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| From Left: Gwendolyn Woods, Andrew Inman, Anna Adams, Nathan White, Sam Ruder, Alyssa Kittle, Sean Fisk, Matthew Lowther, Sam Dennis, Charlee Clement, Quinten VanDyke, Pamelajean Myers, Isabel Minor, Irene VanDyke, Maya Luevane. Photo by Rebecca Cooper. |
By Tina Arth
While almost every community theatre group endeavors to
present a holiday-themed play in December, it can be tough to cast these shows.
Show biz, even at the local level, can be very demanding; actors are often
reluctant to invest so much time in a production while spouses, parents, and
children wait at home. In her Director’s Notes, Jessica Reed acknowledges the
importance of this time, saying “Christmas has always meant spending time with
family a way that we don’t usually get to the rest of the year.” Theatre in the
Grove, a mainstay of both community theatre and children’s theatre in
Washington County, addresses this problem neatly in their holiday production of
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by
delivering a nice amalgam of the two – call it “family theater” – that
incorporates entire families into the production process. A quick look at the
credits in the program says it all: the Dawes family, the Dennis family, the
Fisk family, Brad and Christina Inman, the Harrelson and Lesh family, the Ross
family, the Ruder family – all are recognized for their work both on stage and
behind the scenes bringing the show to its audience.
Author Barbara Robinson has written a show that is
funny, touching, and short enough to hold the attention span of even the
youngest audience member: it’s time for the annual Christmas pageant, and the
regular director, the imperious Mrs. Armstrong, is out of commission. The other
parents gang up on fellow mom Grace Bradley, who reluctantly agrees to direct
the show. Her husband Bob, who is totally disinterested, even more reluctantly
agrees to help out by ensuring that the shepherds and baby angels appear on cue
and in costume. The show threatens to fall apart when the Herdmans, who are the
literally the worst kids in the world, demand lead roles as Mary, Joseph, the
Wise Men, and the Angel of the Lord. The other town children don’t dare oppose
this group of cigar-smoking, lying, shoplifting, assaultive thugs, who envision
the Wise Men as spies, Herod in need of a thorough beating, and the Angel as a
dark avenger. With no local mom willing to allow her baby to appear onstage in
the grasp of these miscreants, they are forced to use a (much suffering) doll
as the Baby Jesus. Of course, it’s Christmas, and a nice dose of holiday magic
transforms the Herdmans and helps the whole town to see the story in a
beautiful new light – hence, it is truly the best pageant ever.
Casting a show with a large cast of children often means
that the adults are kind of an afterthought – brought in because they are tall
enough, old enough, and can learn their lines while policing the antics of a
stage full of kids. However, this show is something of an exception. Gratia
Minor (“Grace”) brings a healthy combination of cynicism, resignation, and
competitiveness to a key role, and Andy Dawes (“Bob”) displays fine timing and
comic sensibility. Another adult standout is Aurea Taylor (“Mrs. McCarthy”), a
priggish younger version of the domineering Mrs. Armstrong. The kids, of course, are all impossibly
winning – and Dawes’ interaction with the littlest angel (I suspect she is his
daughter Pru) is just spectacular – well worth the price of admission!
The show is, as mentioned, very short. It would be
nice to ratchet down the pace at a key moment (when Imogene starts crying) to
draw more attention to this pivotal scene. It would also be helpful for Althea
Harrelson (amazingly cute though she is in her portrayal of Gladys) to slow
down her delivery and focus on really articulating the lines – she has some of
the best moments in the show and should really work it!
Now that Theatre in the Grove has a tight new roof to
keep the rain out, there is no excuse for all families in the Forest Grove
vicinity to miss this entertaining holiday show, and to reflect on what it really
means to be a refugee seeking shelter in troubled times.
The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever is playing at Theatre in the Grove, 2028 Pacific Avenue,
Forest Grove, with regular performances at 7:30 p.m. on December 11, 12, 18, 19,
and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. on December 13, 20.
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