Reminiscence and nostalgia are the catch phrases of Watertown Children’s Theatre,  New Repertory Theatre, and arsenalArts production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  Set in the eves of an attic with miscellaneous artifacts affixed to the wall, the snow-drifted stage gives the cozy but cold air of Charles Dickens’ mystical tale.  The set suggests memory and the past with a nice mix of suggestive and literal.  Without creating caricatures of the characters of this already supernatural tale, director, Bridget Kathleen O’Leary and adapter Rick Lombardo brought a touch of class to this classic.  A work like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol can feel a bit recycled, reduced, and reused.  By presenting it less in the light of a fairy tale and more so based in reality, this reviewer was quite entertained with out a display of déjà-view.  Lombardo’s adaptation was refreshing in his choice to include shadows of past, present, and yet to come that are often cut for the sake of time. These brief but poignant scenes are not lost in Lombardo’s manifestation of Dickens’ masterpiece and they further articulate the moral of the story, while maintaining a reasonable running time.

As the audience milled about the gallery of art that is the lobby at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, a chorale concert of Christmas carols purveyed the space.  This interruption of illusion, despite my initial resistance to seeing performers in costume and character prior to the curtain, set a specific tone for the performance about to take place.  Once the audience was seated, and house lights were lowered, the frosty fable began.

The ensemble seemed to be the crux of the show, filling multiple of the many roles.  Singing baroque style Christmas tunes, the ensemble moved as one to create a mood and make the scene changes.  Most impressive was the musical talent of these players.  I use the word players to imply a pun, for not only did these artists sing and act, but many of them showed proficiency in playing piccolo, piano, timpani, flute, violin, chimes, tin whistle, etc.   Most impressive was Katrina Shinay.  Scenes were often set due to ethereal tones of her tessitura; floating gently above the action of the scene on soprano pitches with control and finesse at pianissimo.  Shinay tickled the audience by singing a flat final note, until corrected by her accompanist.  Patrick Ryan as Fred was also joy.  Ryan filled the role with such sincerity that his age disparity was almost forgotten.

I will say that there were inconsistencies in dialects used and the usage of them at all.  I am of the philosophy that if one can’t master the dialect well, it is best not to affect one.  This was most prominent in the performance of Edward M. Barker.  Barker’s depiction of Bob Cratchet came off a mite over the top, although I believe this was an effect of the deviations in Barker’s dialect.

The stand out performer of the evening was Paul D. Farwell.  Farwell played the protagonist with nuance that down played the emotional extremes of Scrooge.  Through such down playing of the epic role, Farwell concentrated the evocative power of the Scrooge’s journey toward emotional maturity, making each potent moment of progression more prevalent.  Farwell’s performance is one that negates the audience’s world, and becomes their reality for the duration of the play.

The 5^th Annual Watertown Children’s Theatre, New Repertory Theatre, and arsenalArts Christmas collaboration was quite charming.  This production of a holiday favorite was efficacious.  This evening roused the need for the emotional warmth of love to fend off the cold of the winter, wealth and the world.

Peter E. Haydu (Jacob Marley) and Paul D. Farwell (Scrooge) in CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Photo by Andrew Brilliant/ Brilliant Pictures.