The Best Christmas Pageant Ever....

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·2 min read

Dec. 14—The traditional Christmas play was in jeopardy — long-time coordinator Mrs. Armstrong (Nancy Workman) fell and was in traction.

That left Grace Bradley (Janie Lauber) to step up and direct this year's show — while her husband Bob continuously asked, "Do I have to go?"

But the production took an unexpected turn when Charlie Bradley (Gibson Hughes) tried to defer the bullying of Leroy Herdman (Andrew Woodlee) — one of six of the poorest, meanest children in the community. Charlie's tale of getting sweets and treats at church spiked the curiosity (and hunger) of the Herdman children, who then showed up for auditions for the Christmas play.

Rehearsals became chaos, as Imogene Herdman (Adeline Blevins) was selected to portray Mary and her brother Ralph (Chet Hughes) to play Joseph. Beth Bradley (Elizabeth Dyer) declined her traditional role as Mary, choosing not to deal with the awful Herdman family. The Herdmans' rough reputation resulted in having to use a doll as the Baby Jesus rather than a live baby — with the doll then becoming a tug-of-war between Imogene and Ralph.

While the neighborhood criticizes and ridiculed Grace for allowing the Herdman children to participate in the play, she kept her good nature, insisting that all six Herdmans had a place.

The transformation in the children came as a surprise to those who deemed them as poor and uncivilized.

The spirit of the season kicked in — even for the family that the community criticized so harshly — and the public performance revealed a tender and caring Imogene who carefully held the Baby Jesus in her arms as tears ran down her face.

The younger Herdmans served as Wise Men and Shepherds in the play, along with Charlie who insisted that he was not going to be a Shepherd. The three younger Herdmans even brought their "welfare ham" as one of the gifts from the Wise Men to the Holy Family — and leaving it as their personal contribution.

The show was a success, much to the chagrin of many critics in the community, with Grace and the Bradley family shining in the aftermath.

"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" was a production of Millstone Community Theatre Guild and was sponsored by Friends of the Laurel County Public Library, with performances taking place in the library's auditorium with a packed house for both Friday's and Saturday's shows.

Anyone wishing to become involved with or donate to the Millstone Community Theatre Guild can contact them at P.O. Box 211, London, KY 40744, at www.millstonetheatre.com or MillstoneTheatreGuild@gmail.com.