I'll share a little secret with you, when it comes to Christmas; you could call me Mr. Grinch's nephew, Mr. Bitter. The truth is I'm not a fan at all of this holiday. Beginning in October, I dread it creeping around the corner. Stores thrust Xmas goodies and décor right in your face, beginning in September! TV shows are promoting their holiday specials, "NBC is proud to present from Hallmark's Xmas snow, holiday treats, and ornaments galore starring Kathy Lee Gifford." Where's my gun?

My reasons are part personal, but also because of the endless shopping hours, traffic jams, the relatives, those ugly Xmas sweaters, spending more than you can afford, and of course, the annual Xmas theater show.

'Tis the season when theater companies mount the 500th version of A Christmas Carol or Best Christmas Pageant Ever. As an actor I did a Christmas show two years in a row hoping it would melt this frozen disdain toward the holidays. By the second year I was begging for the stage lights to fall on top of me, ending the cruel, cruel torture of doing yet another show involving the Herdmans and 100 kiddie actors high on sugar that the stage mommies fed them backstage. But the audiences, especially the kids, love - and I mean love - these shows. They sell out so big, theater companies add extra performances to fill the demand.

That's why Mr. Bitter stays tucked away from the eggnog and silver tinsel in his cave with his Diet Coke and DVR, begging that it just passes over him quickly.

So why on earth would I make a visit to the Labyrinth Theatre and their current holiday production of Inspecting Carol? Well I've never seen the play, it seemed far from the usual sugar-coated holiday fare, and it was time I paid a visit to one of the newer theater companies.

The comedy by Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Theatre Company centers around a theater company about to put on their holiday show, A Christmas Carol. The town's only other theater company happens to be an all Lesbian company. (Already you get the sense you're not in Dickens country.) The company finds out that they are broke, and they must deal with method actors, suicide, divorce, and to top it off, they may lose their funding from the NEA. In that slapstick genre, the company members think a stranger who comes into their theater is the NEA judge who has come to evaluate their current show - and the comedy ensues.

The script is witty and entertaining. It's very reminiscent of that other backstage comedy, Noises Off. Not all of the characters are fleshed out, and there is missing subtext throughout the writing, but the bulk of the script is quite mirth-provoking and highly enjoyable.

The Labyrinth Theatre home is an oval-shaped portion of a church, an intimate space which hinders them physically. I honestly don't know if it's due to the space or budget constraints, but physically the production suffers. There is no hint of color from the lighting palette. It's basic, bland beige (although there was some flickering white light far upstage, which resembled either a strobe light gone wacko or the bulb was going out). The set is small, cumbersome and tight. But, oddly enough, this actually aids the vibe of the piece as it resembles a company struggling to put on a great show on a shoestring budget.

Having said that, designer Kevin Ash deserves a standing ovation for his ability to create frenetic laughter with his scenic design elements in the second act. For a small company like this, the physical, difficult set elements really give the piece a solid center to work off of.

Comedy needs to have that special pace to get through the exposition as quickly as possible so the center of the comedy is fully explored. The pace here at times seems tamed and sluggish. Scene changes also hinder the pace, especially in the second act. The company creates all this frenzied hilarity, only to have it dulled a little by slow scene changes in the dark.

Director Cliff Stephens used the space as best as he could, regarding blocking and staging. He does a marvelous job with the difficult physical staging in the second act. He also has a terrific eye for casting, because he rounded up a solid troop of performers, from the leads down to the minor roles.

The funniest work is provided by Julie Erickson, Lee Irving, and Chris Dover. Each brings a unique, special comedic quality to their acting that stands out.

Ms. Erickson (as Dorothy Tree Hapgood, the British vocal coach) has several scenes that have the audience laughing endlessly, such as the vocal warm-up involving a lemon, and her "new" vocal/speech pattern. It is sinfully hilarious.

Irving, as out of town actor (or NEA judge?) Wayne Wellacre, has to warm up to the role at the beginning, but once he loosens and relaxes within the character, he gives a rip roaring performance. His second act work is comedy gold, earning well-deserved laughter. His comedic interpretations of King Richard and Tiny Tim (that's right, Tiny Tim) are comedy payola. His facial expressions and physical comedic choices for those two characters show some superb comedic talent.

