‘Christmas Carol’ With A Chuckle
Michael Weaver discovered something while rehearsing his forthcoming dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
The Spokane actor discovered humor.
“What surprised me, and I hadn’t read it since I was a kid, was how funny it is,” Weaver said on Thursday. “Dickens writes great jokes, so I’ve tried to keep as many of them in as I could.”
Weaver’s reading, which he’s basing on an abridged version of the 154-year-old Christmas tale, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington. A native of Port Orchard, Wash., Weaver has lived in Spokane for the past 2-1/2 years but has performed with Interplayers Ensemble for the past 12 seasons.
Interplayers fans should recognize Weaver from such productions as “The Ladies of the Camellias,” “Biloxi Blues” and “Inspecting Carol.”
Even though his reading will be based on a shortened version of Dickens’ novella, Weaver promises that the essential flavor will be there.
“I’m editing the book down, but I think I’ll be able to tell the entire story,” he said. “Or at least give a good outline of the story.”
Specifically, he said, “The ghosts are not going to take him everywhere he goes in the book. I think it’s going to be down to a couple of places for each ghost.”
The result? “I think I can give, overall, the whole story,” Weaver said. “And the moral, which is the important part.”
As for how he got the gig, Weaver’s explanation sounds like something out of Dickens’ very novel.
“Mitch asked me,” he said, referring to Mitch Finley, coordinator of the Auntie’s reading series. “I wish there was some elaborate story I could tell you there. But the truth is he appeared and asked.”
Gifts for Christmas
Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift?
Who isn’t? Here are a couple of suggestions.
While it’s not exactly a book, the locally produced video “Experience Spokane” is a visual equivalent of one of those lovely-to-look-at coffee-book tables that many people typically buy for relatives.
Fifty-one minutes long, the video is a variation on a similar project that was produced by Lon Gibby Productions a half-dozen years ago. Featuring mostly new photo footage, and a four-minute music video of a song called “Calling Me Home to Spokane” (words and music by Gibby, and Donna, Kerry and Kevin Herrick), the video is a virtual video love letter to Spokane.
It’s priced at $14.95 and is being placed in stores all over the area. To get more specific information, call 467-1113.
If you’re interested in diversity, you might like to check out “The Color of Culture II” (Impact Communications, 69 pages, $15 paperback, ISBN 0-9635605-8-1) by Seattle author Mona Lake Jones. A follow-up to her popular 1993 book, “Color of Culture II’ is a collection of reflective poems about struggle and hope.
If you can’t find a copy locally, call (206) 285-3314 for ordering information.
The Horn Book Magazine, which has been printing the best in children’s literature since 1924, has released its 1996 holiday gift guide. Its list of recommended buys includes:
Picture books - “Goose” written and illustrated by Molly Bang, “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, “Grandmother Bryant’s Pocket” written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Petra Mathers, and “Martha Blah Blah” written and illustrated by Susan Meddaugh.
Folklore - “The Green Frogs” retold and illustrated by Yumi Heo, “My Very First Mother Goose” edited by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells.
Fiction - “Frindle” by Andrew Clements, “A Girl Named Disaster” by Nancy Farmer and “Step Wicked Step” by Anne Fine.
Poetry - “Animal Crackers” collected and illustrated by Jane Dyer, “I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You” selected by Naomi Shihab and Paul Janezcko and “The Puzzle of the Dinosaur-Bird: The Story of the Archaeopteryx” written by Miriam Schlein and illustrated by Mark Hallett.
, DataTimes