by Ian Doescher
First published 2019
Ebenezer Scrooge runs a prosperous theater but guards his wealth with a miserly grip. When his former business partner Marlowe appears as a specter, Scrooge's carefully ordered world begins to crumble. Three supernatural visitors arrive to guide him through his past, present, and future. Puck from the fairy realm shows him memories long buried. The jovial Falstaff reveals the Christmas joy surrounding him now. The Ghost of King Hamlet unveils the dark fate awaiting him. Meanwhile, his employees Benedick and Beatrice Cratchit struggle to care for their ailing son Tiny Tim on meager wages. As each spirit reveals new truths, Scrooge must confront the choice between his comfortable isolation and the messy vulnerability of human connection. This retelling weaves Dickens' beloved Christmas story into Shakespeare's poetic language and populated world.
Genres: fiction, adaptations, classic-literature, christmas, fantasy, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Period: Christmas
86 pages · Paperback · Independently published