Billy Shakespeare’s Christmas Extravaganza, Traveling Freak Show December 8-10

The Epiphany Theater Company will present seven very funny comedies based on fractured Christmas themes under the title of Billy Shakespeare’s Christmas Extravaganza and Traveling Freak Show.

The plays will be presented on December 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bellevue Village Community Center off Gifft Hill Road. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the door and at Connections. These comedies are not recommended for young people under the age of ten.

The plays are directed by Michael Beason, Jeff Crokin, Carole DeSenne and Tim Jackson.
“All the directors are Board members of the Company. These plays attracted new adult thespians from St. John and we have eight young people from 6-16 years old acting, many for the first time,” said Carole DeSenne. “It was fun. I couldn’t keep a straight face, they are so funny.”

Elves Go on Strike
Three of Santa’s elves are fed up with what they consider poor treatment, payment in candy canes, forced labor, and no breaks. After threatening the “big man,” they decide to revolt and go on strike.  But Santa plays hardball, bringing in OOMPA LOOMPAS scabs and other dirty tricks to break their strike in The Elf Rebellion.

The new prince of the North Pole is having a ball to find his bride, the new Mrs. Claus, and Clasusarella will do anything to get there in the spoof of two famous stories, including dueling fairy godmothers and prince skilled in the art of extreme ballet in Clasusarella.

Bob tries to escape his financial problems by becoming a mall santa, only to discover that the cut throat world of holiday entertainment is no place for the faint of heart or weak of lap in Mall Santa Saves the Day.

On Christmas Eve, a child from the projects tries to steal a Christmas tree to bring some spirit into her tiny apartment in The Christmas Tree Thief. It’s a Wonderful Magical Miracle on Christmas Street as angels without wings, an old miser, a “real” santa and a mean-spirited psychiatrist appear in a hilarious spoof in which every famous Christmas movie seems to collide.

The Gingerbread Girl, daughter of the late Gingerbread Man, (sadly eaten by a child) seeks to discover the truth about her cursed father and finds herself mixed up in a tale of murder and intrigue involving Santa himself in The Revenge of the Gingerbread Girl.

Told in rhyming couplets a la Dr. Seuss, The Christmas Machine is the fanciful story of the Christmas Moo, a shameless huckster who foists his version of Christmas materialism on a small town of unsuspecting innocents.

Award-winning Playwright
All the short comedies are by Don Zolidis who is a playwright, screenwriter and high school teacher in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His most recent play, White Buffalo, received the prestigious Princess Grace Award for play writing and is currently in production at several venues around the country.

The plays star Michael Beason, Daniella Bridgewater, Sage Buchalter, Akiah Conliffe, Jeff Crokin, Carole DeSenne, Pam Dolson, Keven Fessale, De’Nea Forbes, John Grammer, Debbie Grammer, Alicia Anne Hill, Tim Jackson, Ted Kelliher, Damara Merten-Farwell, Ruthellen Mulberg, Tiareh Schaub, Mariah Scheer, Cynthia Smith, Tyler Thrash, Mekaela Valmond and Susan K. Wolterbeek.

Get in the the St. John holiday spirit and come out and have some fun! For further information contact Carole DeSenne, 643-4838.