A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas

A review of the 2024 play at The Hartford Stage

On Saturday, December 7th, we attended this play at the Hartford Stage in downtown Hartford, CT. The play has run there since 1998, and this year the original director for the play in 1998 returned to direct it again, and it was not disappointing!

We are new to the area and did not really know what to expect. It was easy to get to the theater and there was easy access to adjacent parking. The entrance to the Hartford Stage is attractive and the lobby well maintained. We were greeted by scary actors in ghostly costumes who were in high spirits and who directed us to where we should go. In the theater we found a beautiful stage with lots of space, surrounded by comfortable seating extending around the entire stage except the back. Bathroom access and concessions were readily available and easy to find.

We realized when we took our seats about twenty minutes before the play started that there were significant numbers of neuro-divergent kids and adults there with their families. Once we realized this, we were concerned that we had taken seats that were really meant for other families. We had bought tickets way back in the summer and there had been no indication of any special shows. Our concerns, however, were quickly alleviated as we saw the auditorium filled to only about two-thirds capacity just before starting time – there was plenty of room.

It turned out that this particular episode of A Christmas Carol was a special one billed as “sensory-friendly,” a fact we did not know about until the opening announcements. “Sensory-friendly” means that the production has been modified so that individuals with neuro-divergence can enjoy the play without sensory overload. There is a “Quiet Room” designated just outside the theater door where anyone who is feeling too stimulated by visual display or sounds can go at any time during the performance or during the intermission. There are no restrictions on movement, so people can come and go as needed. There is no expectation that the audience will be completely quiet during the performance. There were also warning mechanisms in place to give a heads-up just before any loud sounds or bright special effects. Whether or not the sound and lighting was modified throughout the show as well, I don’t know, but it didn’t matter.

We can’t really say enough about the quality of the play as it opened before us. The set, the staging, the sound, the costumes, the special effects – all perfection, and a version of artistic expression we had never seen before for this much-loved Christmas play. And the actors! Their character interpretation was incredible, and not just the leads. The secondary and minor characters, including all the kids in the show, demonstrated superior acting chops. Allen Gillmore played Ebenezer Scrooge to incredible effect. Likewise for Noble Shropshire who played Mrs. Dilber, the housekeeper. Rebecka Jones played the Spirit of Christmas Past with utter perfection and John Andrew Morrison’s version of the Spirit of Christmas Present was incredibly effective, both hilarious and terrifying. Mr. Shropshire returned as the ghost of Jacob Marley, rising up through the floor from the pits of hell to frightening special effects, about which I really can’t say enough. The entire show was absolutely engaging, just perfectly done! We found the entire experience to be just thrilling.

I also want to say that the spirit of this play has certainly not lost its edge. In fact, at this particular time in the world, the play could not be more on point. It shouldn’t take a scary ghost and the threat of an untimely death or an eternity in hell to get us all to be nice, should it. It shouldn’t take a tragedy to remind us we have only one life to live, and that life should be filled with compassion and concern for others. Michael Wilson’s direction of this play, along with the incredible acting, really drove this point home, as did watching it in a neurodivergent crowd. It was a total immersion experience.

If you can get to the play, go. It is riveting. You will come away with love in your heart and a renewed energy to be a better person.

God bless us, every one!

David Coster