Ebenezer': Williamston Theatre’s Christmas journey of the heart

 

WOW. Ebenezer.
Michigan playwright Joseph Zettelmaier needed only one word for his premier script about Ebenezer Scrooge – the rest of the Dickens tale A Christmas Carol – simply, Ebenezer.
WOW:  The one word that popped to mind after the first preview show at Williamston Theatre, in Williamston, MI.
Now playing through Dec. 23, Zettlemaier’s Ebenezer  in a one-word phenomenon. A phenomenal play, destined to become a Christmas classic. That was the consensus of  the audience, those folks who always come to test the waters of the latest WT play, and enjoy the after-show discussion with playwright and director.
They left the theatre that night floating in a bubble of WOW.
Here’s my take on it. WOW: Wisdom, Originality, Wonder. That’s how I’d fill this orb of  Ebenezer WOW.
Wisdom. I loved the wisdom of Ebenezer, played by veteran actor Arthur J. Beer. I didn’t know what to expect from this play, only what I’d read in the WT description:
It’s a cold Christmas Eve in London, and Ebenezer Scrooge sits in a hospital room. Fifteen years have passed since his miraculous transformation by the Ghosts of Christmas. Now renowned for his generosity and selflessness, his spirit still yearns to bring cheer to the world, but his flesh is weak. Such a little thing isn’t likely to stop the old man, though, for he has a plan up his sleeve that he hasn’t shared with his two troubled companions – Miss Poole [played by Alysia Kolascz], and Tim Cratchit [played by Joseph Seibert], recently returned from war in America. Over the course of the evening, these two lost souls bear witness to events they do not fully understand as the spirit of Christmas descends on Ebenezer once again.
The wisdom of the life and times of Ebenezer Scrooge, deftly woven throughout, rings true for our 21^st Century times, as well, we discover.  In that sense, Zettelmaier’s work will surely become a favorite Christmas classic.
Originality.   I’ve enjoyed all of Zettelmaier’s plays at WT, but  was amazed at the delightfully fresh and engaging originality of the story that he spins out,  with these three great actors in the intimate space of the hospital room on stage.
If you wanted to create a sequel for the Ebenezer Scrooge classic, what would you write? I can’t imagine any more pleasing way than what Zettelmaier has written, in combo with superb direction by Willamston Theatre Executive Director John Lepard, and perfect casting.
Wonder. This is where the wonder comes in. Ebenezer  is a magical sequel to the Scrooge story, portrayed by wonderful actors in a magical setting…complete with a feel-good ending that brings   Scrooge’s  journey  full circle and leaves its magical imprint on your heart.
The light-heartedness goes with you, as you step out the WT door, feeling optimistic about humanity. The spirit of Christmas -- Ebenezer reminds you -- is a spirit of wonder you can bring to life every day.
I CAN imagine that Joseph Zettelmaier’s  Ebenezer,  after its World Premiere at Williamston Theatre,   will  WOW audiences for many Christmases to come.
Showtimes:
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Saturdays at 3pm; Sundays at 2pm
Thanksgiving weekend: Friday, Nov. 23 @3pm and 8pm; Saturday, Nov. 24 @3pm & 8pm; Sunday, Nov. 25 @2pm
For ticket prices, and to order online: Williamston Theatre website
Article Links about Williamston Theatre and Ebenezer:

Q&A: ‘Ebenezer’ playwright imagines life after ‘A Christmas Carol’
Lansing State Journal: Old Ebenezer comes to Williamston stage
Broadway World: Williamston Theatre presents Ebenezer, World Premiere
Scrooge Part II (Lansing City Pulse)
Encore Michigan: Hope Triumphs in Zettelmaier's Christmas Tale
The Livingston Post...blog by Susan Parcheta recaps WT 2012-2013 season schedule:
Williamston Theatre: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Lansing Online News : "Ebenezer" creates future holiday classic
Christmas 2012 Williamston Theatre Update:

