Review: 'The Three Scrooges' Will Brighten Your World

The holiday season will feature countless productions of Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol," but the tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his redemption from a life of selfishness and gloom is turned on its head in "The Three Scrooges," a wildly offbeat and irreverent satire of the story.

Carrie Scrooge (Amber Serra) is a hard-edged cynic who hates Christmas and, especially, "A Christmas Carol," the play she is auditioning for. She has two sisters, Jo (Victoria Hogan), and Pearlie (Anastasia LaFrance).

On Christmas Eve, Carrie is visited by the vengeful ghost of Charles Dickens (Lionel Lafleur). "Chuck" blames her for the disappearance of all his stories, including "A Tale of Two Cities." LaFleur, who starred in last spring's "The Motion Picture Camera of Louis Le Prince," plops onto a sofa and rails about the "zombies" who flock to see "A Christmas Carol" every year. LaFleur is gleefully over-the-top as the famed author.

Carrie has more guests popping in, and what a kooky bunch they are. Homeless Brad (J.P. Cottam), Martin (Mark Wilburn) – a massage therapist with a hook in place of a hand – the Ghost of Christmas Past (Samantha Acampora), and Faye (Emily Mae Partington), who falls in love with Carrie.

Writer/director Lenny Schwartz ("Dramatis Persona") provides a savage takedown of Dickens, who is portrayed as a demented egomaniac, constantly taunting Carrie about her impending demise.
Carrie also has flashbacks of her childhood, including her loving but strict father (Geoff White).

Carrie is a misanthrope, and expertly fires off insults to people who annoy her. "I have nothing left to live for," she says. "Bring on the apocalypse." But she's not without her softer side; the mutual love and respect between Carrie and Faye is genuinely touching due to Serra and Partington's performances. There's also a valuable theme of mending broken relationships and moving on from the trauma of the past, as Carrie reconciles with Pearlie.

White also plays Ebenezer Scrooge, the nutty grandfather of the three Scrooges. He snorts cocaine and shares the details of his bisexuality. I laughed, but I'm certain Dickens would be rolling in his grave right about now. There are also many comedic jabs at community theater groups, stage actors, and a veiled reference to Elon Musk, who certainly deserves the ridicule. That said, this show should not be seen by those who are easily offended.

I admired the way Schwartz takes the characters and the story into completely unexpected and bizarre territory. The Scrooges end up in a very different world at one point. I won't spoil anything, but science fiction fans will be delighted.

"The Three Scrooges" also features a surprise ending that doesn't undermine everything that happened before; there's a logic to it.

In the aftermath of a brutal presidential election, this play works as a balm to shattered nerves. I walked in to the theater feeling depressed, and 80 minutes later I saw the world in a different light. It was a very pleasant feeling.

"The Three Scrooges," performed by the Daydream Theater Company, runs through November 16. Run time is 80 minutes with no intermission. All performances at the Beacon Charter High School for the Arts, 320 Main St.,Woonsocket, RI. For tickets, call 401-644-2293.