Fritz, I hope you're in a holiday mood!

Possums to stage 'Best Christmas Pageant Ever'

The cast and crew of Possum Point Players’ holiday show, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” have resumed rehearsals after a Thanksgiving break, to put the final touches on the production.

“We’re further ahead than I had planned,” according to director Linda Killion of Lewes. “We’re in great shape.”

One of the hurdles that comes along with a production taking place during the holiday season, is all the other activities going on at the same time. Possum Point Players is thankful this season that so many people were able to commit to this fun, energetic show.

In the show, a mom, played by Karen Stevenson of Seaford, takes on the task of doing the church Christmas pageant, overcoming hurdles of her own. The Herdman kids are the worst kids in town, and come to join the pageant, throwing all conventions to the wind. The eldest sister, Imogene, decides she and her brother Ralph should take the leads, and Lauren Baker and Ethan Hickman bring the roles of Imogene and Ralph to life. The younger Herdman siblings - Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys - are being portrayed by Ben Beck, Patrick Gallagher, Drew Colegrove and Bridget Killion.

They each cause their own kind of havoc, and rehearsals for the pageant end in an uproar.

The Possum Point Players Christmas production is typically one of the most popular shows of its season. “Our holiday production is always a good family event,” said Possum executive administrator Mary Cahill. “There are a lot of people who have family visiting and just want something to do, and this show particularly is great for that.” [...]

Well, of course, it's because of all the possums involved.


UPDATE 1:40 p.m.: Just got off the phone with the estimable Mr. Schranck, who called out of amazement and wonder that I had linked to his hometown paper and side-employer. HOWEVER, I fear I messed up his big surprise by being such a dolt.

It seemed he called in to our main switchboard, who routed the call to our department director's secretary, who then routed it to me. And the only thing she said was that she was tranferring a call to me. So I quickly swallowed my slurp of kung pao chickend and answered with my most professional voice, and the only thing I heard on the other end was a somewhat staticky, "Twheoruohdpossmlkjroffce!"

Now, you have to understand, in my job I get a LOT of phone calls like this--befuddled citizens jabbering at whomever they can find to talk to, even if they don't know who it it. And so, I thought I had one on the line--it sounded like a very weak cell phone connection, and so I tried my best to decipher what was being said. Finally, I heard, "TERRY! This is FRITZ! I said, "POSSUM POINT PLAYER'S TICKET OFFICE!"

OHHhhhhhh. Boy, did I feel like a maroon. Thankfully, he's much nicer than to call me that over the phone. SO, we had a nice long talk about colleges and land development and Stephen Sondheim dreariness and weekly newspapers and house prices and the pitiful fact that poor old Birmingham doesn't have a seacoast. (I hear, however, they ARE going to build a new one in Trussville.)

ANYway, thanks for the buzz, Fritz, and I'm sorry my ears and brain were so clogged.
posted by Terry at 1:32:00 PM