“A Christmas Carol” is about an old workaholic named Ebenezer Scrooge, played by senior Ezie Nguyen, who despises Christmas. He is visited by the ghost of his fallen co-worker who speaks of the three ghosts of Christmas. Each spirit shows him his past, present and future in hopes that his perspective of Christmas and his life will change to a positive outlook.

Nguyen embraced the role of the bitter, old man and made it sensational. His movements, voice and raw emotion presented in this play outlined the character in a concept beyond basic. The way he was able to convey the feeling behind the rough exterior of Scrooge was phenomenal.

Dressed in a suit and wrapped in chains, junior Tai-Rece Basey, was brilliant as the ghost of Jacob Marley. She started the showcase by entering through the floorboards of the pit in the PAC. As a green light surrounded Basey, the mood was set as eerie and suspenseful. This scene was fascinating with a sense of a frightening aura as it told the story of Ebenezer Scrooge.

The interactions the ghosts had with the audience were captivating and enjoyable. As the ghost of Christmas past, senior Dominick Brogoto clutched Scrooge’s hand and traveled through time by running through the aisles of the PAC.

One drawback of this production was the technical difficulties. Microphones were working on and off and the lights were sometimes on during set changes. These minor setbacks do not cancel out the beautiful performance given by the cast.

Each cast member grasped their character and made it feel real. When an actor understands the character, the actor senses the true feelings of said character and perceives those feelings the audience. That was the experience at this play.

This traditional Christmas Story was interpreted wonderfully in every aspect, and all expectations were exceeded greatly. This play earned five out of five Talons.