Chappaqua’s Grace Baptist Stages Play to Present Christmas Message This Weekend
Millions of people scurried to malls as early as last Thursday evening to start their holiday shopping, maybe some before digesting their turkey and stuffing. It is fair to wonder how many care about the true meaning of Christmas.
Grace Baptist Church in Chappaqua is making sure in an entertaining way that the holiday’s message isn’t lost on its congregation or the local community.
This weekend a cast of 14 of its parishioners will take to its makeshift stage in the church’s sanctuary and present an adaptation of a hilarious musical called “Let’s Try Christmas.” The play, first produced in 2012 at First Baptist Church of Alexandria in Virginia, is the hilarious story of a woman who is arrested and tried for “misrepresenting Christmas” by offering shoppers a respite during their frenzied search for holiday gifts and getting in the way of merchants trying to capitalize on the approaching holiday.
Church parishioner Jason King, a recent Westchester transplant and a 25-year actor who performed in the play in Alexandria, is directing. King said he approached Pastor Larry Holland and the congregation’s leadership believing the production would be fun, provide a way to invite the larger community to the Orchard Ridge Road church and present a story about Christmas that people can identify with.
“People may not come to church on a Sunday,” King said. “Some people don’t like organized religion, but put something like this out there and I think that opens peoples’ eyes to say, ‘Hey look, there is a message out there that I am interested in knowing and the folks here at Grace Baptist presented it in such a way that’s compelling, it resonates, it’s theater, and if it’s theater I’ll check that out.'”
The cast, all of whom are acting novices except for one member, have been rehearsing three times a week since early October. Holland agreed to have a homemade set and stage built where he usually leads the congregation.
Traditional Christmas songs and some more contemporary holiday music will be interspersed between the scenes.
While Grace Baptist has had a Christmas program during the holiday season, there has been nothing as detailed as this. Holland said when King approached him with the idea, he read the script and liked the story. In fact, the second performance on Sunday morning during the regularly scheduled service, will be in lieu of Holland’s sermon.
“As we become more of a secular society, it’s easy for the merchants to make Christmas more secular and less religious, and I think that’s a shame,” Holland said. “I think we miss the whole meaning of Christmas.”
Martha Galphin, the one cast member with acting experience, is one of several participants who said she has enjoyed the experience. It also helps that she gets to play villainess Michelline G. Dubois, the merchant who presses charges against defendant Vikki Lincoln.
“I’m so glad I’m here because I’m learning a lot and it’s a lot of fun. I enjoy getting to know the other parishioners,” Galphin said. “I thought it was a charming play when I read it. I love the message at the end and I get to play the bad woman.”
King said he and the church reached out to the community to ask local residents of different faiths to audition. The community is invited to either Saturday’s performance at 7 p.m. or on Sunday during the service.
“This is a church that is interested in doing things differently and trying new things to reach people, to be a place where the community comes together,” he said.
Admission is free. Grace Baptist Church is located at 12 Orchard Ridge Rd.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
