The
ultimate 'feel-good' play, Christmas
Stories, December 9th-11th
Main
Stage Musical Players perform at Nashua Catholic Regional Jr. High
(Nashua)
– Main Stage Musical (MSM) Players are presenting
Christmas Stories by
award-winning playwright, national best-selling author, and Daniel Webster
College professor, Dr. Tom Anastasi.
Christmas Stories won the New Hampshire Theatre Award for best
original community play for 2004 and is billed as the “feel good play
you’ll never forget.” There are five original songs (written by music
director and Southern New Hampshire University Adjunct Professor Peter
Bridges) and some traditional Christmas carols to get audience members in
the Christmas Spirit.
Anastasi, the director
of the 2005 production said, “It really was incredible standing in the
back of the theater watching the audience during last year’s production.
Every time the audience laughed, I thought ‘yes!’ My goal was to write the
ultimate feel-good play that was funny, entertaining, and had a few
touching moments — and it worked! It’s the perfect way to spend part of
the Christmas season with the people most important to you.
Christmas Stories is
life-affirming and heart-warming without being preachy or sappy.
“We have a great cast,
many of whom are returning from last year’s play, though many have
different roles. New and old cast members alike are unbelievably
talented. You’ll be very impressed.”
The play is set up as
three different stories taking place in the same town right before
Christmas. The lives of the characters intersect, however, and by the end,
the audience realizes that this is one play, not three separate ones.
There are a lot of twists and surprises as the plot evolves. The
situations are ones that everyone can relate to – a stressed out couple
with three children, a couple struggling to make ends meet, and
pre-Christmas shopping mayhem. Anastasi added, “Plus, I think we set some
sort of record for numbers of animals in a play – we have a pug, a
cockapoo, gerbils, and fish.”
MSM Players President
and Producer Dan Barth said, “Several of our board members saw the Misfit
Toys’ production last year and talked about the show for days after.” MSM
Players Vice President MaryEllen Stafford, who has been in both
productions, added, “It is perfect for MSM. It is definitely an antidote
for the standard Christmas fare.”
Christmas Stories
will be performed at Nashua Catholic Regional Jr. High on Bartlett Avenue,
Nashua, on Dec 9 & 10th at 8:00 PM and Dec 11th at
4:00 PM. For tickets and information, call 603-465-3310 or visit
www.msmplayers.com . As a bonus you can get all your Christmas
Shopping done at their silent auction!
