Trinity Rep's annual production of "A Christmas Carol" kicked off well before Thanksgiving, and as loathsome as many people find attempts to rush the seasons (mostly retail driven), this Trinity tradition is definitely a notable exception.

In its 38th season at Trinity, you can imagine that putting an original spin on this production would be a challenge worthy of one of Dickens' ghosts. But this incarnation is not a case of seen-one-you've-seen-them-all.

Berenson's Scrooge is exceptionally dour in the early scenes, making his transformation all the more dramatic and giddy. A clever set of shrouded trunks and textiles serve as a canvas for projected images, and a trap door at center stage is used to good effect.

Music sets the tone, shifting from moody and melancholy to festive as the scenes transition, memorably from a sad young Scrooge singing a sweet but haunting song while spending Christmas alone at his boarding school to, moments later, a rollicking party at the Fezziwig home, kicked off by Fred Sullivan, Jr., who always knows how to enter a room.

Most notably, the direction and pacing of this particular production is excellent, keeping this oft-told tale humming along with fresh energy and excitement. It's not easy to deliver a version of this classic tale year after year, to an audience familiar enough with the story to recite the script, but this production does just that.

"A Christmas Carol" at Trinity Rep, playing through Dec. 31. Click here for more information.