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The Vic’s ‘Christmas’ doesn’t lack spirit
By ERIC McCREA
YOUNGSTOWN
The Victorian Players continues its holiday tradition with the ninth version of “In the Spirit of Christmas.”
Three one-act plays, written by Dwayne Yancey, received their world premiere last weekend, produced by Centaur Stage Productions at the Mahoning Avenue theater.
The show began with “Svetlana’s First Christmas Away from Home.” Miss Anderson, played by Anita Weinstock, must fill in as director of her church Christmas pageant after the previous director’s meltdown. As she struggles to assign costumes to about a dozen kids, she’s continually interrupted by a flustered cook (Amber Johnson) a nit-picking stage mom (Lindie Schwarten) and a minister (Richard Smiley) suffering from senioritis. On top of that, exchange student Svetlana, played by Brandi Hughes, has come down with a bad case of homesickness and refuses to play her angelic part in the pageant.
The cast of this act featured more kids than adults, and the adorable group of youngsters carried much of the dialog. Despite a few pauses, the 13 kids handled their lines well. The kids’ writing was spectacular and kept the act interesting. Also, Mrs. Johnson was particularly delightful as the frazzled cook.
Act II, titled “Jose and Maria: A New Twist on an Old Tale,” takes place in a western Pennsylvania town on a very special night.
This modern version of the nativity story was rough. The twist is obvious from the title, but the act takes it’s time getting to the point. Clocking in at over an hour, the scenes were short and choppy, with a few long scene changes, proving to be a lethal combination. While updated in setting and era, this reinterpretation brought nothing new to the table. Instead, the script relied on crazy, over-the-top characters to bring interest to the piece, and the cast failed to provide that.
A few standouts did perform well though. Bob Gerdes was charming and fun as the Innkeeper, and paired well with Schwarten, who appeared again as the Housekeeper. Monica Martin was bubbly and charming as Naomi. The point of her role was unclear, but Martin compensated by being the most interesting character in all three acts. Special credit also should be given to Morgan LaCamera, who filled in for an unavailable actor at the last minute.
The final act, “A Zombie Christmas,” featured two grandparents, played by Lynne Peterson and Robert Ellway, preparing for a Christmas visit from their daughter and granddaughter. Grandma wants to make things interesting since last year’s visit involved a granddaughter who couldn’t be torn away from her electronic device. To spice things up, she decides that they will dress up in spooky costumes to show their fun side.
This cute story was short but sweet, with an ending that was reminiscent of O Henry. The dialog proved troublesome at first, but things improved when Johnson made her reappearance, along with Millie Heschmeyer, who capably performed in all three acts.
“In the Spirit of Christmas” will run Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The theater is at 702 Mahoning Ave. For reservations, call 330-746-5455.