Kanawha Players presents their production of “A Christmas Story”, based on the classic movie of Jean Shepard’s childhood memoir December 8, 9, 15, and 16 at the Charleston Civic Center Little Theater, and folks who go to see the play will have a chance to take home their own Leg Lamp, just like The Old Man won in the movie (and as featured in the PopCult Gift Guide last year).  If you go to the show, you’ll have a chance to enter a raffle for your very own Leg Lamp! It’s Frageelay, just like the one in the movie.

Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows a 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Jarrett Hansen) in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Under narration by the grown-up Ralph (Kevin Pauley), Ralphie pleads his case before his mother (April Ritter), his teacher (Tammy Perkins) and even Santa Claus (Eric Persily) with the consistent reply “you’ll shoot your eye out!”

All your favorite elements of the movie version are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas (Stephen Sweat), the school bully; Flick’s (Aaron Persily) experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father’s (Joe Miller) winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; Kid brother Randy’s (Pat Reed) restrictive snowsuit’ Ralphie’s fantasy scenes and more.

KP brings the movie to life on the boards of the Civic Center Little Theater.  The movie is a classic, and the KP production is top-notch, loaded with local talent and a fun evening for all. 

 If you go: “A Christmas Story” runs at the Charleston Civic Center Little Theater this Friday and Saturday (8 and 9) and next Friday and Saturday (15 and 16) at 8:00 p.m. with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Saturday, December 16. Tickets are just $16 for adults and $10 for students/children! Bring a food item for the Salvation Army and get a dollar off of your ticket!