Atlantic waves Gloucester, MAAtlantic waves Gloucester, MASummer surf along the back shore of Gloucester.

Scrooge, Actor David Coffee

November 21, 2015  •  Leave a Comment

This past week I had the opportunity to photograph a great stage actor rehearsing for "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater. Actor David Coffee has been playing the part of Scrooge for the past 22 years at the theater. My wife and I have been to see the performance a few times and Coffee's performance is always unforgettable. He seems to tweak his performance every year so it's just a little different. I was sent over to the theater to make some shots of Coffee as he rehearsed so I brought along two cameras. For some reason I thought I was shooting some shots of him talking with a reporter so I brought my Leica along to get some nice portraits. When I stepped into the rehearsal area with the play going on it brought me back to the actual performances I had witnessed in the past. What a privilege it was to be there to see how it all comes together. 

I really wanted some shots of Coffee's many facial expressions but I did not have my long lens with me. So I decided to shoot the rehearsal and let the chips fall where they may. Changing it up on the fly as they say. The Canon 5D MK3 with the 24-70 f4 L was the main camera and making images with that camera is effortless. Once I had made enough images with the Canon I switched over to the Leica. I first used the 35 Summicron then started using the 50 Summilux wide open at 1.4. Shooting with the rangefinder is a joy. I find that it brings me back to my formative years as a photojournalist using my Leica M5 and the 35 mm Summicron. Could I have made these images with the Canon? Sure. But it would not have been as much fun focusing myself, wherever I wanted, in any part of the frame without moving the focus point around. The images in this set are of Coffee interacting with the Ghost of Christmas Present in the finale of Act One.

Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA. Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA. Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA. Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA.

Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA. Mr. Scrooge, touch my robe! Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA.

Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA. Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA. Scrooge, David CoffeeScrooge, David CoffeeActor David Coffee rehearses the finale of the first act "The Boar's Head Carol" in the play "A Christmas Carol" at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, MA.

 

 


Comments

No comments posted.
Loading...

Archive
January February March April May June July August September October November December (9)
January (2) February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December (1)
January February March April May June July August (2) September (2) October November (1) December
January February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December