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Winston-Salem actor Michael Huie is getting Scrooged again.

The local thespian will play Ebenezer Scrooge in the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival's annual production of "A Christmas Carol," which opens Friday.

Huie, 47, previously played the supporting role of Young Scrooge for two years (1990 and 1991) before eventually moving to Richmond, Va., in 1992. Now he has returned to the Triad.

"That was one of my first professional jobs working over here (NCSF)," said Huie, who is also an occasional Go Triad contributor. "I was in the company for two years, and I had done the summer season, and they asked me to stay on for 'A Christmas Carol,' and it was a good gig."

This will be the company's 32nd production of "A Christmas Carol."

Pedro Silva, the managing and artistic director of NCSF, recalls that when Huie first played Young Scrooge he was a wide-eyed actor, fresh out of college and still amazed by the fact someone wanted to pay him to act. He adds that when Allen Edwards stepped down this year after a nine-year stint as the lead, Huie was Silva's first choice to take on the role.

"I had seen Michael over the past few years from time to time, and I think he just has something in him that can bring a fascinating character to life," said Silva, who also directed the play. "So I called him, and fortunately, he accepted the role ---- I don't think with reservations ---- but wondering if he could tackle such a challenging role that is a very difficult one to play."

Because they have completely different personalities, Huie views the older and younger versions of Scrooge as two completely different characters.

"It was so long ago, and he's (Scrooge) in such a different point in his life," Huie said. "Although, it is helpful because it seems to me that a lot of times, Scrooge, even when he's 'Bah, humbug, Scrooge,' he's so funny, because he does use sarcasm a lot."

The actor views his character's sardonic and often cruel humor as a defense mechanism. And while he certainly disagrees with them overall, Huie also feels the character's views against Christmas are not without merit.

Sitting in a High Point coffee shop, Huie notes the Christmas decorations that have already been placed all around him in the middle of November.

"It's already Christmas, and it's kind of shoved down your throat for a month and a half before it happens," Huie said. "Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's actually the craziest time of the year."

It's easy to allow the seasonal overkill to turn many people into a real-life Scrooge, but Huie says that by actually playing the character, he is able to rekindle his Christmas cheer.

"Frankly, as an actor, I sit there every day for eight hours and talk about Christmas," Huie said. "I listen to these people talk about it, and read what Charles Dickens wrote. And I go, 'Maybe I've been going at this the wrong way for quite a while.'

"The fact that we have this day set aside to share with people and talk to them and our family and friends is pretty cool."

Contact Joe Scott at movieshowjoe@gmail.com.