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"A Christmas Carol"
With Steven Crossley (Ebenezer Scrooge) and
Henry Hodges (Tiny Tim)
Friday, Nov. 30, 2001; 1 p.m. EST
Ford's Theatre is celebrating the 2001 holiday season with Charles' Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," the classic story of a cold-hearted miser who mends his ways and learns the true meaning of Christmas. Steven Crossley plays Ebenezer Scrooge and Henry Hodges is Tiny Tim and both were online Friday, Nov. 30, at 1 p.m. EST.
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Henry Hodges
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Crossley, who bears a resemblance to Dickens and actually lived in Portsmouth, England, the author's birthplace, played Scrooge at Ford's in the late 80's and was asked to read aloud to the children of foreign diplomats at Barbara Bush's Children's Christmas Party. It was then that he began thinking along the lines of a one-man show of Dickens' work which resulted in "Dickens In America," a collaboration with Nigel Gearing, describing Dickens' two visits to America. He has felt a special connection to Charles Dickens and "A Christmas Carol" ever since.
Eight-year-old Hodges has been acting in television, film and radio since he was four. He recently completed a run as the Royal Prince in The Arlington Players'
"The King and I."
The transcript follows.
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over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Washington, D.C.:
Steven: What is the biggest difference that you notice between American and European audiences?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: SC: Speaking for a British audience more than a European audience, that American audiences are much more enthusiastic and appreciative. British audiences are more reserved. American children are, on the whole, much better behaved.
Bethesda, Md., Bethesda Elementary School:
Henry:
How did you get chosen for this play? Did
you go to an audition?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: HH: Yes, I did. I went down to Ford's Theatre to audition.
Washington, D.C.:
Steven: Do audiences in England and America respond the same to your character?
It seems as if every person in American knows this story. Is it as widely known and loved in England and do audiences there love it as much?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Christmas Carol is not as much the traditional Christmas show in England but it's just beginning to be. A lot more places starting to do it. In England we have a tradition of Pantomime. Fairy tales: Cinderella, Aladdin, Puss n' Boots. A strange mixture of a fairy story mixed with comic entertainment. But a few theaters are not beginning to do Chrismas Carol, I think, because it's so popular in the U.S.
I think most British children know the Scrooge story but American children might well know it better.
Washington, D.C.:
Henry: What have you learned, after playing this role, about the differences between those who are poor and those who are well off?
Had you thought about that before playing the role of Tiny Tim?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: HH: No, not really. I know the difference between poor and rich because poor, they don't have that much money and they consider small things big things, like food-wise. The rich think small things are little things and big things are big things.
Washington, D.C.:
Steven: Have you noticed a change in Americans and their reactions to Scrooge and this play since Sept. 11?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Yes, I think the audiences we've had so far this year have been extremely warm and enthusiastic. This year they do seem particularly warm. I don't know if that's because "A Christmas Carol" is reassuring about American values and that it's a family show and the people, I think, are happy to sit together in a community and watch a show like this. I guess the show has love and laughter which we all need at this moment.
Bethesda, Md., Bethesda Elementary School:
Henry:
Is rehearsing hard work? Is being on
stage exciting?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Being on stage is really exciting because backstage you usually get to meeet a lot of people. When you practice, at first it's pretty hard because you don't know everything by heart. Once you know everything by heart, you get the hang of and you just know it. If you don't practice your lines well, you forget your lines so you have to practice them.
Washington, D.C.:
Steven:
Why have you decided to do this role so often? What is it about that character that appeals to you, given that Scrooge is such an awful man.
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Because it's a story of redemption. It's a lot of fun to go from being a horrible, scratchy, nasty man to being an awakened, joyous human being again. That's a nice journey for me to go on as an actor every night. I love doing it. Also, Ford's Theatre is a beautiful theater to play in.
Bethesda, Md., Bethesda Elementary School:
Henry:
What does it feel like to play the part of a
crippled child? Is it hard to hold the
crutches?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Sometimes if it slips, you have to get a grip of it and if you don't, the crutch will fall off and usually you or someone else is gonna have to run up there and pick it up.
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: SC: He handles it like a professional. He does very well.
Baltimore, Md.:
Hi Steve.
