We all know Ebenezer Scrooge, the villain from Charles Dickens' classic story "A Christmas Carol," and the frightful visits by the three Ghosts of Christmas, but often we forget how the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's deceased business partner, ushered in these life-changing events.

Whatever happened to Marley, anyhow?

Burien Little Theatre's production of Tom Mula's "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" answers that question, fills in the blanks, and tells the other side of the popular Dickens story.

Upon arriving in Hell, Marley, played by Eric Hamlin, is given one chance to escape eternal damnation and compensate for his selfish life on Earth.

What must he do? Confront Scrooge (John Mallory) and convince the miserly crank to change his ways and embrace the goodness of mankind. "Scrooge? I have to redeem old Scrooge? The one man I knew who was worse than I was? Impossible!"

Impossible or not, it's Marley's only chance, and to make matters worse, the Record Keeper (Melissa Malloy) gives him only twenty-four hours in which to do it.

Accompanied by the "Bogle" a mischievous little Hell-sprite played by Allison Wooldridge, Marley heads back to Earth in this journey of terror and laughter, to save Scrooge before the miser can be snatched up by Death himself (Stephen Scheide).

Along the way, Marley finds that by prying open Scrooge's cold heart, he is able to thaw out his own.

Director M. Elizabeth Eller has expanded the usual cast of four actors to six, allowing the portrayal of various secondary characters performing the narration as you hear it.

Additionally, Eller has developed a more theatrical concept than playwright Mula's narrative style, moving the drama beyond the stage and even into the audience, punctuating the action with numerous costume changes.

As Jacob Marley, Eric Hamlin carries the lion's share of the story, enduring the first act as a victim of the other characters, being tripped, slapped, pinched and bludgeoned throughout his descent into Hell.

In Act Two, however, Hamlin rises above this to warm Marley's heart and make him a likeable protagonist.

All of the performers admirably navigate the choreographed portrayal of nearly a hundred different characters, but the brightest performance moments belong to Hannah Schnabel, who is used all too sparingly.

The play is a story of redemption and the power of the "second chance," written by actor/director/playwright Tom Mula, who played Scrooge at Chicago's Goodman Theatre for seven years and more than 400 performances.

During that time, Mula noticed that Dickens gave Scrooge a chance to turn from his selfish ways, but Marley never got that opportunity.

Burien Little Theatre deserves accolades for their delightful production and the welcome break from the standard Christmas plays we see every year.

"Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" plays at Burien Little Theatre through Dec. 21st. (Fridays and Saturdays. performances begin at 8 p.m. On Sundays, it starts at 2 p.m.

Since several performances are already sold out, reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 206-242-5180.

Ticket prices are $18 and $15.

Burien Little Theatre is located in the Burien Community Center, on the northwest corner of the intersection of 4th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 146th Street.

More information is available at www.burienlittletheatre.com.

Theatre Review - Burien Little Theatre "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol"

Dave Tucker