A selfish miserly Christmas-hater is visited by ghosts, sees that material wealth is not the key to happiness, and undergoes a dramatic epiphany.
It might sound familiar, but this is not A Christmas Carol. For one thing, the Dickens classic was never this funny.
Elk Point Allied Arts (EPAA) presents its annual Christmas dinner theatre production starting on November 28. The play is Christmas In Her Heart, a comedy written by Walt Vail.
Geraldine Pointer is an insufferable striving status-seeker. Five years ago, just before Christmas, she became so demanding her husband and daughter moved out.
And so, out of spite, Geraldine turned her back on Christmas. She refused to exchange gifts or even send Christmas cards.
But this year there’s a bit of Christmas mystery in the air. People are stopping Geraldine and dropping in to thank her for the cards and gifts she has sent—gifts that she denies ever sending.
And then there’s the ghosts—not Christmas Past, Chistmas Present, or Christmas Yet To Be, but the spirits of Geraldine’s parents—sprung from Purgatory by St. Peter himself with a mission to show Geraldine the error of her ways.
EPAA’s community theatre productions are a beloved tradition not just in Elk Point but throughout the Lakeland and beyond. On one hand they recall a quaint time when communities had to provide their own entertainment. But at the same time, the shows deliver quality and sophistication that come from talent, hard work, and years of experience.
The quaintness comes from recognizing the actors as your own local friends and neighbours. But the magic happens when you can swear you also know the characters the actors are portraying, and you are drawn into their story.
As always, the play is preceded by a sumptuous buffet supper (brunch for the matinee performance).
Please see the ad on page 9 of this week’s Respect for showtimes and ticket information.
