The Blue Ridge Community Theater (BRCT) is eagerly preparing their next Main Stage production, “Gift of the Magi 2.0.”
BRCT will be the first theater to perform this affectionate retelling outside of it’s debut theater.
Directed by Lee Dittman, this production opens November 27, running Thursday through Sunday, and will close on December 13.
Gift of the Magi 2.0 follows two very different couples, the Dillinghams and the Harveys.
Robert and Millie Harvey are rather well off and live comfortably in a nice, luxuriously decorated high-rise apartment.
Robert (Bill Szarowicz) runs a local jewelry and clock repair shop, while Millie (Toni Creed) has her very own salon that caters to the city’s housewives.
Their lives are comfortable, but somewhat stale, and Millie finds she eats most meals by herself while Robert spends his evening hours working.
Meanwhile, Jim and Della Dillingham live in a small, run-down apartment in downtown Atlanta.
Jim (Heath Burnett) works as a trolley driver who has just returned to work after the lengthy Atlanta Transit Strike, which started in May and lasted six months.
As such, his wife Della (Ali Reynolds) has picked up work as a laundress, a challenge in itself given they have no sink and must share communal restrooms with the rest of the families on their floor.
They have only just managed to scrape by through the strike, and as Christmas draws near, they find that neither of them have any money saved to buy gifts with.
Things look rather grim for the Dillinghams, that is until Della, quite literally, runs into Millie Harvey.
Millie compliments Della on her long, gorgeous hair and tells her that she runs a salon downtown should she ever need a trim.
Della thanks her, but admits that she couldn’t possibly afford to visit her shop.
After hearing Della’s story, Millie offers to take care of her free of charge and tells her that she too was born and raised “across the tracks” in Della’s own neighborhood.
The two bond quickly, and Millie takes it upon herself to invite the Dillinghams to Dinner.
Jim, reluctant to go out and meet new people, and Robert, reluctant to leave the shop, are each pulled along by their lovingly persistent wives.
Although they are both coarse in their demeanor, after some time they also develop a very unique friendship.
The beautiful connections of not only husband and wife, but man to man and woman to woman bring this classic story to life with a breath of fresh air.
With themes of sacrifice and devotion, as well as thankfulness and appreciation of one’s family, this beloved tale evolves into an unforgettable play at Thomas’s expert hand and Dittman’s skilled directing abilities.
Experience the “magic” by calling BRCT’s Box office at 706-632-9191 or buy online at www.BlueRidgeCommunityTheater.com.