Cast announced for ‘A Christmas Story’

LUDINGTON – Ludington’s Lakeside Civic Players and West Shore Community College are teaming up to bring area audiences an early Christmas gift.

“A Christmas Story,” Jean Shepherd’s classic holiday tale of the season, will run Thursday through Saturday, December 18-20, at 7:30 p.m., and Sun., Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.  All performances are at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts newly refurbished Performance Hall.

Christine Plummer, director the production says, “We have assembled a remarkable cast of area actors, including a number of incredibly talented youth performers for this production.”

In this Christmas adventure like no other, young Ralphie Parker’s fervent campaign for a Red Ryder BB gun unfolds despite a chorus of worries, including the now famous, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” The play centers on action amid seasonal shenanigans involving a leg lamp, a bunny suit and a tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole.

“Relive a family tradition or start one anew with this stage adaption of the beloved film inspired by Jean Shepherd’s classic American stories about Christmas—and growing up—in the Midwest,” Plummer adds.

Playing the plum role of young Ralphie is Ryland Gigante.  His father, professional actor Phil Gigante, is cast as the adult Ralph.  Sara Brown, plays the Mother, Rick Plummer is cast as the Old Man, Ian Van Houten plays Ralphie’s young brother, Randy.

Kathy Hansen is cast as the teacher, Mrs. Shields.  Ralphie’s friends, Flick and  Schwartz, are played by Joshua Huizenga and Kaden Powers.  Female students and friends of the boys, Esther Jane, Helen, Lucille, and Harriet, are played by Claire Sargent, Kat Catron, Molly Shay, and Amelia Van Wyck.

Kyler McQuesten is cast as the nasty, yellow-eyed bully, Scut Farcus.  Cody Hodges rounds out the cast as Everyman, playing a variety of roles, including the Christmas Tree salesman, the neighbor, the delivery man, and the voice Santa Claus and Little Orphan Annie’s announcer, Pierre Andre.

Emily Hartrum is the stage manager, Susan Barnard is the costume designer, Amanda Collene is the lighting designer, Alex Wolkow is the sound designer, Marty Cupp is the properties mistress and master painter, and Mike Mikula and Rick Plummer are the scene designers.

Tickets for “A Christmas Story” are available online at www.westshore.edu, or by calling the WSCC box office at 843-5507.

For additional information about the production, email Rick Plummer at rjplummer@westshore.edu, or call him at 843-5928.