DEKALB, ILL, November 29, 2022 – In 1983, the film A Christmas Story, based on Jean Shepherd’s semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash,” was released and soon became a holiday standard. In 2000, a stage adaptation by Philip Grecian was released. Stage Coach Players (SCP) will be producing the play this holiday season, running two weekends from December 8 – 18 at Stage Coach Player’s Theatre in DeKalb.
A Christmas Story, directed by Stewart Ogilvie, who last directed Miracle on 34th Street for SCP follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Higbee’s Department Store. The response he hears from each of them is, “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
All the elements from the film are included in the play, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; the school bully, Scut Farkus; Flick’s triple dog dare tongue on a frozen lamppost; Ralphie’s Little Orphan Annie decoder pin, along with many others. A Christmas Story has been produced more than 1,000 times since its first production in 2000, and by more than 50 theatres across the country this year alone!
The cast includes Michael Carlson as Ralph as an adult, Scott Moeller, as the Old Man, both making their SCP debuts. Lori Brubaker (It’s A Wonderful Life), plays Mother and Kelsey Holye (Night of the Living Dead) plays Miss Shields. The main cast for kids includes Oscar Boies, as Ralphie, Levy Kedzie as Randy, Andrew Cline as Flick, Jude Wenger as Schwartz, Lorelei Storey as Ester Jane, Chloe Moeller as Helen and Bronx Scott as Scut Farkus.
Rounding out the cast is Caitlin Brown, Avery Hoerchler, Jelina Martinez, Anthonella Martinez, Maddy Nall, Sydney Nall, Henry Robertson, Harvey Robertson, Matthew Scott, Novalee Scott, Olivia Steger, Evan Terry, Amelia Weinger, Iris Wiles, Chloe Williams and Emily Williams.
There are gifts we all remember wanting from Santa Claus when we were kids. Lori Brubaker, who plays Mother said the toy she really wanted the most was the My-size Barbie. As a kid, Scott Moeller, who plays Old Man, said he had wanted a drum set, adding, “which I never obtained.”
There are dozens of famous lines and scenes that are ingrained into the tapestry of American culture. Part of the reason is that the story, in general, is universal, as Ogilvie offered. “All the rush of memories and love in the holidays are universal. No matter whether you grew up in Hohman, Indiana or Queens, New York. Family is family, and friends are friends.”
The play is being sponsored by Jerry and Annette Johns, in memory of Bob Cain, and by Luxevo Vacations. Performances for A Christmas Story are December 8 – 10, 2022 and December 16 – 17, 2022 with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. along with Sunday matinees on December 11 and December 18, 2022, with a curtain time of 2:00. Tickets are $15 each or $13 for seniors and children aged 13 and under. Tickets are currently on sale through the box office phone at 815-758-1940. To purchase tickets, visit our online website at www.stagecoachplayers.com. You can also call the SCP box office at 815-758-1940. The box office will open Sunday, December 4, 2022.
Thank you for being understanding as SCP navigates COVID-19 guidelines. For this production, masks are suggested but not required. If the state of Illinois guidelines change, our guidelines will change also. Thank you for helping us keep our patrons, cast and crew safe.
