BWW Q&A: Jeff Thomakos of SCROOGE IN ROUGE at The Inspired Acting Company

A madcap, quick-change musical mashup where A Christmas Carol gets delightfully derailed! When 17 out of 20 cast members mysteriously fall ill from a bout of “ham” (bad acting or questionable meat—we may never know), the show must go on with a trio of desperate actors, dozens of quick-changes, and absolutely no shame.

Brace yourself for cheeky humor, corsets in chaos, show tunes gone sideways, and a whirlwind of accents that defy both logic and geography.

General Admission is $38, with discounted tickets available for patrons under 30 and over 65 at $32. All performances take place at The Inspired Acting Company’s theater located at 1124 E. West Maple Road, Walled Lake, MI.

Audience discretion is advised due to raunchy antics and wildly inappropriate humor. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Ample free parking is available.

Tickets are available now at www.InspiredActing.org or by calling 248-863-9953.
The Inspired Acting Company is a non-profit 501(c)3 professional theatre operating in Walled Lake, Michigan (Commerce Township). We are on a mission to tell relevant, timely, and inclusive stories through productions of world-class plays, both new and classical. We celebrate the power of theatre to build empathy, promote discourse, and generate positive change. Our dream is to be a beacon of artistic excellence in performance, education, and culture for Metro Detroit. Through the education, empowerment, and platforming of Michigan-based theatre professionals, we will foster our area as a jewel for the arts nationally and internationally.

Jeff is the founder and artistic director of The Inspired Acting Company, as well as a teacher, director, and producer. He is a certified Master Teacher of the Michael Chekhov Technique through The National Michael Chekhov Association and The Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium. Jeff also holds a Certificate of Completion from MICHA, The International Michael Chekhov Association. This makes him the only tri-certified teacher of this technique in the world. 

He served four years as Artistic Director of Royal Oak Shakespeare (formerly Water Works Theatre) and is a master improvisor, having studied for many years at Second City Chicago, IO Chicago, and Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.

What drew you to wanting to direct Scrooge in Rouge at The Inspired Acting Company?

We’d been wanting to offer a holiday show for a while, but we could never find one that truly felt like us - a piece that reflected our mission, challenged our artists, and showcased the kind of imaginative, actor-driven storytelling we value at The Inspired Acting Company. Scrooge in Rouge immediately stood out because it does all of that and more. Each performer plays up to eleven characters, tackles a ridiculous number of costume changes, and dives into dozens of musical numbers - including, yes, a ballet. It’s bold, chaotic, wonderfully theatrical, and demands a level of creativity that I find incredibly exciting as a director. Most importantly, our actors have risen to the challenge beautifully. Their commitment, range, and sheer joy in the work capture exactly what we strive to highlight: the inspired work of the actor. Beneath the irreverence, the show celebrates making magic out of mayhem, a pet of theatre’s core resilience. That blend of heart, mischief, and transformation is what drew me to Scrooge in Rouge and why I knew it belonged on our stage.

How does your experience as a certified Master Teacher of the Michael Chekhov Technique inform your direction of this play?

My work as a certified Master Teacher of the Michael Chekhov Technique shapes just about everything I direct, and Scrooge in Rouge is no exception. I never require actors to know the technique, but they almost always feel the spirit of Chekhov’s work the moment they walk into the room. His belief in “ennobling the actor” by uplifting them, trusting their creativity, and giving them permission to bring their whole imaginative selves to the work is at the heart of how we create theatre here. Chekhov’s ideas about the “Theatre of the Future” also play beautifully into this production. He envisioned a theatre filled with freedom, transformation, playfulness, and a deep sense of ensemble connection - all things you absolutely need when each actor is juggling a dozen characters, a whirlwind of costume changes, and a show that thrives on spontaneity. At The Inspired Acting Company, we strive to create a rehearsal atmosphere where actors feel safe, brave, and genuinely inspired. And when the actors feel that way, the audience feels it too. Even if they can’t name it, they pick up on that joyful, creative energy instantly. It creates this wonderful sense that everyone—onstage and off—is at home and part of the same imaginative adventure.

How does the Michael Chekhov Technique influence the performances in "Scrooge in Rouge"?

