The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Mrs Armstrong and Entourage
Mrs Armstrong and Her Entourage
Ah Mrs Armstrong. Some may call her bombastic while others see her as a gift from the angels themselves. After all she runs the bazaar, the potluck supper, and she directs the Christmas pageant year after year after year. Her directing philosophy is summed up in her trademark slogan - “There are no small parts only small actors”. She has it down to a science - every detail, every line, every note, every halo. And it is all done exactly as she commands until one day - disaster hits.
With one slip of a step Mrs Armstrong finds herself in traction at the local hospital instead of at the helm of the town’s Christmas. Rumors of her accident spread like wildfire with even the idea of cancelling Christmas itself. But calmer heads prevailed. Grace Bradley’s calm head to be exact. Grace volunteers to direct the annual Christmas Pageant and the rest of the holiday to-do list is reassigned to Mrs Armstrong’s entourage - commonly known as the town gossip mill.
The Gossip Mill
Try as they may even this intrepid group of town gossips are no match for Grace Bradley’s belief in the true meaning of Christmas and her determination to make her production truly, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. And in the end even Mrs Armstrong and her entourage feel compelled to applaud the efforts of Grace and her spirited cast of characters.
Over the years the very first parts that I feel compelled to cast are Grace, Beth, Alice, Gladys, Imogene and Mrs Armstrong. Each of these characters are pivotal to the arc of Barbara Robinson’s delightful story but Mrs Armstrong is particularly challenging.
She is outrageous, bombastic, a know-it-all and just plain fun to bring to life. Mrs Armstrong demands that our actors let go and “play her big”. She is often loud, raspy, and undeniably delicious to portray for our actors who accept the challenge of throwing caution to the wind and are willing to go a bit over the top. Over the years our Mrs Armstrong has been in a wheel chair with a head full of curlers draped in a fuzzy bathrobe with a wide ranging selection of accents that span the globe. And although the costuming, props, and accent of this year’s portrayal of Mrs Armstrong are still in process our actors are sure to delight as they strive to leave their mark on this begrudgingly lovable character. It is not to be missed. Ah Mrs Armstrong.
Don’t miss Mrs Armstrong on December 6 and 7! Get your tickets today, https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/35009.