Airline Baptist Church stages its annual dinner theatre
Airline Baptist Church will kick start its holiday season this weekend with three presentations of its dinner theater show, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
In this comical production, a couple is struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant when they are faced with casting the most awful kids in history.
The play, adapted from the popular holiday novel by Barbara Robinson, is about six children in the Herdman family who lie, steal, swear and take over the annual Christmas pageant at their church.
“It’s about underprivileged children who come to church because they hear they get snacks at Sunday School,” Bruce Edwards, minister of education and evangelism, said. “They really have no idea what the meaning of Christmas is.”
More than 30 members of Airline Baptist Church, both children and adults, have been practicing for months in preparation for this weekend’s shows. While it may sound like a quirky scenario, Edwards it’s simply another way of telling the traditional Christmas story.
“It’s great for all ages, especially the children,” Edwards said.
The production is a quarterly event the church holds to raise money for local and international mission work. What sets this show apart from the rest is that it’s a dinner theater production.
Airline Baptist Church will present “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” on Thursday, Nov. 29; Friday, Nov. 30; and Saturday, Dec. 1. Show time is set for 6:30 p.m. each night in the Damon Vaughn Center on the Airline Baptist campus, located at 4007 Airline Drive in Bossier City.
Along with dinner and a show, Edwards said there will be door prizes and a Christmas carol sing-along. Tickets are $15 each and reservations are required in advance and can be made until 3 p.m. Saturday, Edwards added.
There’s mayhem, there’s fun and, most importantly, there’s a story to be told.
“This is a very sweet story about the real meaning of Christmas through the eyes of children” Edwards said. “That’s what Christmas is all about.”
For more information or to make a reservation, contact Bruce Edwards at (318) 423-3635.
Cast of characters
Father: Shawn White
Mother: Cherie Rayburn
Beth Bradley: Abby Boggs
Charlie Bradley: Jeff Myers
Ralph Herdman: Geoffrey Browning
Imogene Herdman: Cynthia Miller
Leroy Herdman #1: Caden Cockrell
Leroy Herdman #2: Parker Mills
Claude Herdman: Matthew Browning
Ollie Herdman : Jackson White
Gladys Herdman: Claire Browning
Alice Wendleken #1: Samantha Wilson
Alice Wendleken #2: Courtney Clawson
Mrs. Armstrong: Sandy Lynch:
Mrs. Slocum: Collette Benge
Minnie Washington: Judy Edwards:
Mrs. Clark: Lisa Boggs
Mrs. Clausing: Mary Davis
Mrs. McCarthy: Cindy Harrell
Maxine #1: Emma Grace Pittman
Maxine: Maddie Stroud
Elmer Hopkins: Hayden Mills
Hobbie: Carter White
David: Caden Maderies
Beverly: Emma Grace Pittman
Fireman: Blade Foster
Shirley: Callie Thornton
Juanita: Kaitlyn Maderies
Doris : Samantha Wilson
Rev. Hopkins: Chase Grubbs
Angel: Zoe Grubbs
Angel: Maddie Kavanaugh
Naomy Waddle: Kaleigh Stroud
