Review: ONE CHRISTMAS EVE AT EVERGREEN MALL at Little Theatre Of Mechanicsburg

One Christmas at Evergreen Mall by Lynne Halliday, James Hindman, Arlene Hutton, and Craig Pospisil was first performed at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2018. This clever play offers the audience a glimpse into the lives of a diverse group of characters as they find themselves at a Midwestern mall on Christmas Eve. Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg presents One Christmas at Evergreen Mall under the direction of Alice Kirkland through December 10th.

The first thing audiences note as they enter the theatre is the lovely Christmas music and the set. Both the set (designed by Aaron Booth) and the music (designed by Lori Haagen) serve to make the audience feel as though they are in the middle of a mall. The costumes (designed by Jessica Duran-Steele) are delightful and help the audience to keep track of the various characters throughout the performance. The set and costume changes moved quickly, keeping the flow moving from scene to scene.

The cast features Jessica Steele, Kristen Borgersen, Jeremy Tuttle, Stephanie Goodling, Ron Nason, Alex Wright, and Nicholas Steele. Most of the actors in this production take on multiple roles throughout the performance, highlighting their versatility as they change not just their costumes but their voices, facial expressions, posture, and movements to suit their different characters. Nicholas Steele and Alex Wright interact beautifully as Jenny and Todd, two teenagers who “borrow” the baby Jesus from the mall’s nativity so that they don’t fail a school assignment. Tuttle and Goodling, both newcomers to Little Theater of Mechanicsburg’s stage, have wonderful stage presence and bring tremendous energy to their scenes. This reviewer very much looks forward to seeing them in future performances. Borgersen gives a solid performance, and she particularly shines in her role as Sharon, a disgruntled retail worker. Jessica Steele brings a feeling of authenticity and real emotion to her roles, especially as Molly and Ellie. Nason’s performances as Terry and Gerald, the mall Santa, are absolutely endearing.

Director Alice Kirkland has put together a fantastic cast and crew for this production. One Christmas at Evergreen Mall is a witty, emotional, heartfelt holiday play. The cast at Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg brings the characters to life in a relatable way. This is one holiday show that this reviewer hopes to see at more theatres in the future. Visit ltmpa.com for more information.

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