This North Coast Weekend

Dell’Arte begins the celebratory season with its annual series of (mostly) free holiday shows, beginning November 25. This year the Dell’Arte Company takes on the season’s high art standard, the Nutcracker, but with the low rent form of cartoon comedy with a recession edge in The Nutcaper: a tale (or tail, according to the pun-filled press release) of three unemployed and hungry mice who “occupy” the Rat Kingpin’s fancy mansion but wind up taking the famous Nutcracker hostage. Amidst the comic mayhem, a holiday message of generosity and kindness emerges, all to music that includes Tchaikovsky’s tunes for The Nutcracker ballet.

Joan Schirle directs a cast that includes Pratik Motwani and Meridith Anne Baldwin (who appeared in Mary Jane: The Musical.) As usual the show starts at the Carlo (November 25-27) and tours far and wide, including Klamath, Orick, Point Arena, Redway, Scotia, Bridgeville, Burnt Ranch, McKinleyville, Trinidad, Eureka, and Arcata, before returning to the Carlo December 15-18. Tour dates, times, and locations are at http://www.dellarte.com/.


Back at Ferndale Repertory Theatre by popular demand is A Christmas Story beginning Friday November 25 at 8 p.m. It’s the same story as the movie which has been seen in 24-hour marathons on various Turner cable stations since the 90s, but with Ralphie, the young hero, recalling his Depression era Indiana childhood as an adult. It’s also the same play that Ferndale presented in 2008, and not the musical version that’s been touring with Peter Billingsley, the actor who played Ralphie in the movie, as producer.

The story by radio raconteur Jean Shepherd is gentle nostalgic comedy with icons from the movie that fans worship, like the leg lamp, or the kid whose tongue is frozen to a flagpole. Philip Grecian’s stage adaptation of course preserves them all. Ginger Gene directs a cast that includes Nathan Emmons, Kristi Peifer, Brian Morrison, Aiden Vergen, Megan Walsh, Keelan Franklin, Andrew Cutler, Hailey Benbow, Brianna Schatz, Kate Haley, Charlie Beck, and Steve Vergen as young Ralphie. Costumes are by Lori Knowles, lighting by Greta Stockwell, sound by Ian Schatz, and Scenic Charge Artist is Daniel C. Niyiri. The Ferndale Repertory Theatre’s 40th Anniversary holiday production of A Christmas Story runs on weekends including Sunday matinees through Dec. 18st. Reservations: (800) 838-3006 or http://www.ferndale-rep.org/.