The Herdmans are some of the worst children.
However, when it comes time for their local church to put on its annual Christmas pageant, the six misfits, who are notorious for their rowdy behavior (including smoking and shoplifting), volunteer for the lead roles.
What results is comedy, chaos and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
Basin Theatre Works will be finishing up its 2023 season with the Christmas classic with shows taking place from Dec. 8-10 and 15-17 at Permian Playhouse.
Tickets can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/yefr89he.
Directing the show is Bryan Wilson who is no stranger to Permian Playhouse.
However, it is his first show to direct in 20 years.
“This has to be my third or fourth play,” Wilson said, who graduated from Odessa High. “I’ve started directing plays here since I was 15. I worked for the Playhouse when I was in junior high school and high school. … It has been 20 years since I last directed a show.”
When Wilson learned that Basin Theatre Works was in need of a director for this show, he jumped at the opportunity.
“Truthfully, it was that I heard Permian Playhouse had some staff turnover and that there were concerns about the long-term damage to the well-being of it,” Wilson said. “So I reached out to the leadership and said if there’s anything I can do, I can help and they said they needed a director for the show and asked if I can do this. I wanted to do my part to ensure that Basin Theatre Works continues and that it grows for our community.”
Opening night will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Permian Playhouse on 210 W. 42nd St.
In the show, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids.
The Herdmans go to Sunday school for the first time after being told that the church offers snacks.
The narrator’s mother is flabbergasted when they all volunteer for the church pageant by bullying the other children out of it.
Everyone in town expects the Christmas pageant to be a disaster but the Herdmans’ unconventional performances actually make the show both more realistic and moving.
The play is based on a story from McCall’s magazine that was adapted into a book and then into a play that was first performed in 1982 by the Seattle Children’s Theatre.
It later became an ABC movie in 1983.
Playing the role of the narrator (Beck) in this performance is DJ Dangerfield.
“Beck is the son of the mother who’s running the Christmas pageant,” Dangerfield said. “Beck helps the audience understand what’s going on in the story and what people are feeling in the story. He is the heart of gold in the show. Anytime the Herdmans are doing something, he understands how they feel and he takes that to heart and runs with it. He doesn’t judge the Herdmans like the other characters do.”
Playing the role of an angel in the show is Alona Lee.
“It’s been really fun,” Lee said. “I feel like it brings people’s characters to real life and people get to become someone that they’re not and it’s just a good place to be yourself.”
Rehearsals began in November and Wilson has been impressed with the progress the entire cast and crew has made in a short amount of time.
“I could not be more impressed with the talent we have here in West Texas,” Wilson said. “There are a couple of folks in the show that are in their first shows. This is their first time doing live theater. It’s just incredible how quick they’ve memorized all their lines and how willing they are to explore the gist of the show and engage in conversations like ‘why would it be important for a little child at a local church to be a part of a local Christmas pageant? Why is it important to have this play talk about a group of local siblings who are poor and not really into society because of financial distress and being culturally obtuse?’ is the way I would put it.”
There are plenty of humorous and chaotic scenes in the show that Wilson said are both fun and challenging to do.
One includes the famous “fire” scene.
“Before we did any blocking of the scene, I had to explain what the point of the scene was and when we’re doing all of the physical comedy and running, to not just look out for themselves but for each other,” Wilson said. “The kids really care for each other. That’s not only the most difficult scene but the most scary scene with the entire cast running around like there actually is a fire.”
For more information about the show and Basin Theatre Works, go to basintheatreworks.org.
CAST LIST
- Grace Bradley (mother): Sky Conover
- Bob Bradley (father): Bradley Freyerson
- Mrs. Armstrong: Catherine Daniels
- Mrs. Irma Slocum: Haley Keen
- Mrs. Clark: Mariah “Mimi” Hodges
- Mrs. Clausing: Amileah Gray
- Mr. Edward McCarthy: Quinn Boyer
- Reverend Hopkins: Cristina Stevenson
- Firefighter 1: Byron Travis
- Firefighter 2: Joden Garcia
- Beck Bradley: DJ Dangerfield
- Charlie Bradley: Bryson Beaman
- Ralph: Santana Kelley
- Imogene: Hope Mewhorter
- Leroy: Tate Butler
- Claude: Clary Jo Conyers
- Ollie: Dillon Richard
- Gladys: Avery Lowrance
- Alice Wendleken: Hope Joyce
- Maxine: Brooklynn Carneth
- Elmer: Thamus Stevenson
- Hobie: Savannah White
- David: Reese Daniels
- Angel Choir Member/Dancers: Rowan Hashem, Nori Hashem, Alona Lee, Charlotte Van Hoose, Bella Hernandez, Brooklyn Terry
- Three Wise Men: Rory Leal, Sam Barton, Madilyn Gray
- Shirley: Noa Leal
- Juanita: Halo Hodges
- Doris: Everly Newman
If you go
- What: “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
- When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9; 2 p.m. Dec. 10; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16; 2 p.m. Dec. 17.
- Where: Permian Playhouse.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/2ebkchbv
