A Christmas Performance

by Greg Gallant

The traces of Halloween may still be present in Southeast Ohio, but it’s never too early to get into the Christmas spirit. Residents of the Muskingum County area awaiting the holiday season need not look any further than “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” a Zanesville Community Theater production.

The ZCT, a non-profit organization, will be staging the play in the coming weeks with a cast and crew of around 40 volunteers from the community. Under the direction of area educator Sheryl Wise, the group has been preparing the play since August.

The play revolves around a community trying to produce its annual Christmas pageant after their esteemed director is incapacitated. The duties of the director fall to Grace Bradley (Monica Van Nort), the mother of Beth and Charlie (Siena Shirer and Nick Clawson). When the notorious Herdman siblings (Matthew Pitcock, Grace Johnson, Meredith Free, Jack McLendon, Noah Townsend and Tony Palmer), the bullies of the community, become a part of the play, most of the participants quit. The Herdmans and the Bradleys must band together to put on the pageant, and the whole town turns out to see what happens.

Quite a bit of comedy mixes in with the story as well. “There’s a lot of funny material, but there’s also a lot of heartwarming stuff,” said Wise. Music is a big part of the production, as well. Wise plays piano, while the actors sing and play instruments as part of the play within a play.

“If you want to have a feel-good time, enjoy Christmas Music, and get yourself into the holiday spirit, this would be a great way to start,” said Wise.

Performances will be held on October 30^th and 31^st, and November 6^th and 7^th at 7 pm, with matinee showings on November 1^st and 8^th at 2:30 pm. Tickets cost $12, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for youths. All proceeds go toward the operation of the theater.