Charleston Community Theatre is kicking off the holiday season with the comedy play “The Christmas Spirit” by Frederick Stroppel and entertainment by Corn Belt Underground, CCT’s improvisation group.
“The Christmas Spirit” is showing Dec. 6-7 with showtimes beginning at 7:30 p.m. and another showing on Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. Corn Belt Underground’s Christmas improv will be on Dec. 13-14 at 7:30 p.m.
Both events will be located at Elks Lodge #623 at 720 Sixth St. in the lower level.
Tickets for “The Christmas Spirit” are $5 for students, $10 for seniors and $12 for general admission, and Corn Belt Underground’s improv will be a flat rate of $10 per person.
All ticket payments may be made at the door or online at https://charlestonct.booktix.com/.
Directed by Heather Siegel, “The Christmas Spirit” follows the story of Julia (Ann Morris Bruehler) as she is visited by a mysterious visitor, revealed to be Death, (EIU alum Blake Richardson) who arrives to claim Julia’s soul.
To gain more time on Earth, Julia lies to Death by claiming she has a Christmas party the next day. When Death grants Julia one more day, she is forced to gather her closest friends and family within the community and learn what the spirit of Christmas truly is all about.
The cast also consists of Angie Hunt as Aunt Rosemary, Quinn Miller as Paul, Jordan Kollman as Father John, Ty Patterson as Matthew, Tracy Phelps as Beth, Doug Kanouse as Uncle Bernie and Leah Piescinski as Melissa.
Corn Belt Underground’s improv, led by Richardson, will consist of multiple games similar to improv group Hello Dali’s structure on Eastern Illinois University’s campus with several games featuring audience input and interaction.
Among the games played, Richardson said duo games and party quirks are the group’s strongest suit, like the Alphabet Game where two people talk back and forth with each new word starting with the next letter in the alphabet.
Other games featured include press conference, freeze, genres, four square, doctor professor, line from your pocket, say again?, dating game and 30/15/5.
Leading up to the festivities, both the cast and staff said they are looking forward to the events.
“I feel good,” said Bruehler. “Everybody’s been working really hard.”
This is the first time CCT will be performing the show, as the show had a worldwide premiere shortly before 2010.
CCT is a new addition to Elks Lodge, previously performing at the Tarble Arts Center before renovations resulted in the group relocating to the lodge in spring 2018.
“We’re very kind of homeless,” said Siegel. “We used to just kind of bounce where we could have gone.”
Corn Belt Underground also will be concluding their first season with CCT following the events, being a new addition to CCT’s roster.
Now being located on the lower level of the Elks Lodge, Siegel noted how business upstairs and alcohol sales usually attract customers, benefitting both the lodge and CCT in a “symbiotic relationship” according to her, saving for the risk of potential hecklers.
Auditions for the “Lovesick” by John Cariani, CCT’s first show next spring, will take place on Dec. 17-18 at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Elks Lodge #623 in the lower level.
Luke Brewer can be reached at 581-2812 or at lsbrewer@eiu.edu.
