A Christmas Carol

Anthony Lawton

Anthony Lawton, co-creator and storyteller is nothing short of brilliant in his performance of Lantern Theater’s presentation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, performed in the Black Box Theatre at Drexel University's  URBN Center Annex through January 6, 2019. In collaboration with sound designer Christopher Colucci and lighting designer Thom Weaver, Anthony Lawton has devised an adaptation of the classic A Christmas Carol in which he superbly plays all the roles. Entering the stage in a tattered circus ringmaster’s outfit with clown face make-up, Lawton begins relating to the audience with tidbits about Christmas cheer and small magic tricks before describing Scrooge. The Scrooge description isn’t a word or two or even a one or two sentence description. Lawton speaks very slowly and forcefully to the audience as he describes each nasty adjective and his voice gets louder, then softer as he walks all around the small stage, peering into the eyes of the audience members. This is a description of a man everyone can picture. As excellent as Anthony Lawton is throughout his two hour performance - portraying all of the characters in different voices, narrating the sections that have no immediate dialogue, and dancing around the stage with a joie de vie that would make a younger man exhausted - co-collaborators Christopher Colucci and Thom Weaver have made excellent contributions to the show as well. Colucci’s sound effects are marvelous. Thom Weaver never disappoints. The lighting on Anthony Weaver’s face when he portrays Marley and later the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future are fantastic; the ambiance is surreal and the actor appears to be another character altogether. Ring in your holiday with this is exceptional presentation. For more information or tickets, call 215-829-9002 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org.

Charlotte's Web

Ayana Strutz

The Arden Children Theatre’s production of Charlotte’s Web on its F. Otto Haas mainstage is a smashing success and with its three performances daily has been extended to February 3, 2019. The set is a beautiful two-story barn with sliding doors, a dirt-and-straw floor fit for a pig and rafters fit for a spider. With a barnyard full of animals, many members of this talented ensemble cast play dual roles, in the barnyard and at the County Fair. Philadelphia theatre-goers will be thrilled to see some of their favorite actors in this ensemble; Campbell O’Hare, Alex Bechtel, Alex Keiper, JoVito Ramirez, Brian Anthony Wilson, Emile Krause and J. Hernandez. There is delightful audience participation with the younger audience members as volunteers are asked to walk with the goose and later help with a live “horse race”. As charming as the barnyard animals are, it is Charlotte (Ayana Strutz) who steals the show. She makes an absolutely breathtaking entrance onto the stage as she slides upside down wrapped in silks from the top of the barn to the barn’s floor. Mimicking a spider, with her stomach up and her arms and legs stretched behind her, she scuttles over to Wilber the pig (Adam Howard) to tell him she will be his friend. Trained in a circus college, Ayana flips across the stage and climbs up and down the barn’s rafters with ease. The children in the audience were spellbound and I must admit; I was a bit awed myself. Charlotte’s Web is awesome. From Templeton (J.Hernandez) the rat, to the goose and gander who repeat repeat repeat everything, to Homer Zuckerman (Brian Anthony Wilson) proud owner of some pig, this production has something for everyone no matter the age. For more information or tickets, visit ardentheatre.org.