Muncie Civic presents A Christmas Story

MUNCIE CIVIC THEATRE will continue its season of revolving repertory
with the addition of A CHRISTMAS STORY to the December performance schedule. A CHRISTMAS STORY will be presented on alternating evenings along with the Family Theatre Workshop musical ANNIE JR. throughout the month. A CHRISTMAS STORY will perform on December 7, 8, 15, 20 & 21 at 7:30pm as well as on Sunday, December 16 at 2:00pm. The performances will be on the main stage at Muncie Civic Theatre, 216 East Main Street, Muncie, Indiana. Tickets are $15 for Adults, $6 for Ball State students and $5 for High School & Younger. Group rates are available. This production is rated G. Reservations and ticket sales are available by calling 765-288-PLAY or at www.munciecivic.org. Box Office hours are Wednesday through Friday from 3:00pm to 6:00pm and one hour prior to each performance.

A CHRISTMAS STORY by Philip Grecian is based on the motion picture by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark which was adapted from the book "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by Jean Shepherd. Hoosier humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in Hammond, Indiana in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Goldblatt's Department Store. The consistent response: "You'll shoot your eye out." All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family's temperamental exploding furnace; Scud Farkas, the school bully; the boys' experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie's father winning a lamp shaped like a woman's leg in a net stocking; Ralphie's fantasy scenarios and more. The play is very faithful to the classic film with the addition! of an on-stage actor narrating the audience through the story as an adult Ralphie, a device that was accomplished through voice-over in the movie. Jean Shepherd's joyous celebration of childhood has already become a theatrical holiday perennial and audiences have the opportunity to experience it in a whole new way in this hilarious live stage version.

Under the Direction of Ball State Department of Theatre & Dance professor Dr. Michael O'Hara, the production features performances by professional actor Andrew Persinger as The Old Man and Ball State Theatre professor Michael Daehn as Adult Ralphie. The cast also includes Civic veterans Rita Wessel, Jeff Shull and Neil Renike as well as Civic Young Actors Workshop & Yorktown Middle School student Scott Meyer as Ralphie. The production is sponsored by Defur Voran and Rutter Media.

For tickets and information call 765-288-PLAY.