takes the stage for seven performances in the Green Earth Players (GEP) production of “Charitable Sisterhood Christmas Spectacular” Friday through Sunday, Nov. 15-17, and Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 21-24, at the Palace Theatre in Luverne.
The weekday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday showtimes are 2 p.m.
The comedy was recommended by the GEP board for the Fall 2024 production, and director Sue Sandbulte couldn’t agree more.
“I fell in love with it,” she said. “It is a sweet play about church ladies — we can all see ourselves as church ladies and what they do.”
The plot centers around five women and a Christmas celebration competition between churches. The time is Christmas 1977 in Virginia.
Bea Littleton, the bossy, know-it-all pastor’s wife, is portrayed by Brenda Winter.
Littleton is a member of Second Trinity Victory Church, who lost the previous year’s Christmas Spectacular to the rival First Salvation Church.
Joining Winter on stage as members of Second Trinity church ladies are Rachel Ask as Lorraine and Gabi Ferrell as Tina.
With Christmas three weeks away, the three church ladies are preparing for the Christmas Spectacular when they become fixated on finding the person who stole the baby Jesus from Second Trinity’s nativity scene.
Their prime suspect is Lucille Orton (portrayed by Denise Dietchman Wethor) from First Salvation Church.
Called in to investigate is private investigator Janet Murchison (Sara Schmuck) to solve the theft of the baby Jesus.
Scenes from the two-act play take viewers on stage as well as backstage of the Christmas Spectacular in what Sandbulte describes as “an interesting plot” of twists and turns.
“You can hear the characters but you don’t see them,” she said.
Among the characters are the piano player, Potato Hands Ferguson, portrayed by Leona Hoek, and Haley Boltjes and Andrea Luitjens play various characters in the Spectacular competition.
“It has a real, feel-good ending that will put everyone in the Christmas spirit,” Sandbulte said. “It really has a good message that we can take with us.”
Assisting Sandbulte with directing are Mary Carroll and Elaine Hansen.
Xavier McKenzie works the lights, Stephen Harks does sound, with Laura Luitjens assisting backstage.
Tickets are $14 for adults and $7 for children, and can be purchased online at palacetheatre.us or in person at the Palace Theatre Box Office at 104 E. Main St., Luverne.
Bea Littleton (right, portrayed by Brenda Winter) talks with Lucille Orton (Denise Wethor) about the missing baby Jesus during Monday night’s rehearsal of the upcoming Green Earth Players production of “Charitable Sisterhood Christmas Spectacular.”
Rachel Ask portrays Lorraine in the Green Earth Players production of “Charitable Sisterhood Christmas Spectactular.” Her character asks why someone would steal the baby Jesus from the Second Trinity Victory Church’s nativity scene.
In retaliation, Bea Littleton (right, portrayed by Brenda Winter) confesses to friend and fellow church lady Lorraine (Rachel Ask) that she stole Joseph from the First Salvation Church’s nativity scene as a way to coax whoever stole their baby Jesus from their nativity scene to give the baby back.
Private investigator Janet Murchison (left, portrayed by Sara Schmuck) interviews Bea (center, Brenda Winter) and Lucille (Denise Wethor) about the missing baby Jesus.
Sara Schmuck as PI Janet Murchison.
