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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by San Diego Junior Theatre The Herdman kids were “the worst kids in the whole world” – a gang of six brothers and sisters who intimidated all the other kids in town with their bullying and cursing and smoking. The only place the other kids in the town felt safe was at church, a place the Herdmans avoided like it was a bathtub. But when Beth Bradley (Alisha Ayyad) accidentally lets slip to Imogene Herdman (Rissa Dickey) that everyone gets free desserts after church services, the Herdmans decide to get some religion. And, as it so happens, they arrive just in time for auditions to the annual Christmas pageant… This popular holiday tale became the first production by San Diego Junior Theatre’s new Chula Vista program – a satellite school where they will now hold classes and put on shows in their small but very functional black box theatre. And that theatre is off to a great start, selling out all of their performances to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever before opening night was even kicked off! Junior Theatre’s Will Neblett directed this game group of new actors who tackled their roles with enthusiasm – especially the Herdman kids who get to be the brats and bullies. Rissa Dickey is the most intimidating as eldest sister Imogene who earns the role of Mary in the pageant, stealing the role away from an uppity Alice Wendleken (Heidi Whitehouse) who isn’t quite willing to risk fisticuffs in order to keep her long-standing position as Jesus’ mother. Imogene tells her eldest brother Ralph (Jenna Selby) to take on the role of Joseph, completing an unlikely couple for the parents of baby Jesus, and assuring that no other couple is going to let their infant child play the part of Jesus. They improvise with a doll that gets pretty rough treatment from the Herdmans until the end when Imogene is moved by the Christmas story. Other strong performances included a charmingly brutish angel named Gladys Herdman (Mari Heller) as well as members of the Bradley family consisting of narrator Beth Bradley (Alisha Ayyad), brother Charlie (Jonathan Edzant), the mother who reluctantly becomes the director of the pageant (Ariana Dickey), and the father who reluctantly has to attend the pageant (performed by Director Will Neblett). The “Theatre on Third” in Chula Vista’s next show will be a modern retelling of the fairy tale Snow White this coming March.Performed through December 21, 2003. |