The dark humor and style is inspired by the Steampunk genre, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" movie, the Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python) movie "Brazil" which you gotta see (it is on Youtube), and the imaginative adventures of Calvin and Hobbes.
CAST
(Except for Scrooge, All other actors will probably play multiple parts.)
SCROOGE - Appearing to be around 35-40 in the present day. Surprisingly young since he is over 100. Not so surprising to the other characters -- Scrooge runs a human organ bio/mechanical parts business, and obviously stays up on his treatments. He is healthy, even hip or handsome, but has the dark brooding selfish perspective of the traditional old Scrooge we know of in our reality. Lately, he is looking a little raw around the edges. Is age catching up to him, or a guilty conscience? Also, BOY SCROOGE TEEN SCROOGE YOUNG MAN SCROOGE, age 25
BOB CRATCHIT - Is the Medical and Laboratory Tech for Scrooge's Organ Emporium. Scrooge underpays him, and for some reason Cratchit, with his valuable skills, does not quit. Perhaps it is because he secretly stayed late to use the lab to create a mechanical heart for his sickly son Tim.
THE CRATCHIT FAMILY: TIM, BILLY, ISABELLE, BELINDA, MARTHA, MRS. CRATCHIT - Are more distinct personalities than the sweet kids and feisty mom of Dicken's original. Tiny Tim who has a clock and mechanical heart implanted into the front of his chest is frequently teased by bully types, who give him a different nickname, but disarms them with his sweet response. There is some panic when his alarm goes off at home, signalling a malfunction.
NIKOLA TESLA - Yes, the odd genius who created alternating current and a trove of other inventions in the early 1900's of our reality, who escaped the burning annihilations of Eastern Europe as a child, and came to America to be ripped off by Edison, is a reality hopper, visiting and observing alternate realities. Perhaps he drops a hint here and there to inspire someone to a discovery. He doesn't necessarily need to look like Tesla, who if he can hop realities can certainly change his image, but it would be help the audience accept the character. In the play he does some narrating, and is also a character in a few scenes. The "Ghosts" are various between-worlds problem-fixer types, a little like the job of the angel Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life".
CHRISTMAS PAST - a tousle headed young adventurer and his stripey styled more sophisticated and suave companion, reminding us of Calvin and Hobbes, who present their "Time Travvel: Two Bits" washing machine cardboard box as a time travel machine, somehow (with some stage trickery) get themselves and Scrooge into the box which then bounces around the room as the set changes, to land elsewhere and out crawls Scrooge and C & H to see his childhood school/sweatshop and visit from his sister Fan, Fezziwig's party, Scrooge and Marley's early business and Belle breaking their engagement, also an added bit when some aspiring free market candidates accidentally inspire Ebenezer and Jacob to expand from lending money to renting internal organs, then Belle's happy home with her husband and children.
CHRISTMAS PRESENT - Is an Uver driver. Rhymes with Uber. Whatever his transport, and it could be nothing more than a silver tire swing "flying machine" upon which Scrooge stands and then swings in swirly loops and shadows around the stage as the set pieces spin in and pop up. Or Christmas Present could be three sarcastic teenagers as Techno Elf, Angel and Snow Fairy, who propel Scrooge thru the scenes of Christmas shopping, the Cratchit's Christmas, Fred's party games, the Charity Ward, and Want and Ignorance .
CHRISTMAS FUTURE - A frightening not funny Halloweenish character who with spattering gestures and creepy breathing, creates the scenes of the dead body, the selling of the corpse's stolen possessions at Old Joe's, the death of Tiny Tim, and Scrooge's gravestone, then hungrily ignores Scrooge's begging to change his life and be saved.
JACOB MARLEY, age 25, appearing as a corpse and alive. TEEN MARLEY
NIKOLA TESLA
BELLE, Ebenezer's fiance who breaks up with him
FAN, Ebenezer's little sister
NEPHEW FRED
FRED'S WIFE
FRED'S PARTY GUESTS
FREE MARKET CANDIDATE
FREE MARKET CAMPAIGNER
CAROLING CHILD BEGGARS
CUSTOMERS & DEBTORS
MR. FEZZIWIG
MRS. FEZZIWIG
FEZZIWIG'S DAUGHTERS
FEZZIWIG'S PARTY GUESTS & EMPLOYEES
OLD JOE
CHARWOMAN
CLEANING LADY
UNDERTAKER
CHRISTMAS BOY - who fetches the turkey
POULTERER
CHARITY FUNDRAISERS
SERVING WENCH
COOK
BANKER, LAWYER, ETC.
CAROLERS
WANT AND IGNORANCE
EBENEZER'S SCHOOL MATES
TOWNFOLK
(c)2018 (c)2019 Jeannette Jaquish