OSWEGO – Embrace the holiday cheer of a small-knit community at The Oswego Players’ holiday production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The show runs Dec. 5-7 and 12-14. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays.
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is an example of The Oswego Players’ mission to bring a diverse community together through engaging performances that inspire creativity, enrich lives and foster an appreciation for the arts. For its final play of the season, the troupe engages with the community in various ways.
With 28 actors in the show, and 20 technical and backstage crew members, director Jennifer Hitchcock had to cast the net far and wide to bring the performance to the stage.
“We have kids and adults from Mexico, Scriba, Oswego, Minetto, Fulton and most places in between,” she said. “The commitment of everyone in traveling to the theater for rehearsals or coming in during their spare time to build sets or focus the lights truly reflects the community spirit shown by these volunteers.”
Through family connections, Hitchcock even approached the Oswego Fire Department to borrow some equipment to add realism to the production.
“I was very happy to loan a couple of sets of spare gear,” said Oswego Fire Chief Paul Conzone. “I’m looking forward to coming to the show to see how they are being used – maybe we’ll inspire some future generations of firefighters!”
Each performance season for The Oswego Players is preceded by a senior preview night, which is the final dress rehearsal.
“We send out invitations to older adults – both individually and in organized groups or communities,” said The Oswego Players’ President Tammy Thompson. “It’s a win-win situation; the seniors get to see a performance at a much-discounted price, and the actors get some live audience feedback and participation just before opening night. Due to its popularity, often these organizations make it an outing for their members by providing vans to bring them to our theatre.”
In the spirit of the season, The Oswego Players also partner with the USMC Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign and are accepting new, unwrapped toys until the last performance on Dec. 14. The Toys for Tots mission delivers hope to children at Christmastime and beyond.
“This is a really important initiative,” Hitchcock said. “We are proud to help the program and strongly encourage our patrons to donate. We have a Toys for Tots donation bin located in the lobby of the theatre and we hope to have it filled before the end of the show.”
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc www.concordtheatricals.com.
This project is made possible through the CNY Arts Grants for Regional Arts and Cultural Engagement regrant program thanks to a New York State Senate Initiative supported by the NYS Legislature, the Office of the Governor and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts.
For more information and ticket sales, go to https://oswegoplayers.org/ or for phone reservations call the box office at 315-343-5138.
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