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A CurtainUp Los Angeles Review
Scrooge Must Die
It's Dickens familiar story and characters turned inside out. The seamy side reveals simulated porn (no nudity), homosexuality, cruelty, child prostitution, crudity, irreverence and scatology." A—hole" is used more than "humbug" which, though more contemporary, is less descriptive, like so many overused nouns or orifices. This Scrooge is played with manic nastiness by the excellent Scott Harris, whose early life with his cruel parents and the death of his beloved sister Fanny (an exquisite Emilia Herman) turn him into a misanthrope. The poverty and suffering that made Dickens' work so powerful is handled with vicious mockery in this version. Berliner directs her excellent cast with vitality, though it's hard to separate originality from repetitive porn whose shock value soon loses its zing. She redeems herself in the play's final moments when Scrooge dreams of the death of Tiny Tim, played with wistful poignance by Elora Dannon. The uncredited song, sung with haunting power by Chris Schultz as Bob Cratchit, then implemented by the Ensemble, narrows the raucous misery down to the quality of a prayer, although Scrooge is a self-described atheist in this production. In this era of terrifying recession, Berliner holds a mirror up to reality. This rendition emphasizes perverted sex as an escape but finally accepts the salvation of confrontation. It's reminiscent of the story of the little boy whose parents were atheists but one day found him talking and praying to Henry. Henry had all the qualities of God. This production can't get away from it.
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