Twenty-five years ago, Pastor Jerry Carlson of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, gave me a book he said I needed to read.
“A Stranger for Christmas,” is about roommates in a nursing home. Christmas is in the air, but not for Florence. She sees the beginning of Annie and complains that no one would adopt an old lady for Christmas. Her nursing home roommate Myrna disagrees, confident her children would. Florence challenges her, saying, “Prove it.” What follows is an unexpected turn of events for Myrna. She starts to question whether or not her adult children, now with families of their own, DID learn the lessons she thought she had taught them growing up. Would they welcome a stranger for Christmas?
Pastor Jerry was right! I loved the story so much, I read it every year as part of my Christmas Holiday tradition. When I discovered a cassette recording of it, I would listen to it whenever I drove my ’88 Cutlass Supreme; but when I bought a new car, cassette players were out of fashion.
“A Stranger for Christmas “warmed my heart so much, just like “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” did that I wanted to share the story with the community. Since I had directed plays in one form or another my entire school teaching career, I decided to convert it into a play script. I contacted the author, Carol Lynn Pearson, and was delighted when she told me the story had already been published as a play! I immediately ordered a sample of the script and music that went with it, confident I would find a way and place to perform it. But life got busy, and though I dreamed every Christmas of it being performed for the community, I couldn’t come up with the perfect venue. Once I started teaching at the college, I wasn’t involved with drama anymore, neither at the college or the church. I knew I couldn’t do it alone; I often threw out “feelers” to see if anyone would share enthusiasm for my dream.
So I tucked it away in my computer desk, not deeply buried, but a bit covered up. Then a series of fortunate events took place. I decided it was time to physically attend church again (letting God know how thankful I was for him watching out for someone very close to me). That first Sunday back was also a Sunday that Emily Foss played the music; it was also the Sunday that Peter Foss was installed as a church council member. For those who don’t know, Emily is an excellent musician, seen often in local musical and dramatic performances, and her husband, Peter, is drama person extraordinaire: acting, singing, directing, set making.
I approached them about working with me to fulfill a decades’ long dream and they said “Yes.” We decided the perfect venue would be through the church, at the church, and for the church.
Our collaborative effort will take place Nov. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. (to give people a chance to attend the Community Orchestra Concert and have plenty of time afterwards to get to the play) at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Rather than charging admission, we are taking a free-will donation to help the church continue its mission of outreach in the community. Cookies and hot beverages will be served following the performance, giving attendees a chance to visit with friends and neighbors.
Bonus: Additionally, after the play, young ones will get their own sticker set and a sticker gingerbread house to decorate.
Throughout the church will be photography backdrops of Gingerbread houses, so come ready to use it for your family Christmas pictures.
The cast includes main characters Jennifer Schuler Schroeder, Shannon Herda Teigen, and Charlene Kamai Burthold, and singers of all ages from not only the church, but also the community.
Please join us in preparation of the Christmas season and attend “A Stranger for Christmas.’
It just goes to show that dreams CAN come true.
