Audiences Embrace Female Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL

What the Dickens? A female Scrooge?

At Carrollwood Players Theatre in Tampa this holiday season, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

The community theatre is presenting a revival of its acclaimed 2012 production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, in which one of the world's most famous grumpy characters has taken on quite a transformation.

Meet Ms. Ebernithia Scrooge. 'A scraping, grasping, clutching, covetous old miser was she. Hard, and cold, and sharp as flint. Secret and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.'

Adapted by local actor, director, and writer Jim Russell, the play is not as frightening as that description sounds. Russell has infused lots of comedy into his dialogue.

"I wanted to offer audiences a different, fun take on a wonderful classic. Although I am aware that Dickens was quite a misogynist, my female Scrooge wasn't originally intended to pack a political message," Russell said. "But it can't hurt to use a little creative freedom to place a woman in a play traditionally full of men, men, and more men. Add a little comedy to that approach, and our play is the result."

First performed on the Carrollwood Players stage seven years ago, the play was a hit, so the group decided to give it a second run. And the standing ovations of the just-completed opening weekend indicate that audiences are fully embracing the concept once again.

But will Dickens aficionados leave satisfied?

"The script closely follows the original Dickens story," Russell emphasized. "You'll see Scrooge travel through time and memory with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. You'll meet the Fezziwigs, the Cratchits and Tiny Tim, and you'll see Jacob Marley enter the story in a most unique way."

Russell promises a show perfect for all ages, with a message of redemption and hope, lots of fun and laughter, and even some special effects.

Of course, the idea of a female Scrooge is not entirely new. In addition to made-for-TV movies like Ebbie (starring Susan Lucci as Scrooge), and Ms. Scrooge (starring Cicely Tyson), a much-talked-about production of A Christmas Carol with a female Scrooge is currently running on the London stage. This year's homegrown Carrollwood Players production features local actress Lynn Cammareri in the role.

In addition to Cammareri, a cast and crew of more than forty volunteers have come together to bring the show to life.

"What I love the most about community theatre is how people from all walks of life can come together to learn about and participate in the magic of creating live theatre," Russell noted. "Our cast ranges in age from 4 to 70, and includes lots of family members performing together. Mothers and sons. Fathers and daughters. Husbands and wives."

A Christmas Carol is on stage at Carrollwood Players Theatre through Dec. 22nd. Performances are Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $24 for adults, $21 for students, seniors, military and veterans, and $20 for groups of ten or more tickets purchased in the same transaction for the same performance.

The theatre is located in the Plantation Plaza, 4333 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL, 33618