How often do you work in the US? And what is your next American project?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: It just depends where I'm working. If I'm off at work here, I'll be in New York and work from there. Or the other way round. Or in London, same thing. It's about a half a year in London, half here. My next project here is I'm going back to New York to record a book on tape for Recorded Books out of Maryland, a book called "On Green Dolphin Street" and it's set in Washington, DC. and it's by Sebastian Faulks.
I've just finished a documentary for the BBC called "Secret Futures" which will be out on the BBC and I think the Discovery Channel in February. It's about a bio-terrorist smallpox attack on New York and they made it before the Sept. 11 attacks so we had to re-shoot some of the scenes.
Washington, D.C.:
Henry - what is it like having to go to school during the day and then work 6 days a week at a job?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Well, since my mom's really nice, she lets me stay home and you work at home. The teacher drops off the homework and me and my mom do it.
Washington, DC:
Steven and Henry,
What do you like more, being a character or
being yourself?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: HH: I like to be a character. Because I don't have to be wondering what should I play, what should I play, what should I play. I just play my part and that's what I do so it counts as playing but to some other kids it doesn't.
SC: I love being the character because it means I'm able to be really, really unpleasant to a lot of people and get away with it. But it's always nice to get back to being myself again because really inside Scrooge is quite miserable and I wouldn't want to be him.
Washington, D.C:
Morgan Shaffer Brent Elementary School 5th grade When did you start performing? Did you like performing when you started? Are you going to perform still?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: HH: When I started performing I was four, I think. I liked it when I started and I think I want acting to be my job.
Washington, D.C.:
What did you (Steven Crossley) do to prepare for your audition for "A Christmas Carol"?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: I originally auditioned in 1987 and I had to read the "grave stone scene" for director David Bell. I got the part and I played it for three years and then came back last year to play it again and I've never had to audition again.
Bethesda, Md., Bethesda Elementary School:
Henry:
Do you get paid for your job? What do you
do with your money?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: HH: I do get paid and I put it in the bank and I save it for college.
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: SC: I've tried to get 10 percent for Scrooge and Marley's but he's too smart.
Washington, D.C.:
How many movies have you made because you are the perfect person for this play?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: About 15. If they make another film of "Christmas Carol," perhaps they'll consider me for this part.
Washington, DC Clark Elementary School:
This question is for both actors: Have you read any other Dicken's literature?
Do you have any other favorite pieces of literature?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: SC: I've read quite a few of Dickens' books -- not all of them. My favorites are Great Expectations. Bleak House and Tale of Two Cities. And of course, Christmas Carol.
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: I've read one (Chrismas Carol), that's all.
Washington D.C. Robert Brent School From::
What was your favorite roll model Henry Hodges?
Thank you !!!
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: My dad.
Washington, DC LaTifah McPherson Brent School:
Steven Crossley: Have you ever produced any plays yourself?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: SC: A long time ago in New York, a group of us got together and produced a Sam Shepard one-act play called "Action." We had all been at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and we were all working in New York so we put on the show.
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: I have a one-man show called Dickens in America and although I didn't actually put the money up front for it, I organized the whole thing. I just did it for Virginia Tech for a symposium in Roanoke, Va. and here at the Cosmosn Club I just did it recently in D.C. There's also a Web page: www.dickensinamerica.com.
Washington, D.C. Joi Robins-Monroe Brent Elementary:
What is your worst subject?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Reading.
Bethesda, Md., Bethesda Elementary School:
Henry:
What do you especially like about your job
as an actor?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: HH: I like meeting all the people because you get to play around with them and once it's over, well, you feel pretty sad and if you're lucky, you will meet them again in acting. I did this Harris Teeter job and I met this guy and he was there and I really like him and I only got to play with him one whole day and then I saw him again at "A Christmas Carol" and his name is Tom. We were glad to see each other again. So it's fun and you get to meet a lot of people.
Somewhere, USA:
Steven: you grew up near Dickens' home...what's it like there?
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: Portsmouth in England. I haven't been there in a long time but it was the home of the Royal Navy and Dickens house and our house wasn't that far from the Navel dock yard and also for those interested about the sea ... Admiral Nelson, his man of war, the HMS Victory, which is a wooden battleship is still there in the dockyards.
Steven Crossley and Henry Hodges: SC: Bah Humbug! Come and see the show.
HH: God bless us every one .
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