LOS ANGELES TIMES
November 21, 2003
THEATER REVIEW
A 'Marley' on
the move
By Rob Kendt
Special to the
Times
It's the staging
that's challenging in Circle X's rich new holiday confection, "Marley's
Ghost." Jeff Goode's play is a smart, engaging prequel to "A
Christmas Carol" that stirs in some wicked whimsy a la Lewis Carroll and
ultimately conveys the same inspirational message of hope and forgiveness as
the original.
Less forgiving is
director Matthew Bretz's ambitious roving production on the grounds of
Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Indeed, some theatergoers will find its physical
demands downright Dickensian, with scarce street parking and a long walk at the
outset, followed by a fair amout of standing and peering to catch a series of
fast-paced scenes among the gravestones .
Theatergoers who
are duly warned and up for the adventure, though, will witness a rather
exquisite blend of foolery and feeling. Goode conceives Marley as cooler, more
cynically calculating, than the cranky Scrooge. And Keythe Farley, with his
blend of drollery and depth, is an ideal match for the role. So is wiry Bob
Clendenin as Scrooge, here a supporting player in a scheming back story
replayed at Marley's afterlife tribunal, where a two-story-tall judge (Johann
McKay), equipped with endless arms and a dry wit, presides over a Mad
Hatter-esque prosecutor (Kevin Fabian) and a mute wraith (Richard Augustine).
The design
throughout is inventive, often inspired (sets are by Gary Smoot, lighting by
Geoff Korf, costumes by Cynthia Herteg), with the graveside setting lending an
ambience both creepy and transcendent.
Transcending the
production's physical challenges requires only comfortable shoes, warm clothes
and an open mind.