J.C. Cutler is the new Scrooge. Guthrie director Joe Dowling announced today that Cutler, who has played Bob Cratchit and Young Scrooge in the Guthrie's annual "A Christmas Carol," has aged sufficiently to take on the bitter old miser.

Cutler was last on the Guthrie in "Arms and the Man," last spring. He acted in "Tiny Kushner" both at the Guthrie studio and in productions at Berkeley and London. Some of his more memorable work includes "Shining City" at the Jungle and long ago "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" by Eye of the Storm. There has been lots of other stuff in between but those two spring to mind.

He's the 20th actor to take on Scrooge at the Guthrie. Daniel Gerroll played the part last year, which was the first go around for a new version written by Crispin Whittell and directed by Dowling. Previous to that, Barbara Field's adaptation had ruled every December. Raye Birk, Peter Michael Goetz, Charles Keating, Richard Ooms, Nat Fuller, Charles Janasz are among the other Scrooges.

Bruce Bohne played both old Scrooge and young Scrooge. Nat Fuller understudied the young man, as did Janasz.