Director John Lepard  reprises his own Christmas classic: "This Wonderful Life" --his award-winning one-man show with all the beloved characters from the mythical Bedford Falls, after Frank Capra's film, "It's a Wonderful Life." Lepard wowed audiences in 2009 with his endearing performance as George Bailey and all the townsfolk. Due to popular demand, he brought "This Wonderful Life" back to Williamston, last season, receiving more acclaim.  
Theatre goers may once again enjoy this fantastic show for eight performances,  Dec. 21-31 at the Tipping Point Theatre in Northville, MI.  Click on  Encore Michigan announcement for showtimes and prices
Encore Michigan: Everyone will appreciate the inspired work of Lepard, whose masterful performance gives life to a whole town full of people and brings a smile to your face along the way.

 My blog about "This Wonderful Life" from last Christmas:

John Lepard's 'wonderful life' resumes: The actor energizes Williamston Theatre stage in encore performance of a magical Christmas classic

  Published Oct. 22, 2012 in The Livingston Post

October skies surprise

By Susan G Parcheta

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Golden sassafras glows, inspiring memories

Leaves of scarlet, gold, vermilion drift down from sun-glazed maples and sassafras.  Gratitude fills my heart for this annual show of wonder.

October skies surprise sometimes. Shimmering, soft columns of late afternoon light filter beams of memories of last year’s autumn days.  Like a scampering squirrel darting through life, I gather them up to tuck safely away like the acorns that plop, bounce and tumble pell-mell into the garage from tall oaks nearby.


I hear the acorns drop.  Walking to the mailbox on this October day, I’m reminded.  I’ve been here before – on an ordinary day that turned into extraordinary, by the mere act of getting the mail.  Smiling, I glance across the road to the neighbor’s drive. I can still see her there, the tawny-striped kitten that sweetly meowed, looking straight at me, as if she owned my heart. Somehow, I knew she and I would share a journey.

I’ve heard of close encounters of the angelic kind, never imagining it could happen to me.

Last October, I tuned in to a calling that I hadn’t expected.  Always, I’ve loved the stories of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. October 4 is the Feast Day for St. Francis in the tradition of the Catholic Church.  While I’m of protestant upbringing, I’ve a great reverence for the saints among us.

The life of St. Francis is exemplary in his passion for all things beautiful, for Nature and all God’s creatures. The Prayer of St. Francis is one of humanity’s favorites; and truly he was one of the great luminaries of all time.

A year ago in October, I tuned in more than ever to the heart of St. Francis, as I found myself nurturing back to health – or so I thought – this brave stray kitten who’d adopted us.  Her ginger personality matched her gold and creamy stripes.

October skies surprise me with memories, of a tiny kitten with a giant heart of gold…

Storms of Autumn: Embracing Winds of Change

By Susan G Parcheta

The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over.  ~ Aesop

Before Hurricane Sandy took a sharp left turn into the New England states, I’d been thinking about autumn in the traditional sort of sentimental way we tend to think about autumn. Specifically: its beauty.

There is a beauty to each season. There’s a cyclical beauty that resonates internally, as we look forward to the transforming of one season into the next.

One day, I’m thinking about the wonder of the autumn winds on a day when the last remnants of leaves flutter down from trees. Always, it’s the same transformational time.  Autumn winds blow. Leaves fall. Leaves pile up on yards and walkways. Kids jump in them. Dads and moms rake them up and blow them away.

It’s a ritual that anyone who grows up in a state with seasons finds emblazoned in their memories --  enough that they might be tempted to send a box of autumn leaves (as someone I know did )to a transplanted friend in a far southern state.

On this day, the sound of a warm autumn breeze caresses my heart, as the gentle wind touches my face. Shuffling along through crunchy layers of leaves on walkways perks my spirit. The rhythmic flow of my feet swishing in leaves comforts.  The fragrance of autumn fills my soul with gratitude. I breathe easy; I’m relishing the out-of-doors; life is good.

