Matt Skinner ’17 is helping holiday audiences imagine what happens after the events of Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol. Skinner plays a younger Scrooge in flashbacks in the new production of 42nd Street Moon’s Scrooge in Love!, at Gateway Theatre in San Francisco, Dec. 4-22. This telling originally premiered there in 2015. “This Scrooge is not exactly the same person we know from A Christmas Carol — but he’s the seed of that, you could say,” Skinner said. “It’s been interesting thinking about how he went from a shy, good guy to this humbug grouch.” Skinner also recently started teaching choir to elementary schoolers in his native Castro Valley. “I love hearing children sing,” said Skinner. “It’s rewarding to hand them a piece of music that they’ve never seen, teach them and then hear them sing a whole song.” He added that the schedule has allowed him to pursue his love of performance. A theatre and dance graduate, he has been regularly appearing in Bay Area musicals. Other recent credits include Tim Price in American Psycho with Ray of Light Theatre, Tony in Billy Elliot with Woodminster Summer Musicals and Sir Harry in Once Upon a Mattress with Douglas Morrisson Theatre. One role, in particular, reminded him of his time at UC Davis. In November, he wrapped work as Matt in The Fantasticks with Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre. He said the experience marked the first time he repeated a role. “The previous time I’d played Matt was at UC Davis when I was a sophomore. It gave me a great foundation to work on this new production,” Skinner said. “Having done the role once, I had a jumpstart in a way. Also I’ve gotten better at singing, as well as my acting. I’ve just improved as a performer in general.”