VBT Community Players to present ‘A Christmas Story’

The Van Buren Community Players will present Philip Grecian’s adaptation of “A Christmas Story” at the Community Center Black Box Theater on Dec. 5-7 and 12-14.
Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
All the elements from the motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios; and more.
“This production of ‘A Christmas Story’ is such a fun project for everyone involved,” said director Martin Jacobs. “The cast and crew in the community theater are deeply dedicated to producing this show, infusing the experience with energy and enthusiasm. The cast loves bringing the beloved characters to life, and the crew enjoys designing creative sets that capture the holiday spirit”.
The cast of this show includes the following local actors: Nick Szczerba of Trenton as Ralph (the adult), Ella Convery of Van Buren Township as Ralphie Parker (the child), William Owen of Dearborn as The Old Man, Tiffany Darby of Taylor as Mother, Lauren Broughton of Taylor as Randy, Ryann Lacey of Van Buren Township as Miss Shields, Joel Yuhaz of Van Buren Township as Flick, Rory Peets of Wayne as Schwartz, Emilie Crosby of Van Buren Township as Esther Jane Alberry, Avery Warner of Whittaker as Helen Weathers and Laila Tapp-Hall of Ypsilanti as Scut Farkas. The ensemble includes Aaron Davis of Canton and Debbie Matt, Samuel Bingle, Heidi Leads, Hayden Lacey, and Sherrie Saksewski, all of Van Buren Township.
Performances are Dec. 5-7 and 12-14 at the Black Box Theater, inside the Van Buren Township Community Center at 46425 Tyler Rd. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $16-$20 each and can be purchased online by going to www.vbtvbc.ludus.com or in person at the Community Center desk from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. For ticket assistance by phone, call (734) 699-8921. If there are any remaining tickets, they will be available for purchase at the Community Center Desk one hour prior to show time. For group sales (10 or more tickets) use code, Buy10 on general tickets to receive a discounted rate of $15 per ticket before fees.
For more information on this show and all upcoming shows, visit www.vanburencommunityplayers.com, email [email protected], or call (734) 796-7900.