Review: If Scrooge Was a Brother (eta Creative Arts)

  
  
If Scrooge Was a Brother

Written by Ekundayo Bandele
Directed by Kemati J. Porter
eta Arts Center, 7558 S. South Chicago (map)
thru Dec 29  |  tickets: $30   |  more info
  
Check for half-price tickets 
  
  
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New adaptation has intriguing premise but loses too much of original

eta Creative Arts presents

If Scrooge Was a Brother

Review by Clint May 

Revisiting, revising and especially recontextualizing “A Christmas Carol” is as much a Chicago Christmas tradition as the Goodman’s annual production. Author Bandele’s “What if…” transports Ebenezer to the present day South Side of Chicago, where his miserliness oversees several low income housing projects. It’s a tantalizing concept for one of the most elastic of devices in the literary world (Dicken’s transformative gift of complete perspective via time travel), which is why it’s a shame this feels a few revisions shy of a truly compelling reinvention.

All takes on the tale hinge on Ebenezer’s—here called “Boss Scroo’ (Reggie Glover)—legendary transformation. What’s missing in this update is the conspicuous absence of Ebenezer’s commenting on the events before him as he pleads with the spirits. Without this, we can’t see his inner workings, pathetic justifications and regrets, and Glover is left to stand mute on the side while he watches his younger self squander a chance at love or witness Bob and Mrs. Cratchet’s (Joseph Shaw and Tierra Whetstone) present day struggles. Only in the future does Playwright Ekundayo Bandele diverge significantly from the source [Spoiler alerts ahead] by having the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come be Tina Cratchet (Christa Bennett), whom we see transform from a sweet natured teenager to gangbanger in a three year jump. Rather than the silent deathlike spectre of lore, she converses directly with Eb to show him how his actions have led their family to ruin. Though a potentially fascinating read on the struggles of the South Side, I take some umbrage with Bandele’s poetic license here.

Originally the Cratchit’s (original spelling) were preternaturally saintly, but more than that, they never blamed anyone, including Scrooge, for their hardships, even going so far as to bless him in spite of his wickedness. Turning Bob into a shell of himself, Mrs. Cratchet into a bitter alcoholic and Tina into a drug dealer who lays the blame for their circumstances on Boss Scroo’s doorstep turns them into mere victims. I very much missed their enduring—and endearing—spirit. This is doubly strange as Scroo brings in religious elements to an originally secular work.

Most Carol’s revolve around the power of their Scrooge’s, and Glover has some good moments. However, without a more graduated ascent from wickedness to epiphany, he has to jump character with only an “Oh Holy Night” to signal the change. Bennett is a little charmer who does a chilling transformation to disaffected youth, and I rather wished for more of Aaron Norman‘s energy as both Fred and the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Most versions of “Christmas Carol” can be compressed into less than two hours and still service all the thematic and dramatic arcs of the story. If Scrooge Was a Brother seems to drag a little at two hours, with perhaps one too many carols and not enough character development. Director Kemati J. Porter needs to tweak the pacing to keep the entirety lively, but it all comes back to Bandele’s script. There’s definitely a good idea here, but sometimes an adaptation strays too far from the source and loses sight of the most important elements. Hopefully they’ll continue to rework—as Dickens himself did to the original for years after its publication—and find the happy medium between audacious concept and honoring a source.

Rating: ★★

If Scrooge Was a Brother continues through December 29th at eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago (map), with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 3pm and 7pjm.  Tickets are $30, and are available by phone (773-752-3955) or through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at etaCreativeArts.org.  (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)

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artists

cast

Reggie Glover (Eb Scroo), Joseph Shaw (Bob Cratchet), Christa Bennett (Tina, Ghost of Christmas Future), Aaron Norman (Fred, Young Eb, Shopkeeper, Ghost of Christmas Present), Tierra Whetstone (Mrs. Cratchet, Ghost of Christmas Past), Akilah Perry (Fran, Shopkeeper), La’Ren Vernea (Belle, Shopkeeper), Aaron Reese Mitchell (Marley, Marcus)

behind the scenes

Kemati J. Porter (director), Sonita Surratt (original music), Darryl Goodman, Sr. (technical director, light design, sound design), Doreen Griffin (stage manager, sound tech), Moon Jung Kim (set design), Ercelyne McCoy (choreographer), Andrea Washington-Brown (costume designer), Darius Woolfolk (master carpenter), Wallace Heard, Jr. (tech crew)

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