Trial of Scrooge opens at Renton Civic Theater

The goodwill of the holidays should extend beyond Christmas, and so will the Renton Civic Theater’s holiday performance.

The schedule for the “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge” is aligned with its message, said director Bill Huls. “I’m enjoying every second of it.”

Opening Dec. 4 in Renton, the show will go on to the Kirkland Performance Center in January and finish at the Bellevue Civic Theatre in February.

Taking lines from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” playwright Mark Brown maintains the same language and many of the same characters from the original story.

The farce tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge a year after the dramatic Christmas night, when three Christmas ghosts confronted him about his selfishness.

“As Scrooge he likes himself very much,” said actor Bob Barnett.

A year later, Scrooge is now on trial in the afterlife to decide if he really deserves to enter Paradise.

Complete with a high seat for the judge and a seemingly bored bailiff, the wood-paneled set establishes the scene for a classic courthouse trial.

As the characters debate over Scrooge, the message is clear: goodwill should be given all year, not just at Christmas.

Barnett still hopes to maintain many of the selfish aspects of Scrooge, but at the same time provide a fresh view.

“He’s very subtle,” said actor Heather Edwards of Barnett.

Edwards took on the challenge of playing three characters, including a translator for the Ghost of Christmas Past, which is typically viewed as too scary to talk.

The ghost uses gestures and pointing to communicate, so naturally he needs a translator for court, said Edwards adding, “We’ve definitely kept the scary factor.”

Although Dickens’ novella is a ghost story, Brown’s play includes comical characters with vibrant personalities.

“It’s a light-hearted look at a familiar story,” said Barnett.

Edwards added, “Come to laugh, definitely.”

Contact Renton Reporter Staff Writer Celeste Gracey at cgracey@rentonreporter.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5052.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.