A CHRISTMAS CAROL REVISITED: A NEW LOOK AT A CLASSIC TALE. Playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and director Matthew Warchus (Matilda) have re-interpreted Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the timeless story of regret and redemption. Obie Award-winning actor Francois Battiste talks about the roadmap they created that helped him understand and portray Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser transformed by the visit of three ghosts.
DJ: How did you enter the acting profession?
FB: I stumbled into the world of acting by following my two older brothers who were both involved in speech team and plays in high school. By the time I arrived at high school, I basically followed their lead.
They eventually gravitated towards other interests, but I stuck with it. By the time I was a senior in high school, I was fortunate to be a two-time state champion in speech team which garnered me a scholarship to study acting in college. I attended Illinois State University, and upon graduation, I began my professional career in Chicago.
After a few years, I decided to pursue graduate training which led me to New York City where I attended the Juilliard School. In my third year, I received a scholarship to study at Oxford University with the British American Drama Academy.
I’ve been fortunate to receive outstanding training from some exceptional teachers. Truly, the work never ceases, the training never ends.
DJ: When did you first see a stage production of “ Christmas Carol”?
FB: The first (and only) production of “A Christmas Carol” that I saw was three years ago at B Street Theatre in Sacramento. My wife and I took our two oldest kids who were three and six at the time. Watching the sparkle in my kids’ eyes as they watched with wonder and amazement was more than worth the price of admission for me.
DJ: How did you create your Scrooge so that he moves from “Bah, Humbug” to valuing the Christmas spirit?
FB: The script. It does the work for you. I’m of the mind that we all have the capacity to possess Scrooge-like characteristics (no matter our age or sociology-economic background). My job is relatively simple: immerse myself in his given circumstances and play to win.
Dickens provides a specific world so vivid, so palpable, and Jack Thorne’s adaptation is such a smart, tangible roadmap. It manages to excavate Scrooge’s psyche, which leads him on a spiritual journey (of sorts) unlocking compassion and empathy towards redemption.
DJ: Â Which is your favorite ghost?
FB: It’s hard to pick which is my favorite ghost because they all seem to chisel away at this seemingly impenetrable wall that Scrooge has built for himself. Without each of them exhibiting different strengths and employing different tactics, it’s difficult to see how that wall crumbles.
DJ: Â How has playing Scrooge influenced your view of the holiday season?
FB: Scrooge ultimately says that he “will honor Christmas in [his] heart, and try to keep it all the year. [He] will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strivewithin [him],” and that is sort of my approach.  My wife and I are blessed to have three beautiful, talented, and kind-hearted kids with big personalities. They teach us every day how to stay in the moment and value these times because they are fleeting.
DJ:  What would you say to someone who thinks they are totally familiar with “A Christmas Carol”?
FB: I’d tell them to strap on your seatbelt and prepare for a beautiful, bumpy ride. It’s a deep dive with heart-warming rewards.
DJ: Â How do you plan to spend Christmas?
FB: Our plan is to have our home filled with family, fun, good food, cherishing loved ones and exercising gratitude.
MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST: Francois Battiste is known for his work on ABC’s “10 Days in the Valley” and “Station 19,” CBS’s “Evil” and “Person of Interest,” ABC’s “The Family” and HBO’s “The Normal Heart.”
A CHRISTMAS CAROL PARTICULARS: “A Christmas Carol” runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 26 at the Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. San Francisco. 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission. No children under 5 allowed. For ticket information, visit https://www.broadwaysf.com/.
AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS. At each performance of “A Christmas Carol,” Compass Family Services will collect donations at the door, with 100% of proceeds going directly to its programs that provide temporary shelter, food support, and other essential needs to San Francisco families in need.  www.compass-sf.org.
