Sheplives

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From screen to holiday stage
Airdate: Thursday - November 9, 2000

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Show Description

Before taking on the coveted role of the long-suffering "Ralphie" in Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story," 12-year-old Nick Rapley said he had never even seen the movie or read the story. "After I got the part, I kept having people coming up to me and saying, 'Hey kid, you'll shoot your eye out with that BB gun,' and I was wondering what they were talking about," said Rapley, who's from Valparaiso. "So I watched the movie and read the story and it all made sense." Crafted by author Shepherd from his own memories from growing up in the Hammond area, "A Christmas Story" has become a favorite holiday seasonal story for many families. It was made into a memorable big screen movie in 1983 starring a wide-eyed Peter Billingsley. "To my knowledge, I don't think there's ever been a stage production of this story done in our area," said Traci Brant of Valparaiso, who serves as co-director for the production along with Jonni Pera. "This is going to be a first for our region since the play adaptation was just released." The play, which opens this weekend at the Chicago Street Theatre, is being produced by the Community Theatre Guide. "We've done 'It's a Wonderful Life' for our holiday selection the past two years, so we wanted something entirely different," Brant said. "This is also a great show to give our cast of actors a nice change of pace." "A Christmas Story" is set in 1940s Northwest Indiana and follows a 9-year-old Raphie's Christmas quest for a Red Ryder 200-Shot Carbine Action Lightning Loader Ranger Model Air Rifle. Ralphie's father, played by Dan Matern, and mother, played by Patty Bird, and what seems like an army of others, try to persuade their son about how dangerous a BB gun can be. "My mom character is like a mom who could be from any generation," Bird said. "I've made her a composite of myself, since I'm a mother, my own mother and just a bit of June Cleaver. We've been rehearsing since September, so I'm feeling very close to my character and the entire cast." Matern said he was excited to be a part of the 15-member cast since he grew up as a young fan of Shepherd's work. "This story is geared to kids, but it has that humorous appeal that is universal," Matern said. "We all know people like these characters. And I think everyone has had one of those holidays when everything turns to chaos, but it all works out in the end." The set for the show will consist of sparse furnishings and basic costuming with unique background scenes that are created from actual slides of images from the 1940s. "The script and the characters are so wonderful in this story, you really don't need much else," Brant said. "It's one of those stories that always stays with you to return every year during the holidays."

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