By Margot Thomas

CHRISTMAS without  The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is like turkey without cranberry sauce.

It has been the source of scores of film stage and musical adaptations starting with a   six-minute film in Britain in 1901, to Disney style versions with the classic Alistair Sim  1951 performance as Scrooge,  universally rated as the best.

Dickens himself did readings of the story which  “invented" Christmas as we know it, and his performances always drew a full house.

All of which serves as an hors-d'oeuvre to the news that the ever innovative Theatre Guild of Ancon (TGA) will be presenting a Two-man version featuring  Joe Mezquita and. Andrés Clementine playing the roles of a famous director and a theatre newcomer in a play within a play which introduces  flashes of humor into the never-enough telling of the classic tale of redemption of  Scrooge "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!”  aided by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Marley may be as “dead as a doornail”,  but  The Christmas Carol  is alive and well

The play with Andrés Clemente as Director, HB Twohy Assistant Director and  Carlota Allen and Gale Cellucci, producers runs from Thurs Nov 30 to Dec 16, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8:00 pm.  Three Matinees are on Dec 2, Dec 9 and Dec 16 at 4:00 pm. There will be no show on December 8.

 The cost for setting you on your way to a Merry Christmas is $15 ($7.50 seniors and students) but you may add more if you lift a seasonal glass at the TGA patio bar.   For reservations go to www.anconguild.com