The holidays are all about traditions, making new and recreating old. I think this is the third run for my poster illustration for Portland Stage’s A Christmas Carol. I’ve blogged about it before HERE. Yet every production brings a new look and feel, and this year’s telling of the Charles Dicken’s classic hits every high note.
Back in 2014, my early sketches involved Victorian ornaments with bits of narrative against a backdrop of smoking chimneys from Dicken’s London.
I proceeded to color.
But simple was best; ornaments were lost as the backdrop became the moody setting for all the titles and text, with every iteration a variation in size and color reproduction.
The main difference in this year’s version is my hand-lettering. In the advertisement appearing regionally in the New Yorker, the cropping is even closer.
We attended a performance on Thursday night, delighting in the fantastic window displays by Kimberly Skillin Pondelis.
I enjoy the levels of detail Portland Stage brings to every aspect of the show. Even the lobby signage, crafted by Associate House Manager, Chris DeFilipp, reinforces the Victorian theme.
What joy to have Olwyn and Daisy present, both just back from college. They discussed memories of first seeing the play at much younger ages, and recalling that it was a little scary.
Sure enough, the ghost of Jacob Marley, played with gusto by Yonatan Gebeyehu, set the chilling tone of visions to come. Our favorite, Dustin Tucker, gave an upbeat spin to the beleaguered Bob Cratchit. Joel Leffert’s Scrooge was compelling and multi-dimensional. The stagecraft and costuming in this production are outstanding. The foretold death of Tiny Tim, in which he walks before a line of shrouded spirits who bow as he passes, was both chilling and moving.
For the first time ever, we were in front row seats, and could feel the swirl of energy when Scrooge awakens at last from his night of transforming visions.
As we rush about our merry madness, Dicken’s story remains timeless. Executive Director Anita Stewart says, “As we seek to transform our world, I hope we can find time to understand one another’s stories, and see those living with us in our communities and in the world as “fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on less important journeys,” as Nephew Fred proclaims (played with dashing aplomb by Alex Purcell.)
There are only two performances left!! GO.
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