Jack Neary puts his own spin on 'A Christmas Carol'
Sunday, November 24, 2002
By Richard Duckett
Telegram & Gazette Staff
'A Christmas Carol'
When: Previews 8 p.m. Friday, and 4 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday; official
opening, 2 p.m. Dec. 1; regular run, Dec. 5 through 29.
Where: Worcester Foothills Theatre Company, Worcester
Common Outlets, Worcester.
How Much: $29 to $32, depending on performance. Box
office, (508) 754-4018.
'A Christmas CarolÓ ... now, who the Dickens wrote that?
Why, Jack Neary, of course.
Well, that is the answer when it
comes to who is the author of the new Worcester Foothills Theatre adaptation of
the Charles Dickens classic that opens for previews Friday (the official
opening is 2 p.m. next Sunday) and runs though Dec. 29.
Neary, a Lowell-based playwright,
director and actor, wasn't about to pen a total rewrite of the tale when
Foothills artistic director Brad Kenney approached him about creating an
adaptation. In other words, Scrooge won't take it with him, Bob Cratchit isn't
on welfare, and Tiny Tim doesn't really die. Instead, in true Dickens spirit,
Tim does say ÒGod bless us, one and all.Ó
Nevertheless, the adapter did want
to put his own spin on matters,
ÒIt's a pretty traditional
representation with a few things we haven't seen before,Ó Neary said during an
interview before the start of a recent rehearsal.
ÒI just tried to make it my own
without risking making it too different from other versions.Ó
When Michael Walker was artistic
director of Foothills in 2000 he wrote his own theatrical adaptation of ÒA
Christmas CarolÓ with the hope of having the Dickens story an annual holiday
season happening at the theater.
Kenney, who succeeded Walker last
year, kept Walker's play for 2001, but added some more colorful background and
musical flourishes.
However, Kenney had already talked
to Neary about a new version of the story for Foothills, and Neary was formally
commissioned to write the piece this past summer.
Neary is no stranger to Foothills.
A one-act play competition put on by Foothills in 1985 helped give him the
inspiration and impetus to write. ÒFirst Night,Ó about former parochial school
classmates who rediscover each other one New Year's Eve after a lapse of many years,
was one of the winners of ÒNew Voices at the Family Table,Ó a competition
designed to encourage new playwrights.
Neary went on to have success with
a full-length version of ÒFirst Night,Ó and has now written more than 30 plays,
several which have been and still are performed commercially. Neary stayed on
with Foothills for a couple of years after ÒFirst Night,Ó and directed ÒBiloxi
BluesÓ there in 1987. But then there was a long break which ended in 2000 when
Neary returned to Foothills to direct his own play, ÒJerry Finnegan's Sister.Ó
Since then, ÒI haven't left the
joint,Ó Neary said.
He has directed about half a dozen
plays at Foothills, including ÒDial 'M' for Murder,Ó which concludes its run at
2 p.m. today. Additionally, he's written several original plays for children
that Foothills has staged.
ÒI've really become part of the
family, I hope. It's a nice place to work,Ó he said.
But there is also life beyond
Foothills. Another new play by Neary, ÒBeyond Belief,Ó will be produced early
next year by the Lyric Stage in Boston.
First things first, however.
Neary's adaptation of ÒA Christmas
CarolÓ includes music by another Foothills veteran, Jim Rice, and several major
musical sequences. Since Foothills invested a lot of money on impressive
looking Victorian costumes and sets for the previous two productions of ÒA
Christmas Carol,Ó Neary's version was expected to utilize what was already in
the theater's vaults. Other than that he had a free hand, but Dickens and
reality helped shape the way of the play.
Neary said he did not work with
Walker's version. ÒYou know what? I didn't read it at all. I decided it would
be best to go back to the source.Ó
So Neary began his first draft with
Dickens' book in front of him.
ÒI followed the track of the
novel,Ó he said.
ÒThere are eight million
adaptations of 'A Christmas Carol.' What you find out is that so many people
are accustomed to it you can't stray too far if you want to be successful.Ó
Nevertheless, in writing the
speeches, ÒI took some of the things you expect, but I gave it some humor. A
little bit of a spin. An extra edge so that people won't say 'Oh yeah, I'm back
to the ÒChristmas CarolÓ I expect.' Ó
Neary is directing the Foothills
show, something that helps in getting the length of the production Òfamily
friendly.Ó Anything longer than two hours would be unfriendly in his view.
ÒIf it comes in longer we will
address it. You can make these decisions right in the rehearsal hall,Ó he said.
The first day of rehearsals in the
rehearsal hall was the first read-through of Neary's adaptation.
ÒIt was the first time I had ever
heard the play read,Ó he said.
The production calls for a large
cast -- more than 40 actors, including three groups of 20 children who will
appear in alternate shows.
According to sources, when the
first read-through had been completed, everyone burst into applause to praise
Neary's work.
His response was in character -- low
key and modest. ÒThe sound of laughter for the first time was kind of
exciting,Ó he said.
As for the applause?
ÒThat's always good. I think
sometimes it's just polite, but this time it sounded genuine.Ó
Neary said he has read Dickens' ÒA
Christmas CarolÓ a number of times. ÒIt's just great to be able to work with
the material and experience the atmosphere the writing presents,Ó he said. So
as he adapted the play, he said, he did feel Dickens' timeless message of
compassion and spiritual renewal.
Nevertheless, ÒMore than the
writing, the atmosphere doesn't really come to life until you get into the
rehearsal room,Ó Neary observed.
ÒNow it's in the mouths and minds
of the actors it's really coming to life.Ó
The proof of this Christmas pudding will remain in the eating. But Neary was sounding optimistic about his and Dickens' creation. ÒFour or five days into rehearsal, things are coming to life. Things are looking good,Ó he said. ÒSo far, I'm happy.Ó