‘Ho Ho Ho!’ CAT performs ‘The Santa Claus Chronicles’

What is Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick’s favorite food? How does the Big Guy know who’s been naughty and who’s been nice? Where did Mrs. Claus disappear to?

Santa’s press secretary will answers these questions and more during “Ho Ho Ho! The Santa Claus Chronicles,” a play by Pat Cook, performed by Crest Area Theatre (CAT) at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Southwestern Community College Performing Arts Center, located in the Southen Prairie YMCA, 1201 W. Townline St.

Director Lynne Schlaht said she read a synopsis of the play online and was intrigued by the suggestion of additional talent between the scenes. It was a concept that was attempted last year but never panned out.

“I thought it was funny, so I got a perusal script,” said Schlaht. “I read it to my husband and he laughed out loud, and I thought, ‘Well, if he’s laughing out loud.’”

Local Talent

Cast members include Rod Tostenson, Audra Groumoutis, Mitzie Cellan, Christian White, Kristen Geary, Steve Hunt, Tom Hawks, Jae Fehrle, Barb Coenen, Karen Weis, Dennis Nardy, Becky Nardy, Dale Cline, Linda Huffman, Cathy Whited and Grace Root. Half of the 16 cast members have never acted in a play before.

“They’ve been working on it three times a week, and it’s fun to see them grow,” said co-director Judy Giles. “And they’re quirky. They develop quirky characters. All of us are quirky, but then they become this character and they incorporate interesting things and actions.

“You’ve got eight people that either got roped into it, always wanted to do a play but didn’t or it was on their bucket list,” said Giles. “They got involved, and they’ve been pretty loyal and worked very hard. It’s always fun in the directing position, especially when you’re dealing with community theater, to see people going from this stiff stick that’s standing on stage to developing a character and their body comes along and almost now, we’re to the point where every time they do it, they’re adding a little something. I’m not talking about a line, but an expression that you didn’t see before, a little movement. It just becomes very natural for them.”

Featured talent between the scenes includes a story teller, poetry, vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers who represent all of Union County.

Ages of the cast range from 12 to well into adulthood, Giles said, and when you include the ages of the talent that will be performing between the scenes the age range widens even more with the youngest performer being 5-years-old.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. A donation of a non-perishable food item for local food pantries will lower the adult ticket price to $9.

CAT

Crest Area Theatre started 45 years ago, and Schlaht and Giles have been involved in it since the early days.

“I’ve kept a list over the years,” said Schlaht. “I didn’t realize I had done so much. I have been in 14 shows and directed 12. I just couldn’t believe I’ve done that much over the years. I’ve decided that as long as I can physically and mentally do it, I would like to do more.”

CAT has called a lot of different places home over the years, starting out upstairs at 110 N. Oak St. before it became Hair Tech School of Cosmetology. They moved from there to the Lincoln School gymnasium and from there to the old J Bird Lounge location, which is now the Iowa State Savings Bank parking lot.

“The unique feature about that [performing at the J Bird] was we performed on the floor, but we built risers so the audience was elevated so everybody could see,” said Schlaht. “In the wintertime all they had for heat in there were these big heaters that came down from the ceiling, and so during the show in the wintertime — we did February shows then — we had to turn off the heat so you could hear because it was so noisy. We told everybody to bundle up, and then it was starting to get cold by intermission, so we’d turn it on to get a little heat.”

After the roof fell in at the J Bird Lounge, the group moved around until the Performing Arts Center, which CAT helped finance, was built.

Schlaht said she would love to see the theatre make it five more years to the 50 year mark.

“When you think about it, it’s a big commitment for volunteers,” said Giles. “They’re all volunteers, but it’s a wonderful outlet. I’ve had people say, ‘This is really fun. I enjoy this.’”