Then there is Mr. Dover, who I think has the funniest damn character I've ever seen in a Christmas show. As Kevin Emery, the new Managing Director, Dover's characterization is perfection from beginning to end. A true comic actor knows he or she must use their face, body and voice to achieve the best possible laughs. One of the hardest tools in comedy acting is finding every possible comedic subtext within the character. Anyone can say a funny line; it's everything before, after and around that line that separates the better comic performers from the others. From the wide-eyed "deer in the headlights" look, a hairdo that looks like an homage to Don Knotts, and nervous tics, Dover steals several scenes throughout the evening. His pace, delivery and timing are sublime, and he finds comedy gold in the simplest of lines and words. It is an exceptional performance.

Others in the company who also deliver terrific performances are Amy Mills, whose character runs the company and is the director (her seduction of Irving in act two proliferated loud laughs); Francis Fuselier as Sidney Carlton (his actor stage business with the chains is very funny); T.A. Taylor as the method actor Larry (his second act work as Scrooge is hysterical from beginning to end); and Paul Taylor as Phil, who has transformed his body into Quasimodo meets Marty Feldman's Igor for pure comedy success.

Here's an excellent example of how no role is too small to be noticed. Jared Culpepper and Lisa Anne Haram have minor roles with very little dialogue, but both talented thespians forbid this to hinder them from delivering some excellent work. Culpepper does not say much, but throughout the entire performance he is completely in character, constantly reacting with some very funny facial expressions and comic business. That takes a lot of concentration; he does not fade into the background, but holds his own with the principals. Miss Haram only appears in the second act, but she is quite funny. I won't spoil the fun here on what she does - it should be a fun surprise to you as it was for me.

Rounding out the stellar cast is a trio of fine, comic performances: Devon Jackson as Walter; Maria Zsohar as stage manager M.J.; and Cayman Mitchell as Luther, the only kid in the show (who has the hots for his stage manager).

As the shopping crowds trample all over you to get to the best buys, as you sign the deed to your home to pay for the gift list that includes Tickle me Elmo or Play station 300, or you have to sit with the kids for the 900th telecast of Frosty the Snowman, there is a great escape from the usual holiday season awaiting you at Labyrinth Theater. If you want to avoid the "been there, done that" Xmas fare, hitch a ride on Santa's sleigh and get thee to Labyrinth for a hilarious evening of theater. Spending an evening there made even Mr. Bitter's attitude toward the holidays melt a little. That's a start, right?

Inspecting Carol plays through December 9th. Thursday through Saturday evenings 7:30 pm, Saturday matinees 3:00 pm Performances at TLT–1400 W. Arapaho Rd. (at Coit), Richardson, 75080. Tickets range from $12 to $25. Discounts for seniors, students and groups are available. Patrons who also make a tax-deductible contribution to TLT receive many additional benefits, such as reserved seating and invitations to private dinners and receptions. For more info visit www.thelabyrinththeatre.org, contact TLT Box Office at (972) 231-1012, or go to the Box Office at Arapaho United Methodist Church, 1400 W. Arapaho Road (at Coit), Richardson, 75080.

Inspecting Carol by Daniel Sullivan & Seattle Repertory Theatre Company
The Labyrinth Theatre
Directed by Cliff Stephens
Scenic, Lighting, and Sound Design by Kevin Ash
Costume Design by Stephanie Epstein

CAST:

Zorach Bloch………................…….Amy Mills
Kevin Emery………................……..Chris Dover
Phil Hewlitt…………...............…….Paul Taylor
Sidney Carlton…….............………..Francis Fuselier
Luther Beatty………..............……….Cayman Mitchell
Wayne Wellacre……….............……..Lee Irving
Betty Andrews…………..............…….Lisa Anne Haram
Larry Vauxhall……………..............…T.A. Taylor
Thomas B. Frances………….............Jared Culpepper
M.J.McMann………………................….Maria Zsohar
Dorothy Tree Hapgood….............Julie Erickson
Spike…………………...................………Jake Nelson

--John Garcia