How a Tradition Stays Evergreen

That evolution typically happens on the same timeframe as real evolution: slowly and gradually. But as director Hisa Takakuwa began her fourth season helming the holiday tradition, she sat down with Jerry Patch, who adapted Charles Dickens’ classic tale for the stage.

“Every so many years, we’re lucky enough to have Jerry Patch take a look at the script. Post-COVID and with our current cast still mostly in place, the show was settled enough in a way to take a fresh look at it,” she said. “We wanted to distill and make the language more intentionally purposeful in telling the story. We dialed back some of the ad-libs you saw last year and put more of a focus and intensity into the language. We want that to help carry the story.

“We didn’t want to lose the comedy or the fun bits, but it was great for Jerry to say, ‘This is the storytelling I’m trying to get at.’ … Over 44 years, the script evolves and it was time to go back and make sure everything had the stamp of the playwright and Mr. Dickens.”

That included continuing recent efforts to make the language more authentic for Victorian England. For examples “wastrels and scoundrels” became “idler and bleeding hearts.” “Pants” became “trousers.” And dialect coach David Nevell was present again to help cast members take Patch’s script changes and bring them to audiences in as authentic a voice for the period as possible.

Behind the scenes, the Spirits rehearsed together for the first time in two years. Takakuwa said that was done to better connect them with each other, define their personalities more and deepen their relationship with Ebenezer Scrooge.

There are other changes. William Francis McGuire (Mr. Fezziwig) and Melody Butiu (Mrs. Cratchit) return after a year’s absence, with Butiu taking on a new role for her. And there are the usual changes with the kids cast, as some age out and others replace them. Takakuwa is always piecing that part of the puzzle together, balancing the two teams (Red and Green) of eight Conservatory students apiece in terms of chemistry, confidence, experience, the audition pool and recommendations from their teachers.

“We approach rehearsals and performances as an educational experience for them. How they learn and what they learned in class and use to create their characters and t+heir skills on stage,” she said.

When she took stock of the result of that evolution, Takakuwa paused. Then, she smiled, thinking this was the first time in her four years at the helm that one important element to her fell into place.

“for me, the relationships in the family of artists are stronger than ever. And I mean that in terms of the actors, production team, designers and stage crew. It’s always family, but it really feels like a family this year in terms of how we’re sharing the story and working together to bring this story to our audiences,” she said. “I think it’s all about our confidence as a team. …

“It is a wonderful gift to be given the opportunity to work on something that I know means a great deal to both the institution and the community. This is a piece of theatre that makes people happy and makes people who come to the theatre together happy. You can’t ask for anything better than that.”