A Christmas Carol

Performer Ron Severdia is to be congratulated for his stunning performance in Humbug Theatre’s production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Try to imagine the host of distinctive, grotesque, nearly cartoonish characters contained in Dickens’ Christmas classic and then imagine, if you will, one actor convincingly—no superbly—playing all of them as well as serving as his own narrator.

Mr. Severdia’s rendering of his own stage adaptation rhythmically oscillates between dramatic acting and highly animated storytelling.

With few props and virtually no set to speak of, Mr. Severdia’s brisk but measured pacing and precise enunciation provide crystal clear images of the characters, the setting and the plot.

The visions elicited by Mr. Severdia’s spirited delivery of his carefully crafted script are reminiscent of the classic days of radio where vivid mental images were totally elicited and conjured by the magic of rudimentary sound effects and the spoken word.

Director Julian Lopez-Morillas deserves much credit for the delightful clarity and life that Mr. Severdia breathes into this inspirational tale of eleventh hour redemption.

Mr. Severdia has contemplated a solo performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL since living in Vienna in early 1998.

Collaborating with Charlie Varon on this adaptation, Mr. Severdia has realized his artistic ambition.

To his credit, the inner vision of the play that Mr. Severdia nurtured and carried with him for eight imaginative and creative years has coalesced into a marvelous piece of performance art.

Although the Barn Theater in the Marin Garden Center provides a delightful setting, this magnificent solo opus demands a venue that is proportional in size to the qualitative grandness Mr. Severdia has achieved: a venue that will afford larger audiences the privilege of
accessing and appreciating the humble grandeur of this Christmas masterpiece.

Like TUNA CHRISTMAS and THE NUTCRACKER, this play, which ran from December 21st to December 24th, warrants much more exposure and accessibility throughout the entire Bay Area.

It is no exaggeration to say that Mr. Severdia’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL has the potential to become a part of the holiday tradition in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hopefully, next year, Mr. Severdia will consent to reprise his show for the entire month of December.