Comfort Falls Christmas
This dramatic comedy tells the story of a Christmas in 1938 in the small town of Comfort Falls: population 603. The cream of society is getting ready for their out-of-doors holiday extravaganza at the town bandstand until they find out that the local church is planning a "competing" program, their annual Christmas Eve pageant, also at the bandstand on the same night! The society set, lead by the Widow Jeffries, and the church drama troupe, defended by her long-suffering son-in-law Mayor Hoshpepper, are joined by a hilarious group of eccentric townspeople, including a barbershop quartet, all trying to gain the upper hand. In the midst of it all, a young boy, his friend, and the church's pastor help both sides sort through the melee and rediscover the heart of Christmas.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Dave Tippett
Q.: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
A.: I had this idea of the narrator ultimately being revealed as one of the characters which appealed to me. (Not a new concept in scripts but appealing none the less.) I was also intrigued by the comedy potential and how various storylines….comedic and serious…could be woven together.
Q.: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
A.: I have several of them, so if I have to choose, this comes for a chaotic scene when the church’s Christmas play turns disastrous because many don’t remember their lines and start adlibbing in panic: “LESTER: (stiff) Uh—uh—boy howdy. Glad I am a shepherd. And stuff. (trying to remember lines) I, uh, hope to make into management someday.”
In another part, we did a series of blackouts where each main charter says one line to emphasize where the story stood. The mayor has an ongoing quarrel with his mother-in-law and this is his blackout: “MAYOR: (light up) Everything is going my way. Er, the church’s way. But that old coot has something up her sleeve. Other than wrinkles.”
Q.: WHERE DO THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
A.: No, just my own creations…and as I wrote, I also had specific actors in mind to play each role…and knowing them and their acting styles did influence some of the character development.
Q.: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
A. To give the audience an effective mix of comedy and a message for Christmas…that being the reconciliation of broken relationships can happen (while we can also laugh out loud).
Q.: ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT IT?
A.: I was extremely blessed to have a wonderful cast and hard-working crew to make our performances shine. My prayer is this show will equally bless future casts, crews and audiences alike, creating a Christmas message they’ll (hopefully) never forget.