Main Street Productions is bringing you A Little Christmas Spirit at Westfield Playhouse, 1836 W. State Road 32, for three weekends beginning Nov. 30.
For three weeks only, you can come to Westfield Playhouse to watch the magic happen and maybe get yourself a little Christmas spirit. (From left) Thom Johnson, Natalie Weber, Nate Piggush, Ava Menard and Olivia Menard. (Photo provided)
This play, written by Pat Cook and directed by Kathy Watson, contains a bit of magic about which The Reporter has been sworn to secrecy.
Watson told The Reporter working on this play has helped her have more Christmas spirit and she hopes the same will be true for audiences.
The 11 people in her cast formed a quick and comfortable rapport from the moment they met.
“This is one of the rare casts where we have all just bonded from the first day we got together for our first read-through,” Watson said. “You could feel a closeness forming almost immediately. We are like a family. That has only happened to me a couple times before. It is really nice.”
Kevin Caraher and Cindy Duncan. (Photo provided)
With only one exception, everyone in the cast lives in Hamilton County. For eight of the 11 members of this cast, this will be their first appearance at Westfield Playhouse. For four members, this will be their first appearance on stage anywhere.
“There is an old grouchy grandpa out trying to find a particular Christmas gift – a watch – for his grandson,” Watson said. “He finds a flyer on his car telling him to go to Nick’s Emporium.”
After he is in the shop and talks to Nick briefly, he goes outside for a moment and returns to find the shop is closed and the police are there to ask why he is in a business that has been closed for over 30 years.
And no, that is not the bit of magic we were sworn not to tell you about. The real magic happens after Grandpa gets back into the shop again and Nick teaches him to slow down a bit, relax and let go of some of the stress of last-minute shopping.
According to Watson, this play teaches a valuable lesson we can easily forget in the holiday consumer rush.
“Grandpa finds his Christmas spirit by taking time, relaxing, enjoying the moment and remembering the happiness he felt when he was younger,” Watson told The Reporter. “As we get older, we forget that excitement and that wonderment, especially if we don’t have little ones around us to help remind us of everything special. We need to just take the time and find that.”
For an entertaining way to explore regaining your childlike sense of wonder about the holidays, go see A Little Christmas Spirit at Westfield Playhouse. Visit westfieldplayhouse.org or call (317) 402-3341 for tickets.