TOM TITUS -- Theater

After 21 years, it’s not always easy to detect subtle transitions in

South Coast Repertory’s annual holiday production of “A Christmas Carol,”

but this time around a number of changes are visible.

New faces grace the characters of Bob Cratchit, the ghost of Jacob

Marley and the Spirit of Christmas Present -- all injecting vital

characterizations into their assignments. The newcomers blend with the

regulars in creating a bountiful yuletide stage package.

One element that hasn’t changed, thankfully, is the presence of Hal

Landon Jr. in the central role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Landon constantly

fine-tunes his character, and this year he has ramped up the early

miserly vitriol a few notches, rendering his eventual transformation that

much more effective.

As Landon has helmed the show as Scrooge since day one, so John-David

Keller has been at the controls from the director’s chair. As usual,

Keller takes on an acting assignment as well, functioning splendidly as

the charity solicitor.

Other familiar returnees amplifying the roles they’ve been playing for

many years are Richard Doyle as the Spirit of Christmas Past; Art Koustik

doubling as old Fezziwig and the scavenger, Joe; Martha McFarland in

triple duty as Mrs. Fezziwig, solicitor and scrounger; and Howard

Shangraw as Scrooge’s beneficent nephew, Fred.

Among the newcomers, Timothy Landfield makes the mostindelible

impression as the Spirit of Christmas Present, ebullient and magnanimous.

Time Winters’ spectral Marley is properly horrific and calculated to

curdle Scrooge’s blood. SCR’s new Cratchit is an animated David Whalen,

bringing a youthful vigor to the downtrodden clerk.

Devon Raymond, in her 11th “Carol,” graduates to the role of Mrs.

Cratchit in a glowing performance. Hisa Takakuwa is an elegant Sally, and

Holly Sena practically stops the show as the giggling “pursued maiden” at

Fred’s Christmas party. Richard Soto and Mark Coyan play the young

Scrooge and Marley with vigor.

With Jerry Patch’s slick adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic as

a base of operations, SCR has constantly enriched the holiday season

since 1980. Technical advancements have smoothed the transition scenes,

and state-of-the-art sound surrounds the audience to punctuate Donna and

Tom Ruzika’s superb lighting designs and Cliff Faulkner’s easily altered

settings.

“A Christmas Carol” has been delighting local audiences for21 years

and probably will continue to do so for at least 21 more, because Keller

and his company unfailingly produce a richly appointed show guaranteed to

put their audiences into the spirit of the season.

* * *

It’s been a few years since my kids participated in Estancia High

School’s renowned drama program, and I dropped in at the school Friday

night for the first time since Mindy’s graduation in 1997 to see if the

standards remained as lofty as they were then.

Not to worry. Director Pauline Maranian has kept the talentlevel

exceptionally high, as a viewing of Estancia’s “The Rimers of Eldritch”

illustrated. Maranian’s large cast has done an excellent job with the

difficult and demanding Lanford Wilson drama of seething emotions in

Middle America in the late 1950s.

This is a meaty package for high school students, but some riveting

performances emerge. See for yourself at closing performances 7:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday in the school’s Barbara Van Holt Theater. Call (949)

515-6537 for information.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.

FYI

WHAT: “A Christmas Carol”

WHERE: South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays, noon and 4 p.m. Sundays until Dec. 24.

COST: $24-$41

CALL: (714) 708-5561