MANSFIELD — Thomas Cline came into acting through an unusual door.
He was working out at the Mansfield YCMA a few years ago.
“I was at the Y one day and a good friend of mine, (local actor) Chris Hahn asked me if I would like to be in a movie,” said Cline, who was working at the GM plant in Ontario when it closed in 2010.
“I said ‘sure.’ I did one day on set at a local movie, ‘Escape from Death Block 13,’ and I thought that was pretty cool. I now have a story to tell.
“A couple of months later, they needed us back. I was done early on the set and I got to sit around and watch and see how (a film crew) operated. And I said, ‘I’m gonna give it a try.’ I was kind of approaching retirement. And it has been a heck of a ride,” Cline said.
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Cline makes his Mansfield Playhouse debut on Friday night as Jacob Marley (and as Marley’s spirit) in “A Christmas Carol,” a theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic 19th century holiday story written by James Hutchinson.
Cline said he was encouraged by his acting coach to expand his chops with live theater work. He made his stage debut a few weeks ago a an FBI agent in the newly reopened Ashland Theater a few weeks ago in “Murder Under the Big Top.”
He auditioned in late October for “A Christmas Carol.”
“I looked through the script and found the smallest role I could find for my first-ever audition. Apparently I did something right because they gave me this important role in the story.
“Now I am excited about it, after that initial, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I going to do now?'” Cline said with a laugh.
Doug Wertz, the artistic director at the Mansfield Playhouse, often emphasizes his desire to attract new people to the community theater on East Third Street.
With a cast that requires more than two dozen people, he welcomed Cline and other new performers to the show — especially since he is also busy himself portraying Ebenezer Scrooge in the production.
Directing and performing at the same time is always a challenge.
“I think the most difficult part of playing a significant role while directing others is the perspective of view. It makes it harder to see the whole picture when you are part of the picture,” he said.
“For the most part, it’s in the mind’s eye from the audience view. Then there’s a challenge of learning the lines. I record my lines and then listen to them while I’m working,” said Wertz, who also built the set for the show.
“As all of our actors are volunteers, we have to consider that they’re working daily and spending their hours doing what they need to do to earn a living and then come here to share their talents.
“It’s pretty much the same with me with everything else that has to go on during the day. But I guess my love for the art and the craft and creativity becomes my therapy,” he said.
“‘A Christmas Carol’ is such a classic tale, but there are also great moral lessons to be learned. I think that’s what keeps the popularity there. There are lessons that still apply to today when it comes to finding balance, the importance of family, forgiveness, and charity,” Wertz said.
“After all, who doesn’t want to get to see Scrooge get what he deserves,” he said with a laugh.
Newcomers like Cline are surrounded on stage by some Playhouse veterans, including Eric Gustafson as Fred and Mr. Newbury, Jeff Dowdy as Fezziwig and Tony Viscioni as Bob Cratchit.
Viscioni has performed at the Playhouse for a decade and is a frequent holiday show performer, including “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”
A church pastor, Viscioni said he loves the ultimate message found in “A Christmas Carol.”
“This is a neat story. It’s a story of redemption and obviously that’s something that’s very close to my heart. Seeing the transformation of Scrooge and understanding that even for some of the most lost people in our lives, there is a path back,” Viscioni said.
“Hopefully it doesn’t take a visit from three ghosts,” he said with a laugh.
Dowdy has performed at the Mansfield Playhouse since he was a teenager more than two decades ago.
Like Viscioni, he enjoys the holiday shows, also performing in “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” He most recently appeared in April in “Catch Me If You Can.”
“When I have time to do (holiday) shows, I enjoy it,” Dowdy said. “When you do a Christmas how, you get to meet so many different people that you’ve never met before. It brings out families and it’s cool to see them get them do shows together,” Dowdy said.
“Some people that normally wouldn’t come out to audition for any other show, they’ll get that experience of being on stage for the Christmas show. So that’s nice,” he said.
Dowdy admits six weeks of rehearsals, including around Thanksgiving, and two weekends of performances in December can add a bit of stress to anyone’s holiday cheer.
“You just have to be dedicated and you have to want to do it. It always seems like every day there’s something that you have to do to get ready for Christmas. It can be very difficult, but it’s something that you have to want to do,” he said.
Gustafson has been involved at the Playhouse on and off stage for 13 years. He joined Dowdy in “Catch Me If You Can” in April.
“I love this place,” he said. “I’ll do anything for the Playhouse. If they need me to do something, I’m there for them.”
Gustafson, whose wife, Johnna, is the stage manager for the show, said he enjoys seeing a large cast come together, including new faces.
“People have these other responsibilities. A lot of these people were brought in because their kids wanted to be in the show. So we recruited the parents to come play some of these parts. And a lot of these people haven’t been on stage in years.
“So it’s been bringing them along. It’s been a challenge, but it’s worth it. You get some new people up there, some fresh faces and maybe they will come back,” Gustafson said.
“There are some very good actors in this group,” he said.
Show information
“A Christmas Carol” will be performed Dec. 8, 9, 15 & 16 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 17 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults, $12 for seniors (62 and older) and $8 for students (12 and under).
Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/playhouse/3818 or by calling the box office at 419-522-2883. Box office hours are Wednesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to all performances.
“A Christmas Carol” cast
Gage Anderson – Hugh, young Dick Wilkensen
Morgyn Beasley – Fan and more
Rebekah Beasley – Adult Belle
Sawyer Beasley – Peter Cratchit
Taylor Beasley – Belle
Carly Black – First spirit
Ellis Black – George and more
Lyndie Black – Abigail and more
Thomas Cline – Marley and his spirit
Jeffrey Dowdy – Fezziwig
Xavier Getz – Scrooge as a boy & Tiny Tim
Eric Gustafson – Fred, Mr. Newbury
Darrin Harvey – Granger and more
Jenn Lang – Mrs. Fezziwig
Lucy Lang – Grace and more
Kaitlynn Long – Third spirit and more
Jessica Ney – Mrs. Cratchit
Kristi Paxton – Cook and more
Whitney Paxton – Townsgirl and more
Ashlee Tuttle – Mrs. Dilber
Meadow Tuttle – Justine Cratchit
River Tuttle – Caroler
JT Viscioni – Harrington and more
Tony Viscioni – Bob Cratchit
Sydney Winner – Tabatha and more
Gage Workman – Young Scrooge
Doug Wertz – Ebenezer Scrooge