Chekov believed that actors are capable of remarkable transformation when they trust their imagination, their bodies, and their sense of creative play. In a show like this, where no one is cast strictly to “type” and everyone is constantly stepping into characters far outside their usual wheelhouse, that mindset is essential. Chekhov championed the idea that the actor’s inner life and creative impulses can lead them somewhere bigger, bolder, and more surprising than they might expect. That spirit is everywhere in this production. It empowers the actors to let go of literal realism, embrace heightened theatricality, and make choices that are expressive, flexible, and joyfully inventive. The result is a cast that transforms with clarity and confidence - because they’re working from a place of openness, curiosity, and imaginative freedom, which is exactly what Chekhov hoped for.

How does the irreverence and inspiration from commedia dell’arte, music halls, and festive pageantry in a British Panto style influence "Scrooge in Rouge"?

The irreverence and playful spirit at the heart of British Panto are a huge part of what makes Scrooge in Rouge so much fun to direct. The show draws directly from commedia dell’arte, old music halls, and all the over-the-top pageantry that comes with that tradition. That means big characters, bold choices, and a kind of joyful mischief that gives the actors permission to really cut loose. Nothing is precious, nothing is too silly, and the boundary between performer and performance is intentionally elastic. It creates a world where spontaneity is not just allowed, but essential. All of that energy encourages the actors to lean into a heightened style of play. They’re not aiming for realism; they’re embodying archetypes, exaggerations, and comic rhythms that are larger than life. That frees them to transform in ways they don’t always get to in a more traditional play. The physicality is broader, the timing is sharper, and the humor often comes from the clash between elegance and absurdity. The Panto influences invite the cast to embrace theatricality at full volume, and the result is a show that feels delightfully unpredictable and wildly alive.

Can you talk about the challenges and rewards of directing a show where each actor plays a multitude of roles?

Honestly, one of the wildest—and most delightful—parts of directing Scrooge in Rouge is watching actors play characters who are themselves playing characters. It’s layers on layers: performers taking on the roles of British panto performers who then jump into a dozen Dickensian misfits. That kind of “meta within meta” acting demands a huge amount of clarity, playfulness, and truth. The actors have to signal the wink without ever abandoning the honesty of the moment, and that’s a thrilling tightrope to walk. The challenge, of course, is that there’s nowhere to hide. We don’t have fog machines or big spectacle to distract you—our philosophy has always been that the acting is the greatest special effect. So the actors are constantly shifting style, point of view, and emotional logic, all while keeping the comedy buoyant and the story intact. The reward is enormous: you get to watch artists embracing the chaos, diving into impossible challenges, and still finding truthful, joyful storytelling inside it all…and, well, that’s when theatre feels like its most mischievous and most human.

How does the diversity of roles played by each actor in "Scrooge in Rouge" reflect on the transformative power of theatrical talent?

When one performer is leaping from a flamboyant diva to a mildly deviant Mr. Fezziwig to the Ghost of Christmas Future (but dressed as a pickle), you really get to witness the deeper urge that drives actors to do this work in the first place: the thrill of total transformation. It’s not just about switching costumes or accents. It’s about stepping into entirely different worlds with openness, imagination, and a kind of fearless curiosity. That range of roles in Scrooge in Rouge gives our cast the chance to stretch far beyond their “type,” exploring characters they might never be asked to play anywhere else. Watching them shift their inner life, energy, and point of view so completely is a reminder of just how boundless theatrical talent can be. And honestly, seeing them embrace that level of play and possibility is one of the true joys of directing this show.

How does "Scrooge in Rouge" fit into the mission of The Inspired Acting Company to tell relevant, timely, and inclusive stories?

Scrooge in Rouge fits beautifully into our mission because it’s inherently inclusive at its core. Three performers take on an entire Dickens classic’s worth of characters—across gender, age, “type,” and personality—which naturally breaks down traditional casting barriers. The show makes room for imagination over demographics, delight over rigidity, and transformation over limitation. And beneath all the bawdy comedy and holiday chaos is a meaningful thread of resilience: artists pushing forward when circumstances go awry, finding joy and creativity in the face of adversity. That message is not only timeless—it feels especially vital right now. Like so many non-profits, theatres are navigating an incredibly challenging moment. Resources are tight, uncertainties are real, and many organizations are fighting simply to stay present in their communities. Producing a show that celebrates persistence, adaptability, and creative courage is our way of embracing those values onstage while living them offstage. Scrooge in Rouge reminds us, playfully and powerfully, that art endures. Artists adapt, and storytelling continues.

Why must audiences come and see the show?