Colony High School presents ‘A Christmas Story’

PALMER — Colony High School is bringing the 1983 classic film, “A Christmas Story” to life with their own flair on their own stage Friday at 7 p.m.

“A lot of people grew up with this movie and can relate to a time when they were like Ralph,” Noah Valadez said.

Set in the 1940’s, “A Christmas Story” follows Ralphie, a young boy who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, and all his wintry adventurers with his family and friends leading up to unwrapping his present.

Several generations grew up watching or at showed their own kids Ralphie’s childhood exploits and his dad, “The Old Man Parker” storm around the house in the typical, nuclear-dad fashion while his doting mother, “Mother Parker” was often the source of comfort, especially for his younger brother, Randy who cries, giggles and squeals throughout most of the story.

Colony High theater director Dina Sawyer said that most of her cast and crew had not seen the movie prior to this production.

“It’s like, how is that possible?” Sawyer said with a laugh. “They must not have cable.”

The movie premiered 17 years before the Colony seniors were born.

“It’s hard to do a play that everybody knows. They either love it or they hate it. They already have expectations of the characters and how they should be,” Sawyer said.

During a dress rehearsal on Nov. 26, Charly Rentz was seen in blue overalls and covered in oatmeal, giggling and snorting like a pig as Randy, Ralphie’s kid brother, while Grace Eldridge’s “Mother Parker” character giggled and fawned, crinkling her nose.

“It’s real oatmeal. We stole it from the café,” Rentz said.

This classic dinner scene swapped meatloaf with oatmeal for breakfast but still served the same purposes in this adaptation, according to Sawyer. It established the motives of the main characters and how they tick.

“I’ve never had to play some one significantly younger than I am,” Rentz said.

Rentz, a freshman, said that she’s been in 15 plays, from Colony Middle to the Glenn Massay and more. She said that she played in the CHS adaption of “Tarzan” while in middle school and this is her first high school play as a Colony High student. She said that this particular play was a fun challenge to tap into her inner little brother role.

“I kind of had to throw my dignity out the window. I get to throw all the immaturity that I keep inside of me out. You can’t be embarrassed in theater,” Rentz said.

“A Christmas Story” is narrated by an older Ralphie (played by Aiden Barnett) who tells the story and his younger counterpart’s inner thoughts throughout the events. Valadez plays the young Ralphie and he said that he never saw the original film. He said that he doesn’t want see the film until the play is over.

“I didn’t want the movie to influence the way I performed on stage,” Valadez said.

Barnett said that this was his second time playing a narrator and as the teller of the overarching story, his role was much more active and required more attention than his other acting roles.

“You can’t just memorize your own lines… I have to know the whole story and where it’s going,” Barnett said.

Eldridge said that it had been several years since she saw the film and she watched it recently after getting her role. She said that she wanted to focus more on her delivery than what the character was actually thinking.

“We want to remind you of the movie and give you something new,” Eldridge said.

Ian Duffy plays “The Old Man Parker” and said that he re-watched the movie and observed how Darren McGavin played the role and also took note of how other older, male figures in his life acted for inspiration while adding his own twist.

Valadez said he’s been in 13 total plays, all of them at CHS. He said that each time he stepped into the limelight, it felt familiar.

“Every time I’ve been on the stage it’s nostalgic, like I’ve been there before,” Valadez said.

Duffy has done 14 plays and said that he felt good working with this cast for a holiday classic.

“It’s good to have a stage family to work with and have fun with,” Duffy said.

Colony High’s “A Christmas Story” premiers this Friday and continues Dec. 1, 7, and 8. Each showing is at 7 p.m. at the school theater. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for adults.

Sawyer said that the iconic women’s leg lamp used for the production will be sold during a silent auction on the last night of production.

The next CHS production will be “Phantom of the Opera,” premiering Feb. 8, 2019.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com