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Wednesday, December 10, 2020
GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon
Pandemic theater: ‘Scroogeless 2020’
■ Local actors release DVD of play to benefit CASA
By Lisa Britton
For EO Media Group
BAKER CITY — Even a pan-
demic can’t stop live theater.
It just has to adapt.
Baker City’s Actors Studio Inc.
and Random Resales have joined
to produce a DVD of “Scroogeless
2020” featuring local actors.
Proceeds will benefi t CASA of
Eastern Oregon. CASA stands for
Court Appointed Special Advocates.
These trained volunteers support
children in the court system.
The DVD, along with accom-
panying snack boxes, must be
purchased in advance at www.
actorsstudioinc.com or in person at
Random Resales, 2450 Cherry St.,
Baker City.
Cost is $15 for the DVD and
snacks for two, or $20 for the DVD
and snacks for four.
Snacks include hot chocolate,
popcorn, candy and other treats to
eat while watching the DVD.
The packages can be picked
up Dec. 18, 19 or 22 at Random
Resales. Delivery to the car is avail-
able for those who would rather not
go inside the shop.
Those in the Richland/Halfway
area who purchase the DVD can
arrange pickup with Leanne
Hinkle by calling 541-554-5549.
“Scroogeless 2020” is set in the
home of brothers Ben and Marcus,
who have not done much since pan-
demic shutdowns began in March
2020. Ben watches a lot of TV, and
Marcus works from home (he’s
dressed for a Zoom meeting — nice
shirt with shorts and sandals).
In the tradition of Charles Dick-
ens’ “A Christmas Carol,” an old
business partner and three ghosts
set out to change the ways of a
cranky old man.
In this case, it is Marlene Jacob,
not Jacob Marley.
Submitted photo
Submitted photo
Leanne Hinkle plays the Ghost of Christmas Present.
last spring,” she said.
Although that spring fundraiser
was for the organization Cancer
for College, she wanted to look a
bit closer to home for this show’s
benefi ciary.
Thus CASA, which serves chil-
dren in Eastern Oregon.
Evans said the homegrown plot
of “Scroogeless 2020” is a “mis-
match of different ideas” — mix-
ing various Christmas themes
and throwing in the twist of the
coronavirus pandemic that every
But Scrooge no longer lives at
the address. And the ghosts are
a bit off: Ghost of Christmas Past
has no reason to dress up, Ghost
of Christmas Present shows up
with a measuring tape to ensure
social distancing, and the Ghost of
Christmas Past just wants a career
in journalism.
Isabella Evans is the master-
mind behind this original show.
The reason was two-fold:
“We didn’t get to do a Christmas
show or (an in-person) fundraiser
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staff for their commitment and
loyalty to our community
during a pandemic. Their love
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Ian Wolfe, left, plays Marcus, and Isabella Evans plays Marlene
Jacob in “Scroogeless 2020.”
audience can relate to.
But the best part, she said, is the
laughter.
“We’re thoroughly enjoying our-
selves,” she said. “There are parts
where we can’t keep a straight face
because we’re laughing so hard.”
The cast includes Justin Wolfe,
Jordan Wolfe, Doug Evans, Isabella
Evans, Ian Wolfe, Paige Wolfe,
Leanne Hinkle and Alicia Wolfe.
Gary Hutton is creating the DVD.
Theater in this age of coronavi-
rus has presented some obstacles
and changes to the traditional
practice of rehearsals. For instance,
lines are rehearsed at home, and
in-person rehearsals are very
limited.
Everyone wears a mask (clear
ones), and play practice is held in
a large space with short times to-
gether on stage — unless the actors
are from the same family.
“It’s a real challenge,” said
Hinkle, who plays the Ghost of
Christmas Present, “but it’s fun to
do a show in 2020.”
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