Theatre group to perform 'A Christmas Carol' and give meals to needy

Nov. 24—This December, Fine Arts on Main in Farmersville will show their Christmas spirit with a production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and will also host a drive-thru event where those in need will be able to receive a free hot meal.

A musical version of the classic Christmastime ghost story will be performed by the troupe next week. With a cast of about 25 people, ranging in age from 5 to in their 70s, the production is many of the actors' first foray into theatre.

"We have a lot of new-to-theatre people in this production, so it's been fun seeing them learn about the enjoyment and friendships that working in theatre can bring," said Fine Arts on Main Executive Director Gwen Mae.

"Together, they've grown as they've worked on some really dramatic moments in this production," Mae continued. "Tiny Tim's funeral procession is going to bring a tear to your eye, making Scrooge's transformation into a better man even more uplifting."

Showtimes for the play will be:

—8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1

—7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2

—7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3

—2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4

The performances will be in the Main Street Music Hall at 135 South Main St. in Farmersville, and tickets can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/3Xo8SkO.

"We could not have done this without our amazing volunteers," Mae said. "We started up in 2020 (doing old fashioned "radio plays" due to the pandemic), which was a challenge, but now we have a big beautiful space to perform in and things keep getting better.

"In this production, I'm also grateful for having JP Gregoriew as our director for this show," Mae said. "His countless hours, love and sincere passion for Fine Arts on Main has brought new inspiration to our non-profit."

Later in the month, on Saturday, Dec. 17, Fine Arts on Main will host its "Family Feast," a drive-thru event where the homeless, shut ins, and others in need are invited to come by and pick up hot meals provided by local Farmersville restaurants. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and last until the food runs out.

"This will actually be our fourth or fifth year having the Family Feast," Mae said. "It started after my daughter, Savannah, told me she'd like to set up something where we could feed the homeless, so we got to work on this."

As the troupe heads into the new year, Fine Arts on Main plans to schedule more auditions and productions as well as organize 2023's Farmersville's Got Talent and its annual Adult Prom, both of which will be in April.