DC Metro Theater Arts: AN IRISH CAROL

The Keegan Theatre’s An Irish Carol is destined to become one of the not-to-be missed DC holiday institutions  …

This production, the second annual, is a smashing success.”

Matthew Keenan, an Irish expat from Dublin and a Keegan company member, wrote this ingenious adaptation of Dickens’ classic novella for the company. …

The cast is responsible for turning this clever, touching script into an extraordinary piece of theater. Kevin Adams (David) makes the night with his turn as “Scrooge”. He’s not a talkative character and the crucial moments of his performance happen with just a glance. I cried right through the end, mostly because of his performance … Timothy H. Lynch is funny and powerful as an old drunk who makes for one of the ghosts. The audience laughed every time he opened his mouth and every time he closed his mouth and every time he blinked. David Jourdan, as another old ghost, had a subtler role to play as a man largely satisfied with his life and everything Scrooge is not. Josh Sticklin plays the young Bob Cratchet character, transformed into the bartender. … Mike Kozemchak plays David’s younger brother in a scene that’s more nuanced and effective than the endlessly cheerful nephew of the original story.

Costume Designer Kelly Peacock does an excellent job on the rumpled look of the working class folks. The old man Frank’s pants are a particular triumph; the character would not have been the same without them.

Director Mark Rhea keeps the pace up but also gives these actors plenty of room to play with each other and build up to the final heart wrenching scenes.”

… The Keegan Theatre’s An Irish Carol is a funny, unapologetic, and an utterly transforming night of theatre.