scrooge throughout his life and show him how his behavior has affected those around him.  At the end, Scrooge is relieved to discover that there is time for him to change his ways and is transformed into a kind-hearted human being.  

The cast and crew, following the direction of Mrs. Willard, brought the big show to life on a small stage; however, it was no small production.  It was a “professional” show meaning that the auditions were open to anyone and welcomed back guest star, Paul Mroczka (who also starred in the Mountain Movers production of Little Shop of Horrors) as Scrooge.  This was the first play for some cast members, but whether new or a seasoned actor, each brought their character to life with authenticity.  The cast members kept true to the classic rendition of the tale, even talking in British accents.  The costumes and the set design transported the characters back in time to the 1800’s.  There was dancing and singing, laughter, and even a few tears as the story of Scrooge and The Cratchits played out on stage. 

I was able to speak with Paul Mroczka (Scrooge) and Lisa Puckett (Mrs. Cratchit) before the show to ask them a few questions about the play and their roles.  

Me: Did you find it challenging to bring this script or your character to fruition?

Paul: I did find it challenging, in a way, to play Scrooge because everyone has preconceived notions of Scrooge, and the character is so well-known. I think the trick is not to make him mean, but to figure out why he feels the way he does about Christmas…Scrooge isn’t inherently a mean person, but he’s had a lot of bad Christmases. His father didn’t want him, his sister dies at some point in his life, and his girlfriend breaks up with him so he’s kind of turned sour on it and Christmas Eve is a really bad time for him…like I said it’s not about him being mean, as it about him wanting to be left alone.  He even says it in the script, ‘Leave me alone!’.

Lisa: I found it a little natural and even relatable to be playing the mother of Tiny Tim and wife to Bob Cratchit.  Getting into the motherly role and having the husband, to the status of the poor family, I grew up that way… channeling some of those things helped in building my character.

Me: Most people have seen some sort of production of A Christmas Carol, is there any twist to this version or is it the classic retelling of the story?  Are there any twists or anything new? 

Paul: That’s a good question.  Every telling is a little different, but what I like about this one is that we are able to tell the whole story in about an hour and a half…we are doing it in a very traditional way with all the British accents and all.  You really get the whole scope of what happens in that time, so it’s great for families.  

Lisa:  The experience that I have with the Christmas Carol versions that I’ve seen have been movie productions…I’ve never seen it from the stage aspect. And the ones that I did watch, for me personally, the difference that I’ve noticed between our production and the movie productions is the relationship or personality characteristics of our ghosts.  I’ve never seen them from that standpoint before, they seem to have a one track personality, but then to see the dynamics that our ghosts play, I think it’s a little different than what I was accustomed to.

Paul:  …the ghosts are very rich in this.  They are very fun to act with.

Me: Were there any other cast members who portrayed the roles differently than what we are used to?  I know you just mentioned the ghosts are portrayed differently than what we’ve seen before, is there anyone else that might be portrayed in a viewpoint?

Paul: I’m going to say Scrooge is portrayed in a lot of different ways, and a lot of times he’s portrayed as a buffoon.  I talked to Kim, the director, about this ahead of time and said I don’t really see him that way, but I want to do him as realistically as I can.  So, when he’s afraid, he’s really afraid…he says things at times that are stupid but are naturally stupid I guess you’d say. 

Lisa: My husband and I were actually discussing this because he watch Tuesday’s show, and again the only productions we’ve seen are movie productions where Scrooge is portrayed as really mean and ruthless and hateful…but like Paul says people perceive him in the different ways he’s shown, and I think that each actor brings their own interpretation to how they see that character and I think that’s what makes the theatre of it exciting and new and you’re not watching the same show over and over again.  The actors bring new and exciting things every time they’re on stage and each show can be different.  

Me: What do you hope people take away from the performance and the show?

Paul: I hope they really get a feeling for what Christmas is about. The reason I don’t play him (Scrooge) as this really kind of guy who’s corrupt and all is because I think he has a soul.  I think it’s not darkened, it’s just locked up, and it needs to be unlocked again…and he’s redeemed at the end and that’s a beautiful story.  And that’s kind of the story of Christmas when you think about it, redeeming people…going to the dark to the light.

Lisa:  I’ve not really thought about it from that aspect but I would assume, for myself, much like Scrooge they find themselves worn down from the stressors of life whether they have kids or jobs and they come in here for an hour and half and it’s a way for them to unplug and to see something else going on, but then come away from it a little encouraged and maybe have their hearts softened a little bit or maybe change their perspective about what’s going on in their lives.  Count your blessings.  It’s stressful now but there are things you can be thankful for.  As a mom, around Christmastime, I couldn’t imagine losing my son like Mrs. Cratchit, from that aspect of things, just being able to come here and forget about what’s going on outside for a little while…that would make me happy as far as them taking away from the show.

Me: Is there anything either of you would like to add?

Paul: I’m the guest star and everyone else is a community member in the show, it’s been really fun for me.  This is my second season here at Mountain Movers, and one thing I’ve been thinking about is how much a part of the community they work to make themselves and a lot of theatres don’t do that.  It’s really enriching experience for everybody, and I think we’ve had a lot of fun.  It’s a professional theatre but it’s for the community and has deep roots for the community.

Lisa:  For me, I’m new to the community so this was a for me to jump in and get to know people and explore different parts of my creativity.  I encourage others that when they have other shows that are open to community auditions to just step out and try it.  It would be fun.  I spoke with Kim when I got the part and she mentioned that would love to have more community involvement because there are more plays, they’d like to have but you can’t do everything with just children. Theres a lot of children who show up but not a lot of adults and I think a lot of the time adults don’t think they can…but try something new.  They are very patient and very kind and I am thoroughly impressed with their professionalism, but they deeply care about each actor that is here. It’s not just about business and not just about the show.  I found that very moving.