(11/2022) It’s that time of the year! The fall semester mainstage production for Mount Theatre is called The Ultimate Christmas Show, the abridged version. Some insight into this play includes the cast using their names for the characters in the show, improvisation, and audience interaction and participation.

Dr. Kurt Blaugher, director of the mainstage production, was able to provide the synopsis they will publish for the production: "they are playing people who are members of attached to this small little church, somewhere in Emmitsburg. It’s supposed to be the Christmas pageant. Doing it a little early in the year, but what the heck? And so, the idea is, is that they are there to do some part of the Christmas pageant, but they hired a whole bunch of people from all over the world… to come in and perform at this little church in Emmitsburg, but it’s snowing. A lot. So, all of the people who are supposed to come to the church, can’t get to the church. So, there are some costumes that have shown up, they’re collecting things from all over the church, they have the program because they knew what their groups were supposed to do; they’re taking over based on reading the program and knowing [what each group was supposed to do] … They do some of their own things by the end of the show… but they just keep working because they’ve got an audience, they’ve got a set, they’ve got a Christmas tree. They’re just going to keep singing."

When conducting an interview with the cast, it was quite a surprise to find out from Dr. Blaugher that "part of the deal of the script [is that] they identify themselves as themselves" and "we added three extra characters to the original script, as they are written, only have three people in it." In no particular order, the cast consists of senior Ana Purchiaroni; freshmen Emelie Beckman, Carolina Herrera, Darby Johnson, and Nasir Banks; and high school student Helen Hochschild. The cast has been involved in theatrical productions in middle and high school, and some has been doing it their whole lives. To reiterate, the cast of six had to share lines written for a cast of three, which is a challenge in itself. However, the division of the lines equally makes the six roles have distinct personalities, creating bold and memorable characters for the audience to witness.

When asked about the excitement for the upcoming play, Banks responded "it’s exciting," with Herrera responding "for me, it’s pretty new because I’m used to playing a character’s name, but I feel like this is going to be fun." Purchiaroni added, "I feel like it’s your name, but it’s still a character. You’re playing a character, not yourself, so it’s just putting your name to a character." Many of the cast members agreed with this statement. Purchiaroni also adds, "if this show had another name, it would be Christmas: The Show Must Go On!"

When asked about how different this particular show was compared to other plays, Hochschild says, "it really has the spirit of improv if it wasn’t written as improv. It was written by improv actors and put together." Improvs, or improvisational theatre, is a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters, and dialogue of a game, scene, or story are made up in the moment. They can consist of suggestions from attending audience members, or in this case, respond to their audience members. Dr. Blaugher states, "there is a number of times where they have to interact with the audience, and that is pure improvisational." Herrera adds that the actors do follow a plotline that is established in the scripts, however, due to the improv choices of each actor in the show, the show will not always be the same each time.

They hope for a large crowd with each performance, with Dr. Blaugher saying, "and there are presents. We will be selling presents to give and to get." You can either buy the present and get into the show for free, or purchase tickets for five dollars per person.

Concluding the interview, the cast was asked what their selling points for the show would be. After joking around for a few minutes, Herrera responds, "it’s different. It’s a different [show]. [The audience is] not going to expect [it] to be that traditional show where you just watch it. No, you get to also kind of be a part of it." Johnson adds, "whatever preconceptions you have of the show, or whatever you think is going to happen, it’s not. It’s going to be something ten times weirder." Purchiaroni says, "it’s a high energy show, [and] it’s quite a ridiculous show, but in the best way possible."

Sitting in one of the rehearsals, the cast has a unique and personal dynamic, much like any cast in productions. The cast shared laughter and smiles as the rehearsal continued, utilizing witty commentary and moving around on stage as a tactic to keep the upcoming audiences engaged. The show is kid-friendly, but there is some adult language use and crude, humorous jokes as well. Many of the songs in the show are classics as well. They are parodies to favorites such as The Twelve Days of Christmas and Jingle Bells. The audience is encouraged to be as interactive as they possibly could, as the characters will use their audience members in their show. It is also encouraged for the audience to sing and dance along. This is a show you don’t want to miss.

Another large upcoming event is the annual St. Cecilia’s Day concert in the I.C. Chapel on Monday, November 14th at 5 pm. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music. St. Cecilia’s Day was a time that, following a church service, there would be a banquet and a performance of a new ode to St. Cecilia, which would praise the power of music. This event on campus follows that of a larger tradition that that has been occurring in history since 1683. We encourage you to come listen to the music programs during this major.

Getting ready for the upcoming holiday season, many of the events in the fine arts program are starting to focus more on Christmas. As we transition into the winter season and witness the solstice, reflect on the past few years in the pandemic. As we slowly return to a somewhat "normal" life like before, we open several events on campus to the public. The Christmas spirit is about celebration, family, and giving; please consider joining us and sharing the holiday spirit.

Upcoming events for the month of November: Music from the Age of Galilee on Saturday the 5th at I.C. Chapel at 7:30 p.m.; Mount Mainstage Production Thursday through Saturday, 10th through 12th, at Delaplaine Theatre at 8 p.m.; St. Cecilia's Day Concert on Monday the 14th at I.C. Chapel at 5 p.m.; Black Panther Modernity Concert on Saturday the 19th at Knott Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., and the Small Ensembles Concert on Sunday the 20th at Knott Auditorium at 2 p.m. The Mount Fine Arts program hopes to see you at these events.