Eben Sadler loves money, hates humanity and has no need for family - not even his wife and two sons. If he ever cared about anyone, it was his brother, Jacob, who died in a car wreck while they were in college.
Even when Jacob returns as a ghost, Eben is more interested in his Chinese carry-out and the latest financial news. Perhaps the ghostly visit was only an undigested bite of kung pao chicken.
If the story sounds familiar, it should. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has been around since 1843 and a staple on holiday stages since the beginning. It’s been adapted into movies, musicals, ballets, operas and even a silent production starring legendary mime Marcel Marceau.
But “A Christmas Carol Today,” opening tonight at Rogers Little Theater, is veteran director Ed McClure’s first adaptation of a script.
“It seemed like it would be a challenge, but it really wasn’t that hard,” he says. “The story transcends time and generations. We all know those people who are consumed by their careers and haunted by things in their past. Maybe we’ve even felt that way in our own lives.
“We’ve all had great Christmases and lousy Christmases. But the Scrooge character has had pretty lousy Christmases from the time his brother died.”
Of course, “Scrooge” couldn’t be “Scrooge” in a modern adaptation. “I don’t know anybody named Ebenezer,” McClure says. He chose the name “Eben” from a play called “The Language of Trees” and “Sadler” because he wanted the character’s business to be called “Sad Co.” It’s a company thatsells “more stuff for less” at 10 times what it’s worth, McClure explains.
On Christmas Eve, Eben Sadler gets the year-end numbers and fires his longsuffering assistant, Roberta Corbin (played by Kalisha Handy), the single mom of two girls, Tiffani (Dinah Benford) and Timmi (Majestic Driskell). Little Timmi hasn’t spoken since her father’s death, McClure says, thus setting upthe happy ending playgoers expect.
Along the way, of course, Eben is visited by the requisite ghosts - including his brother, Jacob (Wyatt Cochran) - learning his lessons in the traditional way. McClure says he “wouldn’t say they are traditional ghosts,” however, and whether any fly “depends on your definition of flying.” He will also admit there “may be a musical surprise ... or twoor three.”
Although McClure makes any play he directs his own, he says directing his own script has had its own surprises.
“Our goal was to make this story contemporary, relevant, funny and serious, poignant and touching. As a writer, there are things you think are funny or moving when you’re penning it, and you find out often you are dead wrong - and often you’re dead right,”he says. “Fortunately, this script is helped immeasurably by a great cast. I’m lucky to have really solid people in the leads, especially Kris Pruett as Eben Sadler.”
Pruett studied acting at the University of Arkansas and the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and has played Gregory Zaslavsky in Oren Safdie’s “Checks and Balances” premiere at Rogers Little Theater, Kent in “Reasons To Be Pretty” and Mutt in the world premiere of “Sundown Town” at TheatreSquared.
“He’s an actor’s actor,” McClure says. “When he has his confessional and talks about his transformation at the end? It has nothing to do with the writing.
He’s an incredible performer, just like the rest of this cast.”
For Pruett, it’s a rare chance to share his craft with his daughter, Adelyn, who is 4 and has a small role in the show.
“Most of the shows I’ve done here have been not-so-nice characters, and this one isn’t either,” Pruett says. “But this show is much more family friendly, and she’s older now.
“It’s been great to be able to do a show and still see her, and for her to have that experience of what Daddy does when he’s going to work.”
Whats Up, Pages 23 on 12/07/2012