The play, “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens is an exciting piece of art about Scrooge, an old selfish and lonely man who holds Christmas festivities in low regard. Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business associate, has been dead for seven years. The two pals had established themselves as loan sharks in their society. Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk languishes in poverty because of the low wages that Scrooge pays him. Scrooge is a miser to the extent that he is hesitant to give Bob a day off during the day of Christmas.
There exist specific sections in the play that were breath-taking and exciting to watch. We are introduced to the play with the melodious voices of two young girls who graciously sing Christmas carols in one accord. The musical director on the other end of the piano is exerting his prowess with the beautiful tunes he is playing. The attention of the target audience is immediately captured. The welcoming audiences applaud the ladies in a show of appreciation as the play commences. As soon as the young ladies walk into the room, one cannot help but notice the appropriate costumes that they are don in. One can easily tell that the theme of the play revolves around Christmas. I have to applaud the creativity behind the dressing of the young man as the pirate’s parrot. One can easily mistake him for a real parrot. From the play, it is evident that the producers and directors laid appropriate emphasis on the costumes of the cast members.
The set is simple, but it has been continuously changed to suit a particular scene. The simplicity of the set means that it is easy to switch to the next scene. There exist a variety of strategies that the cast in the play have employed to capture and maintain the attention of the audience. The first element is tonal variation. As the mother is narrating the story of Charles Dickens to her children, we can see her varying her tone while speaking certain words. Tonal variation is a technique that is used by most speakers to lay emphasis or show the importance of specific words. Another method that has been employed in the excerpt is the use of facial expressions. As the mother is narrating the story, we can see the children repeatedly yawning in dissatisfaction. We can tell that they are bored by their mother’s storytelling. Humor is another technique that has been used in the play to entice the audience. We can see various cast members cracking jokes in the play. An example is when the Scrooge tells his nephew to go into politics because he is a good speaker ("Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at the Mendocino Theatre Company").
There is also the use of body movements and gestures in the play. As the character who plays the Scrooge accesses the stage, we can hear his loud footsteps. He wants to announce his arrival in style. The actor who plays the role of Bob Cratchit also employs body movements and gestures as he explains to the audience the setting of Scrooge’s office. The lighting of the play is appropriate with the directors dimming it whenever necessary. The occasional dimming of light leaves the audience anticipating for what is next. The background sound also changes based on the scenes. We can, for example, hear loud noises as the ghost of Jacob Marley enters the house of Scrooge.
I believe that this particular production was very crucial because it conveys a message to the target audience. The intended message by the play is that Christmas is an essential celebration whereby people from diverse backgrounds and different socio-economic status can come together in unison to celebrate the birth of Christ. Christmas festivities also involves giving back to society by helping the needy and the less fortunate. I was moved with the happy ending of the play where we see Scrooge mending his wicked ways and cynical view of Christmas by joining his nephew, Fred for the Christmas celebrations. Scrooge turns on a new leaf and decides to increase Bob Cratchit income so that he can be able to cater to the needs of his family. He also provides help to Tiny Tim so that he does not succumb to his illness. He is a changed man, a good friend, and an excellent master.
There exist some weaknesses that the play exudes. First, the play is too long and, therefore, ends up becoming boring. There is thus the need for the production team to try and make the play as precise and brief as possible. Secondly, there is less involvement of the audience in the play. The production team can try to involve the target audience through posing rhetorical questions in between the play. The more the audience is engaged, the more attentive they become. Thirdly, there exist scenes in the play where the cast is not audible enough. Body-worn microphones may be used to contain the issue.
Works Cited
"Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at the Mendocino Theatre Company." YouTube, 25 Dec. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP3tPi5QSsM.
