How well you do know Milwaukee Rep's 'A Christmas Carol'? Take our quiz and find out

Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·4 min read

Endlessly quoted, adapted, parodied and performed, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is one of the best-known stories in the English language.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater has played a significant role in disseminating the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge's miraculous night: The Rep has staged a live adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" annually since 1976, breaking only in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic made large-cast productions impossible.

But how well do you really know the story? Let's find out.

Here's a quiz about elements of "A Christmas Carol," some drawn directly from Dickens' novella and a few taken specifically from Mark Clements' stage adaptation, which Milwaukee Rep has performed since 2016.

  1. At the beginning of the story, how many years has Marley been dead?

  2. What is the weekly salary that Scrooge pays his clerk, Bob Cratchit?

  3. When the ghost of Jacob Marley appears to Scrooge, the miser at first refuses to believe it, blaming the apparition on indigestion. What foods does he blame?

  4. In his 50 seasons of performing with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, James Pickering has played many different roles in "A Christmas Carol." Which of the following characters has Pickering never played: Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge, Mrs. Fezziwig, Ghost of Christmas Future?

  5. Dickens likens Scrooge's eyes to those of a certain animal. Which animal?

  6. In Mark Clements' adaptation, the wife of Scrooge's nephew Fred is one of the few people who speaks a kind word about the old miser. What is her name?

  7. When the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge back to this childhood, he relives memories of his sister. What is her name?

  8. In Clements' adaptation, in the Ghost of Christmas Future segment, Old Joe the fence has a raggedy street-urchin accomplice. What is that child's name?

  9. As a young man, Scrooge had a close friend who also worked for the Fezziwigs. What was the friend's name?

  10. The Cratchits eagerly wait for their oldest daughter to get home in time for Christmas dinner. What is her name?

  11. In Clements' adaptation, who is the winner when the Cratchits break the wishbone at dinner?

  12. Near the end of his visit, the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge two "ragged, scowling, wolfish" children with symbolic names. What are they called?

  13. How does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come differ from the two predecessor Christmas ghosts?

  14. In Clements' adaptation, how much does Old Joe pay Scrooge's housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber, for a bundle that includes the old miser's blanket and nightshirt?

  15. In Clements' adaptation, near the end of the play, a young caroler gives Scrooge something. What is it?

Answers to the 'Christmas Carol' quiz

  1. At the start of "A Christmas Carol," Marley has been dead for seven years.

  2. Scrooge pays Bob Cratchit a measly 15 shillings per week.

  3. Scrooge blames the apparition of Marley on "an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato."

  4. James Pickering has been Scrooge many times, Mr. Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig (in 2013), but never the Ghost of Christmas Future.

  5. Dickens writes that Scrooge has "ferret eyes." Thanks to Matt Daniels for pointing that out.

  6. In Mark Clements' adaptation, Fred's wife Ellen speaks kindly about and to Scrooge.

  7. Scrooge's sister is named Fan.

  8. The street urchin who works with the fence Old Joe in Clements' adaptation is named Sniffer.

  9. Young Scrooge's friend at the Fezziwigs is Dick Wilkins.

  10. The oldest Cratchit daughter is named Martha.

  11. In Clements' adaptation, Tiny Tim is the winner of the wishbone break.

  12. The ragged children that Ghost of Christmas Present shows to Scrooge are named Ignorance and Want.

  13. Unlike his predecessors, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (called Christmas Future in the Clements adaptation) never speaks. This ghost only points.

  14. Old Joe pays Scrooge's housekeeper four shillings for the bundle with the miser's blanket and nightshirt in Clements' adaptation.

  15. Near the end of Clements' adaptation, a young caroler gives Scrooge a red scarf.

If you go

Milwaukee Repertory Theater performs "A Christmas Carol" Nov. 28 through Dec. 24 at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Test your knowledge of 'A Christmas Carol' by taking our quiz