On December 9, 2025, we saw Brooklyn Arts’ Play Production class perform their own production of Scrooge, a twist on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol.  The play was completely written, directed, and produced by Brooklyn Arts’ very own actors, producers, stagehands, and directors. The black box was arranged so that the audience felt like they were in an office space with the characters. The actors were decked out in business casual attire, mimicking workers of Corporate America. The audience was packed with family, friends, and fellow students, and you could feel the excitement in the room. 

Scrooge follows the main character, Ben Scrooge (Raphael Coombs & Jisiah Dorce), who works as the CEO of a toy company that stands to make a lot of money from toys that could be harmful to children. He works with his niece Fiona (Nefeli Kennedy & Willow Street) and co-worker Bob Cratchit (Ayk Hekinian & Omari Collins) who bring holiday cheer to the workplace, in contrast to Scrooge’s grumpy demeanor.  Scrooge lashes out, firing Bob and yelling at Fiona, when they question his decision to sell toys known to contain acetone paint that could burn the children who play with them. Then, while in a board meeting, a hooded Bob Cratchit enters, stabbing Scrooge and sending him into a time loop of his previous day. The loop begins to drive Scrooge insane until the ghosts – Past (Eden Willimas & Natalie LoRusso), Present Day (Liana Lafontant), Present Night (Tafari Gibbs & Jheovelym Luna-Gabriel), and “Tiny” Tim/Future (Samantha A. Polanco & Charlotte Cogan) – visit him to offer a way out of the time loop if he can come to understand the consequences of his ways. Scrooge is taken through parts of his past, different perspectives of the present, and a future where he dies and has an empty funeral. Once he realizes what he has done wrong, Scrooge lives through that same day one more time, and decides the company should recall the dangerous toys. Unfortunately, this choice causes him to be fired. The play ends with Scrooge sitting on the sidewalk, asking for money, and holding a sign that reads “Will Change for Change.” 

I enjoyed watching Jisiah Dorce, with his compelling and dramatic performance. He had many monologues, which he delivered with an intensity akin to Jeremy Strong. Jisiah and The Ghost of The Past (Natalie LoRusso) had an amazing stage dynamic. LoRusso’s character was meant to be the ghost of Scrooge’s sister.  A cool moment in the play was the first repetition within the scenes, where the lights flashed rapidly and the music reversed and rewinded. The audience was visibly confused with the repetition, but then it all clicked. Overall, the blocking and production were phenomenal.  

Fiamma Greaney, who played a board member/minister/Elizabeth Cratchit, talks about how in Act 1 she has a part when the entire board laughs loudly at her joke, then dramatically stops. She called this “a very special moment, that she looked forward to each run.” Sadie Cohen-Thompson, who played a board member/Lily Cratchit, says that one of her favorite parts of the experience was simply being in the “Play Production” class, meeting drama students from across the grades and getting closer with people she probably wouldn’t have interacted with otherwise.  

Congratulations to the entire cast, crew, and Mr. Gray for their amazing productions of Scrooge. Between the lighting effects, the commentary on Corporate America, and the amazing acting, this show was fun to watch and the students’ take on this Christmas classic was very new, fresh, and entertaining. If Scrooge taught us one thing, it was to think about how our actions impact others.