On Tuesday, November 22, 2022  Lowellville put on a K-12 production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The play included students from high school age to kindergarten and was directed by Lowellville Drama Club advisor Mia DiRienzo Olson. The play is based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Barbara Robinson. It follows the story of six misfit children trying to become part of the church’s annual Christmas pageant. The children and high school students spent the month of November rehearsing and perfecting their lines in order to perform for their parents. 

     The play starts with the absence of the mom who usually runs the Christmas pageant causing the other moms to panic as they try to continue the production without her. This causes a great deal of chaos. One mom, Grace, played by Natalie Parry, steps up and takes on the annual pageant. When one of her kids lets it slip that there are desserts at Sunday school, the town's resident bad kids, the Herdmans decide to attend. They sign up for the Christmas pageant and the oldest girl Imogen Herdman, played by Sam Shumaker, played  the role of Mary. At first the kids are in it for seemingly vain reasons but throughout the process they come to find out the true meaning of Christmas. 

     Rehearsals started at the beginning of November with the actors who had speaking roles.   The actors spent those next weeks rehearsing their scenes and focusing on their own acting. The week before the premier of the play was time to add the  younger children in the ensemble. This created chaos behind the scenes similar to those in the actual play. There were missing costumes, kids out of place, and actors who were out sick. 

     In the span of three days Mrs. DiRienzo got all the younger kids into their places, had the costumes found, fitted, and in place, and made sure the actors had memorized their lines. She sent everyone home for the weekend to rest before one last rehearsal the following Monday.  After hours of rehearsing and reciting lines the last rehearsal was over and it was time to get ready for opening night. 

     The show started at 7:30 p.m Tuesday, November 22nd and lasted about an hour. It was filled with great acting, funny moments, and even music. There were of course some mistakes during the show and even some last minute changes like rearranging a scene because the Wise Men went on too early but that just added to the charm of the show. It was a fun-filled show with a good amount of Christmas cheer. 

     During the pageant’s main scene of the show the kids filled the stage and sang classic Christmas songs which  the audience loved. One of the favorites  was the classic carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Actor Natalie Parry’s performance especially stood out throughout the show. She went on the stage and really embodied her character, Grace, while also having amazing stage presence. 

     The show had some especially funny scenes like the preparation before the pageant in which the kids lined up in front of Grace and one-by-one told her their problems such as  missing costume pieces or wardrobe malfunctions. This really represented what any form of production with children feels like. The show focused a lot on the struggles and funny moments in putting together a production with small kids which was very true in  the actual rehearsals.

     The show also had heartwarming and tender moments between the Herdmans and the rest of the town. In the pageant scene Imogen Herdman finally understands the true meaning of Christmas time. The town finally accepts the Herdmans not only into the pageant but into their lives. They turn the pageant around and make it the best one they’ve had.

     Although the show went through a lot in the weeks of preparation it turned out to be amazing. The kids and actors all had a blast during it and it was a great experience for all. The cast and crew worked very hard on the show and the audience’s appreciation and applause after the show was a proud moment for Ms. DiRienzo, cast, and crew. We look forward to seeing the next production in the spring!

By: Bobby Loftus