Craig Wallace on “A Christmas Carol” and being Scrooge in a time of Trump
Compassion is needed now more than ever, says the newest Scrooge in town
If only Donald Trump and his minions were to see A Christmas Carol, it might do a world of good.
“The thing that I think about every time I hit the stage is compassion and charity, caring for each other,” says Craig Wallace, who took over the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge in Ford Theatre’s iconic annual production. “That’s the only way we’re going to make it. And you know, we’re moving toward a time when that’s not prevalent. This play reminds us of that.”
Wallace believes the Dickens classic endures as popular-to-the-point-of-ubiquitous holiday theater fare in part because of that message. “I’m still understanding things in the play, discovering things in the play, because I’m starting to make it my own,” he says.
A native of Rochester, New York, Wallace first came to D.C. four decades ago to study theater at Howard University. With his assured stage presence and booming baritone, he’s been a leading force in shows at Ford’s for years now, with parts including Frederick Douglass in Necessary Sacrifices and Hoke Colburn in Driving Miss Daisy. Scrooge, however, is Wallace’s first leading role at the historic venue.
“Scrooge is very cold, and he is not compassionate,” Wallace says. “We all know people like that. We all know people who choose not to feel.” A troubled, embittered past can have that effect on a person, and on a person’s future — unless they’re inspired to change. “The great thing about the play is that [it suggests] there’s always an opportunity, there’s always a chance to open up instead of to close off.”
A Christmas Carol runs to Dec. 31 at Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Call 800-982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org.
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