Stained Glass Theatre presents "A Good Old Fashioned Big Family Christmas" for the holidays
Dec. 8—Stained Glass Theatre's December production of "A Good Old Fashioned Big Family Christmas" arrives during a busy holiday season, with a focus on family rather than schedules and plans.
Pat Cook's play is about three sisters, grown and married with kids, worried about their parents' recent arguments. The sisters decide to invite their parents over for Christmas to help mend their parents' relationship.
Their husbands are reluctant, but they humor their wives. Even more reluctant are their children, including a daughter writing a term paper on "Christmas stress" and who does everything to produce such stress during the holiday. The mix-ups, schemes and misunderstandings in the big family snowball from there.
"It all works out in the end, and they realize that all they really need is to be together, to enjoy each other. It has a happy ending," said Kelly Weaver, co-director with Christa Hailey.
Weaver said the production has a wide appeal for their audience. With a large, cross-generational cast, Weaver thinks everyone can find a character in the family with whom to relate.
"Most people will be able to recognize somebody in their family in one of the characters," Weaver said. "You've got the super enthusiastic people, then you've got the people who don't really want to do anything. You've got the kids who are bored and just want to watch zombie movies."
The cast of 14 raucous characters range from kids to grandparents. Weaver said it's been fun to see the different ages of actors working together. The characters are part of a close family, who all have their own game plans but come together in the name of family and the holiday.
Stained Glass Theatre chose "A Good Old Fashioned Big Family Christmas" for its Christmas production because the play is different and new to the area. Weaver said the comedy fits well with the theater's stage and group of people. The production is family friendly, with humor for all ages.
"We've had so much fun that sometimes we get to laughing, and we have to stop rehearsal and regroup ourselves," Weaver said.
At the production's heart is the idea that people don't have to exhaust themselves by coming up with elaborate plans for the holiday. Weaver said people today tend to put some much pressure on themselves to make the holidays perfect.
"Really, the theme of the play is that instead of trying to control everything or make certain situations happen because it's Christmas, just being together and enjoying each other's company is all you need," Weaver said. "The best thing we can do to celebrate the gift of Jesus is to do things for other people and be there for the ones we love."
