Stage Review - The Rented Christmas (Olympic Theatre Arts)
Stage Review - The Rented Christmas
Presented By: Olympic Theatre Arts - Sequim, WA
Show Run: December 06 - December 22, 2024
Date Reviewed: Sunday, December 15, 2024
Run Time: 90 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
If we’re to believe what we see on television, in the movies, and in the media, Christmas, and the holiday season at large, is meant to be spent with friends and family, gathered together in community to share in both the joys and stresses of the season. But for those whose holidays don’t fit into that mold, it can be challenging, especially if they’ve had it, and for whatever reason they don’t anymore. That’s the background of The Rented Christmas, the 2006 comedic play from Norman C. And Yvonne Ahern, based on the short story by J. Lillian Vandervere “The Man Who Rented Christmas”, and being presented by Olympic Theatre Arts (OTA) in Sequim through December 22. You may (or may not) know the story by another name, “The Borrowed Christmas”, a largely panned 2014 film written by the playwrights, with its most common criticism being that if feels like watching a play being presented on the screen rather than an actual film. As the story goes, John Dale is alone for Christmas, and has been for quite some time after the loss of his parents, alone in his large house with his maid Bridget and cook Martha. Life has been good for John otherwise, and it’s clear he’s been successful in his career and every other aspect of his life. But after so many years of having no Christmas, his desire to recreate an old fashioned holiday overcomes him, and without having a family of his own, he heads to the local rental shop run by Anne Weston, where their slogan reads “We Rent Anything”. And since they rent anything, when John asks Anne to “rent a Christmas”, price being no object, she can’t help but oblige, his request including not just decorations and presents, but also a wife and five children, each of a specific age and gender. Anne and her assistant Jimmy get to work, contacting the local actors guild to hire performers for the roles, but when that plan falls through, a call to the local orphanage helps fulfill the positions, with Anne and Jimmy stepping in to help as well. It’s a story that shows what can happen when we take down our walls and allow love in, and how it can change us and make us better people, inspiring us to spread that love and joy to others.
The OTA production is directed by Christy Holy and has all of the humor and heart you’d hope from a feel-good holiday production. The story itself is straightforward, though the question as to what the impetus behind John’s desire to have Christmas this particular year after so many without is something that remains unanswered. It could be that I’m looking for a little more substance from a lighter hearted holiday play, but that’s minor compared to the arc of the story itself and its heartfelt resolution. The show itself begins with about 15 minutes, or so, of carols performed by the OTA singers, including some sing along, which is followed by the 60 minute show, comprised of two 30 minute acts split by an intermission. I typically feel that a show this short would do better without an intermission, but The Rented Christmas may be an exception, if only because of its structure and what is required from the production crew at what is a natural break in the story. But along those lines, I feel that the carolers, the OTA singers that perform before the actual show begins would work better in the wonderful reception/lobby area that OTA has and perform before the time of the show, rather than as part of the show, or during the intermission while patrons enter and exit the auditorium. Having the singers perform at showtime, before the play begins feels a bit incongruous with the play, and it would feel more like an event if they performed before the show, while audience members arrive, purchase their concessions and find their way into the auditorium.
All that said, the show itself, once it starts, is indeed enjoyable. It is lighthearted, funny, and really does have a good amount of heart to it. Production-wise, at first, I was taken a bit aback, the rental shop itself is just two set pieces placed in front of the stage curtain, a desk behind which Anne Weston, the shop owner, stands and takes the rental order from John Dale, and a rack of miscellaneous items for rent, in front of which assistant Jimmy works on repairing a piece of machinery. When the first scene concludes, though, and those pieces are taken away, the curtain is pulled back, and that’s when set lead Carol Willis’ design just jumps out. John Dale’s living room is wonderfully constructed, it’s bright and well appointed and speaks to a well to do social and financial status. The room’s width takes up the whole stage and most of its depth, while the set also includes a window through which John can peer out, a doorway to the bedrooms, and the exits to stage right (front door) and stage left (kitchen). The creative design of the show is well done in all aspects, the lighting is nice in the way it reflects the time of day through its illumination outside the window, and the manner in which the chandelier and wall sconces provide natural light, which adds a layer of realism to the play. Rebecca Orozco is the sound and lighting lead for The Rented Christmas and does a fine job in her work in cooperation with Carol’s set to provide a nicely done scenic design.
The show itself splits evenly into its two acts, the first being the setup where Anne works to fulfill the order for John Dale, bringing in the people who are going to be “playing” the family, and working with John’s staff to get the house setup for Christmas. After intermission, the house, prepared and decorated for Christmas, welcomes John Dale home to his wife and children, who all play their parts perfectly, from petty bickering to exchanging gifts, and doing all of the things that families typically do on Christmas. The majority of the humor in Act 1 occurs during a “rehearsal” at John’s house, when he arrives and all of the children are there and quickly have to try and avoid him, while most of it in the second act is around John reacting to his wife, who ends up being played by Anne, and the children when they act like family, as he is largely not prepared for the extent they’ve all gone to in order to make the holiday work for him. And so much of comedy in the play comes down to the actors themselves.
Sean Stone is John Dale, and he is very good here, and extremely funny, but in a way that finds him playing the straight. His character isn’t one for a one-liner or a joke, but rather it’s the way in which he has to react to the others in the story. That said, he’s also the center of one of the most heartfelt moments, that being when his John reads the Christmas story to the children while the voices of the OTA Singers perform Silent Night in the wings, it’s such a sweet scene, and so well delivered, by Sean and the children, Jean (Roan Curran), Cynthia (Trinity Devlin), Willie (Liam Patterson), Lettie (Sasha Larson), and Jimmy, yes the Jimmy from the rental shop (Sean McDaniel). I’ve said this in a few previous reviews, how hit or miss it can be when casting children, how some can be just along for the ride while others are fully engaged in their characters. This group of actors that Christy Holy has put together are the latter, they’re so enjoyable to watch, and not just that, they’re so comfortable on stage, the biggest surprise in the smallest package with Liam and how well he seems to have taken to this part. Anne here is played by Rebecca Maberry, in a turn that sees her playing two parts, one of Anne the rental shop owner, and one of Anne the pretend wife of John Dale. Rebecca is good as the shop owner, but she’s best as John’s wife, bringing a good amount of stage chemistry with John in the second act especially.
The cast of supporting actors in The Rented Christmas is also good. Bridgit the maid is played by Joodie Klinke, and seems to be the consistent presence in John’s life, along with cook Martha, played by Cathy Dodd. The two are nice contrasting characters, Joodie’s Bridgit is more on the serious side, while Martha is a bit frantic, and Cathy portrays that with a lot of humor, the two together make a nice comedic team. Rounding out the supporting cast are Katy Bowman as orphanage director Mrs. Lindsey and William Stone as Fred, a co-worker of John’s. Neither has a lot of stage time, but manage their roles very well.
The Rented Christmas is a sweet and funny holiday play that shows what can happen when we open our doors and our hearts, and let others in, how that love can become contagious and spread, making us all better off for having opened ourselves up to it in the first place. The Olympic Theatre Arts production is a feel-good holiday production that will surely have you laughing, leave you smiling, and taking the holiday spirit with you to share with everyone you see this season.
The Rented Christmas runs in stage at the Olympic Theatre Arts Center in Sequim through December 22. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.olympictheatrearts.org/.
Photo credit: Judy Griffin
