Everybody needs a little something this Christmas. Bertie Nesbit wants the children’s book, “Lightning Jake and the Scorpion Queen,” for her grandson. Newspaper reporter Lucy Adams could use a big break for the next issue of “The Advocate.” Single mom Janie Parnell and her daughter Mattie need some financial help.
In “The Man Who Wanted to Be Santa Claus,” a small-town police station sets the stage for a Christmas miracle when a kind man posing as ol’ Saint Nick starts giving out exactly what the townspeople want. The kicker? No one knows who this man is or how he could possibly know what’s in their heads. Luckily, an uptight detective in need of some loosening up is on the case.
Written by Texas native and playwright Pat Cook, “The Man Who Wanted to Be Santa Claus” is a lighthearted tale that Cook penned after his publisher asked him to put together a new Christmas show. Cook put in a comedic twist that’s true to his roots.
“You can probably guess this [from my work], but I was the class clown. I was always writing or thinking up gags,” Cook says. After trying his hand at music, novels, and short stories, Cook realized he preferred dialogue over description. “Playwriting was the logical next step.”
Navasota Theatre Alliance (NTA) director Janice Kerlee first heard of the play during NTA’s Play Reading Committee meeting and immediately fell in love with the tale. She describes the production as a “little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, and a lot of Christmas spirit,” she says. If anyone needs a tonic for the Christmas blues or just can't get enough of the holidays, this play is for them, she says.
“There are several subplots involving a singing messenger, a lovesick reporter, and a cynical girl who doesn't believe in Santa, but the main theme is the joy of giving,” says Kerlee.
Kerlee has directed various church plays and one-act shows but never a community theater production, she says. When the director position opened, she was more than happy to jump on board. “I am relying on my many years of theatrical experience in other areas as well as the skills of our talented cast to put on a show that will send people away with laughter in the mouth, joy in their hearts, and a renewed belief in Santa Claus.”
The pandemic forced many theaters to go dark, which is why Kerlee wanted to pick something that would help bring back the light. “It is a delightful tale spun at a time when we so desperately need to laugh, have some joy in our lives, and acknowledge that there really is a lot of good in the world.” IN
Dates for the production are Dec. 2-5 and Dec. 9-12, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Group sales can be arranged by calling (979) 825-3195. For more information, visit navasotatheatre.org.
