Review: ‘Christmas Pageant’ holiday treat

DONNA HORN/for the Van Wert independent

Do you need a little help getting into the Christmas spirit this year? Do yourself and your family a big favor. Go to the Marsh Foundation and attend a showing of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a play written by Barbara Robinson. It is sometimes serious and at other times hilarious. But it is never dull.

It is time for the annual Christmas pageant, and Mrs. Armstrong, who directs everything to do with Christmas at the church, has suffered a broken leg and is in traction until the first of the year. There is a mad scramble to replace her. Grace Bradley gets stuck with the job and she makes her family get involved.

Her son says that one good thing about church is that there are no Herdmans there. It seems that there are six Herdman children, and they are very bad news. They bully, steal from the other children, smoke, curse and constantly cause trouble.

Of course they had never been to church, not a day in their lives. But that was about to change. Leroy Herdman stole Charlie Bradley’s lunch and ate the dessert. He laughed about it, but Charlie said it didn’t matter. He got all the desserts he wanted at church and bragged about the wonderful desserts they got free at church.

When Grace set up auditions for the Christmas pageant all six Herdman children showed up and announced that they were taking over the characters in the pageant. Imogene Herdman would be Mary, and Ralph would be Joseph. Gladys Herdman was unforgettable as an angel and the other brothers were wise men. The other children were too frightened to protest, and no one dared to try out for parts against them.

Church members were aghast, and there was even talk of canceling the pageant altogether. But Grace dug her heels in and said this would be the best pageant ever.

The Herdman children had never heard the Christmas story, and they were very interested. They certainly had some ideas about how they would have handled the whole situation. And there was trouble brewing. Imogene Herdman smoked cigars in the ladies restroom, and one of the church ladies thought the church was on fire and called the fire department. Things were wild, but very funny.

But then a Christmas miracle took place, and the real Christmas spirit showed up where no one expected it, in the hearts of the Herdmans. Everyone agreed it was the best Christmas pageant ever.

The play will warm your heart and perhaps bring tears to your eyes. I know it did to mine. Dan Bulau did a fine job of directing the pageant, and the large cast did him proud.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is presented by Off Stage Productions and will be performed on Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, December 4, at 2 p.m. at the Marsh Foundation Auditorium, 1229 Lincoln Highway. Tickets are very affordable at $7 for adults and $3 for children, age 12 and under and are available at the door.

The cast of Off Stage Production’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. (photo submitted)