Modesto Bee
December 10, 2009

'Marley's Ghost' a polished production

By Victoria Pardini

The opening night of the Modesto High School theater department's "Marley's Ghost: Another Christmas Carol" last Friday presented a hauntingly good twist to Charles Dickens' classic story.

The show, written by Jeff Goode, is a prequel to the classic holiday tale. It chronicles the life of Ebenezer Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley, in flashbacks as he faces trial at the hands of the ghosts of past, present and future.

With a cast of 30 students directed by drama teacher Michael Murry, the show is impressive. All of the actors were quite polished and easy to understand, which can sometimes be a challenge. The play itself was easy to follow and offered both tragedy and comic relief.

Tim Day stars as the title character. He commanded the stage, and by the end of the play, the audience even gained some sympathy for his character, a ruthless man who devoted much of his life to ruining that of others, and suffered a heinous fate.

Josh Ah You, who plays Scrooge, easily fit into the role of the Dickensian curmudgeon. Giant Ghost Brandon Douglas and Diminutive Ghost Mauricio Perez are both humorous and cunning as they judge Marley's trial.

In secondary roles, Peter Hodson had the audience roaring with laughter in his role as the emphatic Rev. Hedges. Amanda Melhuish was powerful as the spunky Mrs. Cratchit.

Perhaps the most astounding spectacle of the play was the gigantic Phantom, which was Marley's guide in his journey through the past.

The phantom itself took two students, Ryan Powell and Jeremy Nielsen, to operate, and stood at roughly 10 feet. Though the Phantom did not speak in the play, the audience enjoyed its humorous gestures.

The sets were simple yet effective. The opening scene, a graveyard, was most impressive, with floating tombstones and a makeshift grave.

Costumes beautifully fit the period. The colorful palates of makeup suited the whimsical spirits and the haunting spectres.

The show runs for about two hours, without an intermission.

Overall, the play offers an entertaining way to spend an evening, and is a great representation of the teen talent in Modesto.


"Marley's Ghost" will have its final shows this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults, and the production is in the Modesto High School auditorium at First and H streets.

Victoria Pardini is a senior at Modesto High School and a member of The Bee's Teens in the Newsroom program.