Black Sheep Players prepare for Christmas show

Nov. 17—SHARON — In the downstairs hall of First Presbyterian Church in Sharon, one group sang Christmas carols, followed by a reading from "A Christmas Carol". Upstairs, a group of bell-ringers made melodies from metal.

It's a diverse collection of set pieces, but that's because the members of the Black Sheep Players were rehearsing Tuesday evening to perform "A Christmas Pudding 2" by actor-playwright David Birney, Director Maria Petrella-Ackley said.

"It's a very nice group of readings and poems that will bring back memories of Christmas past, and tell us more about contemporary Christmas carols," Petrella-Ackley said.

The show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25 and 26, and at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 27 in First Presbyterian Church, 600 E. State St., Sharon.

Unlike a traditional play or musical that tells a single story, "A Christmas Pudding 2" features a series of Christmas-themed vignettes, ranging from musical performances to singing and dramatic readings.

The Black Sheep Players had previously performed "A Christmas Pudding" in 2020, since the show's segmented nature allowed the players to film each vignette in small groups, then edit and release the entire show digitally — providing some local entertainment despite the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Birney — who starred in several television series including "Bridget Loves Bernie," "Serpico" and "St. Elsewhere" — passed away earlier this year, Petrella-Ackley said she thought it was only appropriate to perform the sequel to "A Christmas Pudding," this time on-stage.

But even though audiences will gather in-person to watch the show, there will still be a digital component to "A Christmas Pudding 2" — a recorded appearance by Gerald Dickens, great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, which will be projected during the show as he performs a reading from "The Pickwick Papers."

The special appearance came about through Petrella-Ackley's friend and professional harpist Kirk Kupensky of Masury, Ohio.

Kupensky said he had heard of Gerald's work, which includes performing one-man shows throughout the United Kingdom and United States based on Charles Dickens' works.

Petrella-Ackley thought Gerald could make an interesting addition to the Black Sheep Players' show, and the two attempted to secure Gerald for "A Christmas Pudding 2."

Although Gerald's schedule didn't allow him to participate in-person, he was willing to perform virtually, via recording his performance and submitting it to the production.

"I think this is going to be really fun for people to see," Petrella-Ackley said.

Kupensky will not be among the musicians featured in "A Christmas Pudding 2," but said his work mostly focuses on the Victorian Era of music.

The Victorian Era in general is something often associated with Christmas, since Kupensky said many things we associate with Christmas today — from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" to having Christmas trees indoors — started during that period, which ties in to the general theme of "A Christmas Pudding 2."

"It's not just about our recent past but even the distant past, and how much these traditions mean to us," Kupensky said. "They have this endless holiday appeal and can evoke such memories in people."

Petrella-Ackley said the cast includes a mix of people from throughout Mercer County to as far away as the Pittsburgh area.

Among the local cast members is Lois Schneider of Brookfield, who will be performing alongside her husband, David.

Lois said she enjoyed participating in past performances with the Black Sheep Players and using the space at the church, while her husband had performed in productions at the church since the 1970s, when the space was used by local acting troupe as "Playhouse 600."

David will perform a reading from the Irish novel "Angela's Ashes," while Lois will perform a vignette told from the point of view of the recipient of the gifts described in "Twelve Days of Christmas."

"It's a little humorous, because after a while, do you really want all that?" Lois said.

That inversion of a familiar Christmas song is something that is reflected throughout "A Christmas Pudding 2," since the various vignettes are all Christmas-related but not exactly the same stories, songs or poems that are widely popular or often repeated, she said.

"A lot of it will seem familiar, but hopefully it will be something that audiences haven't really seen before," Lois said.

Aside from the performance, Random Acts of Artists will hold a pop-up art show featuring Christmas-themed art for sale Saturday night in an adjoining room at First Presbyterian Church, Petrella-Ackley said.

Tickets to the show will be sold at the door, or can be ordered online at blacksheep.booktix.com. Tickets cost $15 for general admission, and $13 for seniors or members of Random Acts of Artists.

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Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.