Classic Christmas movie brought to life by Stage Company

The Stage Company is ushering in the holiday season with its upcoming production of “A Christmas Story.”

This show is years in the making, Director David Carroll said.

It follows the story of a dysfunctional family and the oldest son’s pursuit of a Red Ryder BB rifle for Christmas as the surrounding adults keep saying he’ll shoot his eye out.

Carroll said he never really enjoyed the movie of “A Christmas Story,” but his kids did when they were growing up.

About 10 years ago, they were “after” him to direct a version of the stage show. So, he ordered a perusal script.

“I sat down to read it, and I laughed myself silly,” he said. “Then, I realized, ‘hey, there’s a lot of these lines that came directly from the movie, but the delivery wasn’t funny; at least not to suit me.”

The Stage Company put on “A Christmas Story” in 2011 under Carroll’s direction. It went over so well that he decided to put it on again.

“The original grown up Ralphie was named Dean Huster. He has since passed away, and I’m dedicating this show to his memory,” Carroll said.

This version has an entirely new cast, including veteran actors and break-out thespians, such as Harmon Brown, who is playing the lead character Ralphie Parker.

“He is just so good at this,” Carroll said. “There are times that you could actually get confused because he has the facial expressions of the movie Ralphie.”

The show has not been produced without its complications, Carroll said.

“COVID-19,” he said, when asked about challenges.

“It’s been more of a struggle than I’ve ever dealt with on any show that I’ve either acted in or directed, and I’ve done a ton,” he said.

The cast is working within COVID-19 protocol.

Actors wear a mask behind the stage and only take it off when heading on for their scene. When they finish the scene and leave the stage, it goes right back on.

Carroll said two cast members developed COVID-19 and several have been quarantined for contact, but never caught it.

“We’ve had a handful of rehearsals with everybody here and that has been a problem,” he said. “This cast and this crew are troopers. They have given me 110%.

“We still have some that are struggling with their lines simply because they haven’t heard the cue lines delivered by the same people. That makes a difference. If you have a different voice giving the cue line, it messes you up.”

However, without the mask protocol, they wouldn’t have been able to put on the show because of the need for quarantine or potential exposure.

If somebody tested positive, Carroll said, he or she needed to have a negative test result before coming back to rehearsal.

“We are being responsible about it,” he said.

The safety precautions extend to the show’s audience as well, he explained.

The shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 5, 11, and 12, with a matinee show at 3 p.m. Dec. 13.

Audiences at each show need to wear a mask when entering. They’ll be seated in groups, which are socially distant. While in their seats, people can take the mask off, but will be expected to wear it when they get up to use the restroom or get concessions.

Tickets can be bought at the door or in advance at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce or online at pbstageco.com.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for those ages 3-12, and under 3 are free.