By David Rogers. November 26, 2011. BLOWING ROCK -- Appreciate a radio drama by turning up the volume, recline in a big easy chair, close your eyes -- and allow your imagination to soar, taking you to the place and time of the story.  For a STAGED radio drama there is a temptation to lean back in your theatre seat, close your eyes, and be transported to each scene.  But don't you dare close your eyes, for you will miss half the show!

Fresh on the heels of "Dracula" on Halloween, and "War of the Worlds" the previous two years, Blowing Rock was treated to yet another staged radio drama Saturday night, "A Christmas Carol" by local professional theatre company, Ensemble Stage.  A nearly sold out audience at the Blowing Rock School Auditorium enjoyed some great caricatures as 12 professional and community actors performed 20 roles on stage.  Even while delivering the voiced personas, many of the actors produced the sound effects to make it "more real" over the airwaves and had some winsome interactions while delivering their lines.

That's where a lot of the fun for the audience came in, watching Rusty Page (Announcer), for example, create a realistic audio of a "crackling fire" by toying with crumpled cellophane, or seeing Lara Marshall (Mrs. Cratchit) stare indignantly at Derek Gagnier (Narrator, Orson Welles) when he proclaims, "The Cratchits were not a handsome family."

The story of Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future is a timeless tale, woven by Charles Dickins and crafted into the first radio stage play by Orson Welles in 1938.  But its key themes of holiday charity and love are always inspiring, and we never tire of them.

This version of the story, that is to say this staged radio performance of "A Christmas Carol", was deftly adapted and directed by Ensemble Stage artisitic director, Gary Smith.  

Each of the actors had their special moments, but my favorite performances were by Kent Graham (Fred/Marley/Young Scrooge/Ghost of Christmas Present), who effectively gave each of his characters a different voice and persona; Maureen Klinedinst (Ghost of Christmas Past: her pacing and "spookiness" were excellent); Smith (Scrooge: he pulled off a range of moods and emotions); and Lara Marshall (Mrs. Cratchit: a wonderful caricature of an English/Welsh housewife and mother).

For the full cast, please re-visit our pre-show story found HERE.

If you weren't able to make Saturday night's performance, or you just want to relive some of the moments, here are three slideshows (photos by David Rogers):

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