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diversions
'O. Henry' revels
in Christmas spirit
By Marten Lewerth
On-line Forty-Niner
The best holiday
gifts come with no price tags.
Compassion for other human beings is not always easy to find.
But when it occurs, the results can be both uplifting and
spiritually rewarding.
Such is the aura that hangs over the California Repertory
Company's annual staging of Howard Burman's "An O. Henry
Christmas," currently showing at the Edison Theatre in
downtown Long Beach.
Times are hard for six down-on-their-luck characters in a
dark alleyway of 19th-century New York City. For one reason
or another, these individuals are stuck alone and penniless
on Christmas Eve.
With no hopes and only shattered dreams to console them during
an otherwise festive part of the year, the future seems very
bleak indeed for these street denizens.
But hope pays them a visit in the form of mysterious man who
calls himself only "OP" (Patric Taylor). In exchange
for a meager Christmas meal, he tells these characters stories
that in one way or another change their lives forever.
Saying more about the production would perhaps jeopardize
the show's plot lines as directed by Mark Staley, who is in
the MFA program in the theater department at Cal State Long
Beach.
What can be said is that the ensemble cast does a remarkable
job with Burman's material. As individuals, the actors deliver
strong and cohesive performances that serve to propel "O.
Henry's" themes. These uplifting messages are drawn from
author O. Henry's short stories, including "The Gift
of the Magi," "Two Thanksgiving Gentlemen"
and "The Last Leaf."
There is also a bit of autobiographical material from the
man behind the pseudonym -- William Sydney Porter.
The scenic design by Corey Holst (based on original design
by Lisa Hashimoto) is visually astounding. The interior of
the Theatre has been virtually transformed into a grimy inner-city
nook that the characters call home.
While the spatial confines of the Edison are by no means grand,
there is an organic quality in the l-shaped seating arrangement,
which leaves little space between actors and audience members.
Other factors that lend warmth and continuity to the production
are the costumes by Laura Quiroz, lighting and sound from
Mark Abel and makeup Barbara Matthews.
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