Deck the Stage
The holidays mean many things to many people – a chance to gather with friends and family, an opportunity to share stories, warm beverages and even warmer hearts, the curious desire to throw oneself into throngs of sweaty desperate shoppers, each looking for as many ways as possible to spend money on things that the aforementioned friends and family neither need or necessarily want.
It’s also a time traditionally filled with traditional fare in the theatre. You know, A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, Mickey’s Goofy Christmas. The classics.
Take a look around our lovely county at this festive time of year and you’ll find something to appeal to pretty much every taste, from Grandma’s preference of a deliciously delicate truffle paired with the proper sparkling wine to Uncle Max’s love of a scrumptious cronut paired with … well, anything. You know Uncle Max! With that in mind, I present you with the 2014 Sonoma County Holiday Sampler (some end soon, so don’t put off until tomorrow what you can scan today!).
Annie – The sun will indeed come out tomorrow and every day though December 15 as Cinnabar’s Young Rep brings Little Orphan Annie, Daddy Warbucks, Sandy and the whole gang to dancing, singing life at the Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma: cinnabartheater.org.
A Christmas Carol – The traditional story of profound redemption through literature’s most effective second chance unfolds on a spare stage with minimal sets and props. This lean and moving adaptation has been a holiday favorite for years at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, and plays through December 15: cloverdaleperformingarts.com.
A Winnie the Pooh Christ-mas Tail – H-Town Youth Theater presents everyone’s favorite stuffed bear and his pals in a holiday tale (or tail if you include Eeyore). Through December 15 at the Healdsburg Performing Arts Theater: htownyt.com.
Cinderella’s Christmas – Even fairy princesses celebrate holidays. See what charming festivity Cinderella is up to in a new play by local theatre fav-orite Devin McConnell. At the Actor’s Theater for Children in Santa Rosa through December 15: actorstheaterforchildren.com.
The Santaland Diaries – David Yen once again channels the wit and wisdom of David Sedaris in a delightful retelling of Sedaris’ stint as an elf in Macy’s Santa Land. Through December 15 at Main Stage West in Sebastopol: mainstagewest.com.
A Christmas Story – The stage version of the modern family movie classic returns to 6th Street Playhouse, complete with the Old Man, Mom, Ralphie, Randy, Flick and the fever dreams of a Daisy Red Rider BB gun. No eyes were shot out in the making of this play. Through December 22 at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa: 6thstreetplayhouse.com.
Scrooge – A lively musical version of A Christmas Carol. If you’ve ever wanted to see Scrooge sing and dance, this is your show. The musical adaptation is based on the 1970 movie starring Albert Finney and plays through December 22 at Spreckels in Rohnert Park: spreckelsonline.com.
Sleeping Indoors – The very real issue of the homeless takes center stage with the holiday season providing the framework for this comedy-drama at the Pegasus Theater in Rio Nido, through December 22: pegasustheater.com.
The Party – The Imaginists present yet another inventive piece of theatre, this time with a party (to which you’re invited!) providing the context for their unique, engaging, dare I say, imaginative brand of live theatre. Through December 22 in Santa Rosa: theimaginists.org.
A Walking Dead Christmas – America’s beloved zombies take a respite from munching brains and hunting humans to remember their happier living days, and rejoice in their newfound zombie friends in this cutting-edge musical making its North Bay premiere at the Sonoma Thespians Actors Stage Alliance Workshop Studio. Through December 31.
And so it goes. Whatever you do, wherever you go, take time to enjoy – and appreciate – the people with whom you have chosen to spend the holidays. Perhaps you’ll want to raise a mug of yummy hot cocoa to toast the season with those loved ones. I suggest a splash of brandy to make the toast even toastier!
Happy Holidays, dear readers. See you next year!
Steven David Martin of Healdsburg enjoyed a long, successful theatrical career, acting in and directing productions across the country and overseas. He also taught at the JC and university levels before embracing his writing passion. Martin works extensively with the Raven Theater and Cloverdale Performing Arts Center. His day job is Creative Practitioner at Firefly Creative Company.
