As fate would have it, a shifting of traditions at two leading Bay Area theater houses in 2024 has classic curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge saying, “Bye, humbug.”
But not to fear, foggy London lovers. American Conservatory Theater’s beloved version of “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by former artistic director Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh, was retired a year ago. That tradition, which ran for 18 years, has given way to a new retelling written by Craig Lucas (“Prelude to a Kiss,” “Paradise Square”).
ACT’s world premiere of “A Whynot Christmas Carol,” running through Dec. 24, may not be the Charles Dickens classic that’s produced at every level of theater, but it is still adapted from the same source material.
While multiple versions of “A Christmas Carol” have been running at ACT since 1976, with Perloff and Walsh’s version saying goodbye in 2023, new adaptations have the ability to keep the story fresh, bridging multiple generations to Dickens’ original novella that was published in 1843.
“The source material is evergreen and fantastic, and it’s an incredible, sweeping and emotional story,” said ACT’s artistic director Pam MacKinnon, who is also directing the show, commissioned by ACT in 2019. “I love a good ghost story, and that’s sort of at the core what ‘A Christmas Carol’ is. But you know, at a certain point you want an adaptation that feels fresh.”
Over on the east side of the Bay, Center Repertory Company in Walnut Creek is preparing for the swan song of their own version of “Carol,” which will conclude Dec. 22 after its 19th year. Matt M. Morrow has been artistic director of the Center REP since May of 2023, and was brought in to steer the company through some significant upcoming milestones, including their 35th anniversary celebrated at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Being brought in to be a forward thinker means Morrow was responsible for looking at the company’s own shift with “Carol,” which will move towards a new version in 2025.
One equation that has changed thinking throughout the industry was the pause in theater programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies large and small saw a decrease in audience revenues, making fundraising campaigns a staple for many arts and theater organizations.
Morrow spent the last year studying Center REP’s popular Christmas tradition, and sees this moment as an opportunity to make such a rich part of the company’s history more expansive.
“The world is a very different place coming out of COVID, and that also means we’re different, you know?” Morrow said. “How we invite people into our organization and participate in these traditions has inherently changed. And as much as we need to focus on traditions and what makes ‘A Christmas Carol’ and any sort of holiday programming compelling and attractive to our community, we always need to be looking at how we can expand and grow upon that tradition.”
Those traditions of seeing the same play annually might feel static for some observers, but MacKinnon and Morrow disagree with that sentiment. The lessons within the story of Scrooge are important to revisit during the holidays, with folks like the gentle Bob Cratchitt and his hopeful child Tiny Tim offered to audiences who yearn for a seasonal comfort meal, allowing for a renewed view of humanity. There is nothing static about that.
“It’s very easy to lock into this story because everyone can understand it’s about second chances, redemption, and it’s a story that’s deeply human,” Morrow said. “Within the story, you can see yourself and the struggles you have been through. “Scrooge is coming face-to-face with his mortality and changing as a result.”
Change is a deep metaphor for what is happening in the region with this familiar story. While a certain type of theatrical Scrooge has moved and is moving into the past history of both companies, shifting towards a new and vibrant holiday lore still imbued with familiarity is exciting. For ACT, MacKinnon remarked that she is encouraged by the early and enthusiastic returns in front of preview houses, which have included lots of children and families ready to start their holiday traditions anew.
“I think specifically of some people I know that literally grew up with the previous adaptation, and now they’re in their mid-20s,” MacKinnon said. “Some are feeling lost for sure, but I’m hopeful that when they see this play, because it is adapting the same source material, that they will get that fantastic hit of a known story, as well as an additional way to look at “this known story.”
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theater Critics/Journalists Association and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2022-23). @davidjchavez.bsky.social
‘A WHY NOT A CHRISTMAS CAROL’
By Craig Lucas, presented by American Conservatory Theater
Through: Dec. 24
Where: Toni Rembe Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco
Running time: 2 hours with an intermission
Tickets: $29-$151; www.act-sf.org
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‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’
Adapted by Cynthia Caywood and Richard L. James, presented by Center Repertory Company
Through: Dec. 22
Where: Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
Running time: 2 hours with an intermission
Tickets: $37-$89; www.centerrep.org