I find that I’m experimenting with tuning in more to the nuances of the seasons.  I’m learning to appreciate the singular beauty that each season offers in succession: Autumn, winter, spring, summer.

My First 90 Years: Michigan’s Walking Man Clayton Klein pens memoirs

By Susan G Parcheta

“Come walk with me across a century,” Michigan’s Walking Man Clayton Klein might say, as he invites us to celebrate his life and times in his newest book: My First 90 Years.

“Come Walk With Me” — Clayton Klein, the Walking Man inspires Michiganians ~ Walking Man logo art by Laurie McDowell

The author, adventurer, entrepreneur looks back from the grand perspective of a nonagenarian.

Follow this extraordinary time traveler (now 93), as he takes you on an incredible journey from his hometown of Fowlerville in the Middle of the Mitten to Mackinac, from Costa Rica to the Arctic Ocean.

Memoirs of Clayton Klein, Michigan’s ‘Walking Man’

Enjoy tales of exploration of far-flung frontiers, whether canoeing the vast wilderness of the Canada’s Northwest Territories and the Yukon, or piloting his Cessna airplanes over the mountains and jungles of Central America.

Klein is known throughout Michigan for his solo walks each September from 2005 to 2009 on behalf of Michigan’s Hospice programs – trekking 420 miles from Paradise on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula, across the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day down through the heart of Michigan to Hell in Livingston County and beyond into Ohio. He continues to enjoy each Labor Day Bridge Walk.

A back injury suffered many years ago prompted him, at doctor’s recommendation, to begin walking. His back healed, Klein continued to walk daily, having now logged over 65,000 miles throughout Michigan.  His walks for Hospice inspired countless others to become more active.

At the conclusion of the 2009 Labor Day Bridge Walk, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm presented Klein with a plaque from the State of Michigan honoring him for his contribution to its citizens.

Clayton Klein, The Walking Man, with plaque from State of Michigan in honor of his contributions to Michigan Hospice and to inspiring creative, healthy living at any age.

The book highlights his youthful days growing up as a country boy, and later as a farmer, business man and book publisher – along with much local history of people and events during the  last nine decades. Throughout you’ll glimpse the strength and determination of a man who believed he could accomplish his dreams.

Klein comes from a family of  writers, and is author of several books, including Cold Summer Wind, recounting his Canadian paddling adventures, and  A Well-Kept Secret: From the Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers, about his late wife Marjorie’s friendship with the legendary Hall-of-Fame hero Hank Greenberg.

My First 90 Years is available for pre-publication price of $20. After Oct. 15 it will be $24.95, plus $3.50 for shipping. Checks and money orders may be sent to Clayton Klein, PO Box 968, Fowlerville, MI 48836. For more information, Email clayton@firststep.net.

 You may keep up with  The Walking Man  and his latest tales on Facebook at Clayton Klein the Walking Man.  The book is also available at Amazon

 (Pub. Sept. 19, 2012 @thelivingstonpost.com)

In Memory of Trees

By Susan G Parcheta
(pub Sept. 2, 2012)


The turn I have just taken, the turn that I was making, I might be just beginning, I might be near the end.” ~ (From the album “The Memory of Trees” by Enya, lyrics by Roma Ryan)

Had I not made the turn, I might not have noticed. I’d felt uneasy all day, that other-shoe-is-going-to drop feeling. Only, in this case it was a tree.
In my uneasiness, I decided going for a walk might help.  Walking among the trees always brings to me a sense of balance.  It’s a simple thing to do, when things seem awry.

I wasn’t  looking intently. I just began my usual walkaround, mostly noticing the ground before me. When I reached the fork in the trail, where I usually go left, I felt the nudge to make a right turn. Then, looking ahead, I wondered what had happened that I couldn’t see through to the end. Masses of leaves covered the trail.

