Community theatre presenting ‘A Christmas Story’

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Jackson County Community Theatre’s second show in the 2015-16 season, “A Christmas Story,” will open at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Royal Off-the-Square Theatre in Brownstown.

Additional performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 11 and 12, and there will be matinees at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13.

Following many requests from its patrons in recent years, JCCT has selected plays with a Christmas theme to help kick off the holiday season, according to a news release.

This year’s selection is the classic comedy, “A Christmas Story,” written by humorist Jean Shepherd and adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian. It’s based on Shepherd’s book, “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash,” a memoir of growing up in the Midwest in the 1940s.

The story follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Goldblatt’s Department Store.

The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out.”

Since the play was adapted from the movie (the reverse of the more common process), it contains most of the memorable scenes found in the film. Audiences will enjoy familiar happenings, such as the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg; and Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios.

A large cast of adults and children will fill the stage for the show, directed by Darin Richart and produced by Kody Riddle and Job Willman.

John Hardaway will play the adult Ralph, who acts as narrator. Evan Rohlfing plays the part of the young Ralphie. Cari Hauersperger and John Rohlfing play the parts of Ralphie’s parents. Jack George plays Ralphie’s brother, Randy, and Jana Kay Peters will be Miss Shields, Ralphie’s teacher. Donovyn Thomas, Evan Smith, Therese Hauersperger and Bridget Bingham are cast in the roles of school friends Flick, Schwartz, Esther Jane and Helen. Peter Jackson acts as the school bully, Scut Farkas.

The elves and chorus members are Erin Nelson, Katie Rohlfing and Maria Jackson. Additional students and chorus members are played by Max Maschino, Grant Smith, Alana Jacobi, Clare Schepman, Claire Hauersperger, Addison Bumbleburg, Lainey Sandlin, Dezi Klakamp and Tyce Hardwick.

Backstage crew members are Bailey Blake, Hanna Hackman, Maddie Gibson and Emma Brelage. Light technician will be Aaron Wright. Stevi Begley is in charge of sound. Joe Bradley, Joel McGill and Joe Reynolds are constructing the set.

Tickets are on sale at Family Drug in Brownstown and Bevers Family Pharmacy in Seymour. Cost is $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.

The Jackson County Community Theatre season is sponsored by a grant from the Arts Partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Indiana Arts Commission and the Columbus Area Arts Council.

Information: jcct.org.

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