Dec. 11, 2023
By Dana Treier
Webmaster
A cast of 25 LHS students spread holiday cheer to over 300 audience members in LHS’ production of Jacqueline Goldfinger’s “A Christmas Carol,” which was adapted from Charles Dickens’ novella.
On Nov. 16 and 17, the cast transformed the Lyndhurst Middle School stage into 1800s London, England in this tale of the apathetic and selfish Ebenezer Scrooge (junior Savio Nguyen), who discovers the true meaning of Christmas after encountering four ghosts–his bitter and greedy former business partner Jacob Marley’s ghost (senior Ava Bruzzio), the caring Ghost of Christmas Past (senior Samantha Cardo), the cheerful Ghost of the Present (junior Autumn Peduto) and the ominous Ghost of the Future (senior Faith Arroyo).
Nguyen said he hopes Scrooge’s development during the play taught the audience about the importance of having a holiday spirit.
“Christmas is not about money, work or humbugs,” Nguyen said. “Scrooge represents all the values that are opposed to the idea of Christmas: greed, selfishness and a lack of goodwill toward one’s fellow man.”
Prior to this play, Nguyen was part of the backstage crew. After a successful audition, Nguyen found out on Sept. 20 that he had been cast in the lead role.
“I wasn’t planning on auditioning, but I saw my friend [junior] Drew Bancroft auditioning, and I was like ‘Why not?’” Nguyen said. “I’m glad I did because I got to have experience performing on stage.”
Nguyen said he and his fellow cast members put in a lot of effort during rehearsals.
“This is something you can’t do in a day. It takes time and effort to become the character you have to be,” Nguyen said. “Projection was definitely a challenge for me as I tend to get quiet when it comes to emotional parts. I still do it here and there, but when I realize I’m getting quiet, I raise my voice.”
“The audience can gain the lesson not [to let] time slip away and that death is inevitable.”
Nguyen said his castmates were influential in rehearsals because they were always helping each other.
“The pep talks with my castmates really calm[ed] my nerves,” Nguyen said. “They supported me with words of encouragement, tips [for] performing in front of a lot of people and making me feel comfortable and relaxed.”
Senior Ava Bruzzio also said the connection between the cast members contributed to the play’s success.
“We [are] truly like a family,” Bruzzio said. “It’s a safe place for everyone. The cast was beyond kind. When I was in a particular[ly] rough spot, many members took the time to comfort me and reassure me that I was doing just fine.”
Bruzzio said her character, Jacob Marley’s ghost, taught Scrooge and the audience a crucial lesson about valuing life.
“As my character explains, people who walk a selfish path often end up being tormented,” Bruzzio said. “Scrooge [has] quite literally shown that if he doesn’t change his act, disaster will strike. I think the audience could apply Marley’s words to their own lives: take time to appreciate those around you before it’s too late.”
Bruzzio’s character was the only one in the play to have special effects as there were ghoulish sounds when she communicated with Scrooge.
“Trying to work with the sound effects was a bit of a challenge. Not only would there be technical difficulties, but I was fearful of looking stupid if something went wrong, [but] we ironed out any technical issues,” Bruzzio said.
Senior Samantha Cardo said she improved as an actor through her role as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
“I learned that a character can be developed a lot more through body movements and facial expressions,” Cardo said. “For the most part, my lines weren’t super long, so when I was not talking, I tried to convey how the ghost portrays itself.”
Cardo said her favorite part of the performance was when the cast bowed at the end.
“I usually tune out the audience and let myself delve into the world we have worked so hard to create,” Cardo said. “During the bows, we get to break character and acknowledge the crowd. I feel like the bows are the most rewarding part because you get to see just how much the audience has enjoyed the show.”
“Scrooge represents all the values that are opposed to the idea of Christmas: greed, selfishness and a lack of goodwill toward one’s fellow man.”
Cardo said the show was successful because of the cast, director Ms. Coppola and assistant director Mr. DeVito as well as Music Department faculty Mr. Cardone, who provided technical assistance, and choir director Ms. Wise, who taught the actors how to sing their carols.
“The cast could definitely not make the show the amazing production it came to be without the help of the crew and tech people,” Cardo said. “The crew helped people with mics and costumes and the furniture that went on and off the stage. [The tech people] helped manage the microphones and lights. They helped make the play more interactive and fun.”
Senior Faith Arroyo said she appreciated working with such a supportive group.
“I had a great crew and great directors that really helped with anything like costumes and scheduling, and I had such a fun time with all of them,” Arroyo said.
She said the play conveyed a valuable message. “The audience can gain the lesson not [to let] time slip away and that death is inevitable,” Arroyo said. “It is up to you to choose to spend your time on this earth.”
Since she will be graduating in June, “A Christmas Carol” was Arroyo’s last performance in an LHS play.
“I am going to miss the shows and the times I would spend with my cast in the dressing room laughing and getting ready, but I am so glad for the experience these last years gave me,” said Arroyo.