In astonishment, I realized it was the top of a fallen tree. Somehow, my heart knew it was my tree house tree. What else could it possibly be, that I’d have felt that uneasiness, and made a right turn. I could have easily walked to the left, on around the trail, back through the yard, and I honestly don’t think I’d have noticed. It  had fallen perfectly within the stand of trees and not into the main yard.

I still can’t believe it happened. Yet, it also astonishes me that, somehow, there’s within me a knowing that all is well. It astonishes me that I’m so…OK with this event.

Perhaps the tree falling is symbolic of a transformation going on in my life. Why, when I almost physically hurt when my husband cuts down a tree, am I so OK with it?

My Disappearing Universe

By Susan G Parcheta
(pub. Aug. 17, 2012 at thelivingstonpost.com)
 
Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark." ~ Agnes DeMille

Have you ever been gone on a retreat for a week, then come home to find the rest of the world has taken a quantum leap?

It’s puzzling to me. Gone to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia  for a workshop on Intuitive Heart Discovery with Henry Reed.  My cell phone worked intermittently, as did the Internet. So my attempts to connect with the outer world were random; and the workshop schedule left little time for randomness.

Afternoon rainbow over Blue Ridge mountain meadow

The intensity of the classes threw me into overdrive, leaving little desire to try to catch up on a random basis. Besides, it’s always kind of fun to have a week where you are not totally tied to your TV, iPhone, or laptop.

Fun, maybe, but also funny, in that life has a way of leaping past you during those times. I was missing the second half of the Summer Olympics in London, after all – only getting home in time to watch the closing ceremonies.

The Mars Rover Curiosity big NASA event I missed totally. I felt that I was the one on another planet all week.

And the Detroit Tigers, I wondered what happened to Quintin Berry while I was gone. I think I have it figured out; although it’s not the same watching the games without him sparking the lineup so much now.

Just as well. I’ve scads of things on my end-of-summer to do list.  A little less baseball, a little more writing, and other sundry things.

Williamston Theatre, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

By  Susan G Parcheta
(pub. July 23, 2012 at www.thelivingstonpost.com)
 
I don’t know how Shakespeare came to mind when I was sitting down to write an update blog about one of my favorite places on the planet – Williamston Theatre (WT) in downtown Williamston, Michigan.

True, the theatre – now an integral part of the community landscape – performs Shakespeare now and then. And, true, Aral Gribble, one of the two powerhouse actors in the current production – Red, White and Tuna – appeared in The Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare (Abridged) two summers ago.


Apparently, I tend to make the connection when I see Gribble in a WT play “Tuna’s” a remote connection, I’ll agree, but the comedy and laughs garnered when watching Gribble perform are a match.  Gribble was great, as well, in this season’s  Dead Man’s Shoes.
OK, now you know that Williamston Theatre is featuring Aral Gribble in Red, White and Tuna (July 12-Aug. 19). And, you know I’m going to tell you some of my favorite things about Williamston Theatre.

Well, one of those favorites is Wayne David Parker, the other half of the tuneful “Tuna” twosome. I truly enjoyed Wayne David Parker in Talley’s Folly – one of my first WT experiences -- and in subsequent shows.  Parker and Gribble gained a sizable local fan base in last year’s Greater Tuna; and I hear tell they’ll bring us Tuna Does Vegas next year.

Those fans were certainly out in force on July 12, when the theatre opened this production run. It’s always fun to attend the very first night, when you can participate in audience comment and suggestions afterward.  I’d guess from the near sell-out crowd, that lots of folks are getting hooked as we did, and putting the first WT night on their favorites list.

The Tuna series has an interesting background – going back three decades. Playwrights Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard debuted Greater Tuna in 1981, with off-Broadway following in 1982.  The wildly successful plays feature two men; and the actors are constantly engaged in the challenge of playing over 20 character roles – all adding to the comedic atmosphere.

If you want laughs, go see a Tuna production. Especially, though, go to a Tuna production at Williamston Theatre. Gribble and Parker continue to develop these laugh-a-minute characters with each Tuna.