By Zach Dunkin
She’s Mrs. Fezziwig. She’s the Charwoman. She’s the Plump Sister. She’s the Sister of Mercy.
Fishers actress Constance Macy will be all over the stage this holiday when the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre is running its presentation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Nov.14- Dec. 26.
The 1843 novella by Dickens tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kinder man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Tom Haas’ adaptation for theater is set on a minimalist, snow-covered stage and features the characters narrating their own actions to the audience.
This is not the first time Macy has juggled parts at the IRT; she has played three roles simultaneously before in “A Christmas Carol.” But four?
“You do have to be somewhat of a chameleon,” said Macy, who is making her eight appearance in the holiday classic. “You try to find the physicality or vocal quality of that character. You make a good impression of that character in a short amount of time on stage, and then you are off.
“In a show like this that is so fast, you quickly assume the posture of that character and feel that person again. The clothes and the shoes help a lot.”
About the clothes. Backstage wardrobe changes must be furious.
“We have an amazing wardrobe staff here,” she said. “It’s break-neck back stage, and they can change your clothes in about 12 seconds. You’ll think, ‘No way I can change out of this into something else and get back out on time.’ But they make it happen. The costumes are ‘rigged’ to be removed and replaced quickly. They zip you up, replace your wig and you’re ready to go.”
In all the times Macy has played multiple roles, she has never mistakenly mixed up the lines of any of the characters. She has played all four of these characters in “A Christmas Carol,” which helps.
“It’s kind of like riding a bicycle,” said two-time Arts Council of Indianapolis Creative Renewal Fellow and a Lunt-Fontanne National Fellow. “I know all of the lines, and they come back to you.
“The best thing about doing this (the four parts) is the feeling that you are part of a company. In addition, I love ‘A Christmas Carol no matter what part or parts I play because it brings such joy to people.”
A fulltime actress raised in Fishers, Macy debuted at the IRT in 1990 as a member of the Junior Works company. Recent appearances include 2015 season-opener “The Great Gatsby,” “On Golden Pond,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” “Good People,” “The Game’s Afoot,” “Who Am I This Time?”, “God of Carnage,” “Lost-A Memoir,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Hole,” “Becky’s New Car” and “Iron Kisses.” She counts her roles in IRT’s “Lost,” a solo performance in which she portrayed 20 characters, “Good People,” and “Becky’s New Car” as her favorites.
Macy says it’s a “richer” experience playing one person as she has done many times because “you are on an emotional journey.”
“As much as we think we can detach ourselves, we cannot; we’re not robots,” she said. “You live the moment with these characters. And I find that the longer I act, the more I can draw more parallels with my real life. I am just so grateful that I have been able to make a career out of acting in Indianapolis and I hope to do it for a very long time.”
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”
When: Nov. 14, 21, 28 and 29; Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 16-24 and 26.
Where: Indianapolis Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St., Indianapolis
Tickets: Adults $35-$87; students $14-$40.
Info: www.irtlive.org and 317.635.5252.
