CityView Magazine

arts The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Ever T Now in its 22nd year, the production is a Fayetteville holiday tradition By Kelly Twedell he Cape Fear Regional Theater will perform ���The Best Christmas Pageant Ever��� for the 22nd time this holiday season, directed by CFRT���s Artistic Director Tom Quaintance this year, who brings his fresh take on the classic family Christmas drama. With three casts and 200 local kids involved, the holiday classic will have you laughing from start to finish. Audience members can expect to experience a range of emotions as they watch the unholy antics of the notorious Herdman crew unfold. ���I did not know the story before I came here,��� Quaintance said. ���My first experience with it was looking at the shadow box outside to the poster. I thought from that poster it was going to be a kind of sacred, sappy tale, but I came to find it was edgy.��� After reading the script and then reading the books, Quaintance said he realized that it was a great story and one he looked forward to telling. In the fall, hundreds of kids auditioned for the many roles in the production. The younger girls mostly vied for the cov- eted role of the feisty Gladys Herdman, and who can blame them? Who wouldn���t want to wear a cape and run around causing mischief? ���The first couple weeks of rehearsal were spent rehearsing with the main cast of characters, later adding in the other kids, because it���s hard working with 60 kids at a time and getting them to engage,��� Quaintance said. After working with youth for 13 years, Quaintance said he is no longer intimidated by the thought of managing three casts of kids and rehearsals every night. This year Quaintance shares his director duties with Associate Director Jessica ���J��� Powell. Rosebud Harrison, a CFRT regular and a nine year veteran of the production, plays the role of Maxine this year. ���I���m looking forward to some of the video that Tom is incorporating into the show,��� she said. Last year she played Tracy, but said her favorite role of all time has been that of Gladys. This year marks Laura Griggs��� 12th and final year participating in the production. A seasoned veteran, Griggs will skillfully play the spiteful role, for the fourth time, of Imogene Herdman. CityViewNC.com | 27

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