Toledo is full of holiday traditions including the Toledo Repertoire Theatre’s long-standing annual production of A Christmas Carol. For 36 years, the tale of Scrooge has been performed by and for the community.
Toledo Rep Stage Director Betsy Lackey is determined to make this year’s show more magical than ever. In fact, this year represents a redemption for her.
In 2020, Lackey, tasked with directing A Christmas Carol in an online video format for safety reasons, had her husband fall ill halfway through the process. Passing stage responsibility to others allowed Lackey to focus on her husband (who has recovered) and she now relates, “I’m excited to be back and doing it this year at a new location. This show is something that people really look forward to.”
The Backstory
Lackey has been involved in theater since she was a child. “I’ve performed in, directed and costumed shows,” she explains. “My husband and I have written three musicals that have been produced locally and I’ve written a symphony.”
From the Collingwood Arts Center to The Westgate Dinner Theater, Lackey has sprinkled her talents across northwest Ohio and she has big plans for A Christmas Carol. While moving the show from the Valentine Theatre to The Rep’s own stage may be seen as a challenge by some, Lackey is dreaming of all the new opportunities it brings.
“One of the things we talked about after the last production I did was adding more magic to the show,” she said. “We’re hoping we can use some trap doors in the floor for some of that magic we weren’t able to achieve at the Valentine.”
Lackey is also shaking things up with the cast this year, though she won’t reveal too much just yet. “I’m doing some casting things with Christmas Past and Jacob Marley that we haven’t done in the past,” she said.
A Universal Story
Charles Dickens’ immortal tale of greed and redemption remains as popular as ever. How does a story written in the 1830s stay pertinent nearly two centuries after its initial release? “The story takes place at Christmas, but it really is more about a bitter old man who comes to terms with his life and makes changes in this world because of it,” Lackey said. “Everyone loves it so much, because it’s a universal story.”
Scrooge is played in The Reps’ staging by an actor Paul Causman, who has performed the role of Ebenezer for 20 years. “Paul is an incredible actor,” Lackey said. “You need somebody who is willing to put themselves out there on the stage, and for him to play the role year after year…it’s a lot of hard work.”
Lackey thinks we’ve all been a little like Scrooge at one point or another; stuck in our ways and a little bit bitter.“We know lots and lots of people who get stuck,” she said. “And the fact that people want to see this play again and again, that speaks volumes.”
Favorite Moments
Lackey takes a few minutes to consider when asked what is her single favorite moment in the show. She particularly enjoys the scenes where Scrooge is caught in the act of being miserly. “I love every time the play catches him in something mean or crotchety that he’s done and you see him think, ‘Uh oh wait a minute!’” Lackey said. “I love the way Paul reacts to those.”
And of course, you can’t beat the last line of the play. “‘God bless us, everyone,’” Lackey says, sharing the lines of Tiny Tim. “Having a kid stand on that stage and ring it out at the end warms my heart.”
A Christmas Carol will be performed December 2-12, 2021. For tickets, show times and more information, visit www.toledorep.org.