While multiple ghosts in “A Christmas Carol” convince the dastardly Ebenezer Scrooge to go from horrible to gleeful, it’s the spirit of a certain artist who passed in 2016 that informs all the joy and mirth at Silicon Valley Shakespeare.
Richard T. Orlando’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic ran at Northside Theater Company in San Jose, the company he founded, for 43 years. But in 2021, the company was forced to shut its doors when the city did not renew its contract to operate at the Olinder Community Center.
Despite the steep odds Northside faced coming out of the pandemic, the bonds and connections made at Orlando’s company have sustained, continuing to pay dividends. Orlando’s version of “A Christmas Carol” is experiencing a powerful renaissance after its 2022 revival; this year’s production by Silicon Valley Shakespeare sold out weeks before its opening on Dec. 8 at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga.
Some of Orlando’s mentees have taken the reins of this production. Co-director Angie Higgins directed various shows at Northside regularly for 10 years, including Orlando’s “Carol,” as well as portraying two of the ghosts in multiple productions.
The revival production was first performed at San Jose’History Park in 2022, with the blessing of JR Orlando, Richard’s wife of 40 years. Higgins desired to honor the original vision but wanted to add a wrinkle.
“I went to her and said, ‘I want to give it a new life, but in a way that is innovating the classic one step further, and that’s by doing a roving show,’” said Higgins of the production, which will see audience members walk an estimated 1,000 steps at Saratoga’s Montalvo Arts Center, each performance capped at 60 patrons.“We have site-specific scenes where you’re really able to experience the journey with Scrooge.”
The Bay Area’s relationship with the infamous miser Scrooge is undergoing some shifts. American Conservatory Theater’s popular adaptation, crafted by former artistic director Carey Perloff, shut down in 2023 after 18 years. And Walnut Creek’s Center REP is staging its final version after 19 years; the production closes at the end of December.
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Silicon Valley Shakes’ executive director Annalisa Tkacheff has leaned toward a formula that seems to be paying dividends. She estimates that the company has offered nearly $2 million in free programming in its 26-year history, with a community-driven approach giving them a modicum of financial solvency.
Two other factors seem to help considerably: customers embracing holiday traditions, and those traditions being offered al fresco.
“We have started to sell out faster and faster every year,” Tkacheff said. “We have almost doubled our revenues, and since the pandemic, we have had our numbers go up in the summer, which I think is partly due to people feeling really safe still being outside.”
No matter the growth, from the audiences to the artistry, so much is still built from the lessons Orlando taught in his many years at the helm. One special moment, without spoilers, happens with one of the ghosts in the show’s waning moments, something that warms the heart of Higgins and co-director Doll Piccotto.
“We’ve added a whole movement piece that’s carried through the show, which is very much in the spirit of what Richard created,” Higgins said. “JR was very happy, saying, ‘You know, I think Richard would like this.’ So we felt like we had his blessing, and both Doll and I were like, that’s for Richard, that’s his moment, and he’s still with us.”
“A Christmas Carol” runs Dec. 8-21 at the Montalvo Arts Center, 1540 Montalvo Road, Saratoga. Tickets are sold out; to get on the waiting list, visit svshakespeare.org.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics Association and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2022-23). @davidjchavez
