JACOB AND EBENEZER: A LOVE STORY by Adam Richter

(TEN-MINUTE PLAY)

Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge are two of the most ruthless businessmen London has ever seen. They are hated by everyone and hate everyone in return.

But they have each other.

Based on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," or at least the characters therein.
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JACOB AND EBENEZER: A LOVE STORY

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  • Joe Swenson:
    4 Feb. 2023
    “ Adam Richter teases us with this delightful story of love, of family, and of regret. The tease is the relationship that Marley and Scrooge had and was there more? A nickname here, bedsides, and other subtleties suggest the love that Marley and Scrooge have for each other extends beyond business and it’s brilliant. As is usually the case with Adam’s plays, I want more. I want the relationship. Amazing play. ”
  • Daniel Prillaman:
    12 Jan. 2023
    “ A good prequel not only stands entirely on its own as a story, but recontextualizes everything we know to come, enhancing both parties for the better. With "Jacob and Ebenezer," Richter has given us a masterclass. Poignant, foreboding, and full of Dickensian charm, it is certainly the best Christmas gift a producing company could share with a community. Go ahead and bill it with your next romp through "A Christmas Carol," because it would do wonders. ”
  • Vince Gatton:
    4 Jan. 2023
    “ The trick Adam Richter pulls off here is remarkable: his invented history for Scrooge and Marley adds layers and shading to our understanding of them, without redeeming, excusing, or re-writing who they become later in the events we know from Dickens. The coldness, cruelty, and greed remain, despite the secret love, care, and passion that exist behind closed doors...and possibly even because of them. A very smart, admirably restrained examination of the twisting effects of stifled and hidden love. ”
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Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge were, in "A Christmas Carol," two old white dudes.

This play has no such casting requirement. The author encourages diversity in casting. Though the characters are male-identifying, the actors do not need to be.