Cody Elsensohn, a Season 45 Resident Actor, was last seen in “The Play That Goes Wrong” and “The Addams Family – A New Musical,” and will return to the Dock Street Theatre stage in our MainStage production of “Native Gardens” this March. Hear his take on preparing for the role of Bob Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol” here:
You’re a Season 45 Resident Actor with us and we are so grateful to have you here! What have you enjoyed about your work with us so far?
I have honestly loved everything from engaging in different rehearsal processes, to performing at the beautiful, historic Dock Street Theatre, to connecting with and teaching theatre to so many young theatre artists. It has been a joy to share in these experiences with the other Resident Actors and with the larger Charleston Stage community!
How have you been preparing to play the role of Bob Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol?”
Growing up watching “A Christmas Carol” each holiday season provided a nice jumping-off point for me as I prepared to play Bob Cratchit. I had always known Cratchit to be cheery, optimistic, and kind-hearted. After reading this original adaptation by Julian Wiles, however, I found new insights into Cratchit’s character. I am a firm believer that all the information I need for my character can be found in the script: taking note of what other characters think/say/feel about mine and paying close attention to the words my character chooses to say (the power of those words, or the lack thereof) to determine an energy from the character. Playing the action of the script to elicit any emotional response rather than playing the emotion of the scene is far more compelling. That being said, most of my preparations have happened during the rehearsal process as I’ve experimented with different ways to play scenes and deliver lines, and this even continues to develop into the run of performances!
Tell us more about Cratchit. What motivates him? What is he afraid of? How have you been working through these things as an actor?
Bob Cratchit is a warm, jubilant, hard working man. He is a father of seven, a husband, and is employed by Ebenezer Scrooge. I think Cratchit is most motivated by family and love. I think the fact that Tiny Tim is ill is also a huge motivator for Cratchit to take as many hours at work as he does, and could also be a major reason he is as jubilant and cheerful as he is. In a bind like the Cratchits, where a father and oldest daughter provide for the entire family, including a perhaps terminally ill child, it might be imperative to keep a cheerful demeanor around the house. I believe Bob Cratchit practices happiness as a way to maintain gratitude against the odds of his family’s circumstances. Bob primarily is afraid of losing his position at Scrooge and Marley’s because this would mean that he would lose his entire livelihood. He would no longer be able to feed his family, he could lose his son to illness, or the Cratchits would go homeless. These motivators and fears are all supported by the script, which makes working through this information a lot of fun. When there are this many layers, the stakes for the character rise and offer a lot of interesting work to play around with.
This show is challenging particularly as a big musical with many moving parts. What has been the most difficult aspect of rehearsals for you? What has come more naturally?
I think the most difficult aspect of the rehearsal process was getting confident with my British accent! I was determined to do it well because I find that accents can tend to be a weakness of mine, yet they are required for this production. Things like Bob’s temperament, his tenderness, and his joy came more naturally to me when working the material.
What are your standard pre-show routines as you get ready to perform?
For “A Christmas Carol” I don’t have a very demanding dance or vocal track, so my pre-show routine is quite standard and brief. I like to start with a consonant and vowel vocal warm up to make sure my speech is crisp and clean, then I like to do some lip trills up and down my range to awaken all the parts of my voice. I’ll usually do a quick full body stretch and a shakedown to loosen up, and then I’m good to go!
Tough question: plays or musicals? Why?
Plays. While I love being in musicals, I always end up enjoying playing characters written in plays more than I enjoy playing characters written in musicals. It always feels like there’s more substance to the characters, and reactions garnered from a performance in a play tend to feel more genuine than those garnered from audiences in a musical, so I like plays more!
Cody is ecstatic to join Charleston Stage in its 45th Season as a Resident Actor! A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Cody earned his B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Southern Mississippi in May of 2022. Some of his recent credits include Billy Cane in Bright Star, Jerry Hyland in Once in a Lifetime, Actor 1 in The Stinky Cheeseman, and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Cody would like to thank his family, friends, and teachers who endlessly encourage and support him; it is highly valued! Keep up with Cody by following his Instagram: @cody.elsensohn