Inspired by the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ Ukiah High Theatre presents ‘A Partridge in a Pear Tree’, a touching Christmas play that takes place in a shopping mall, where many peoples’ stories mix and all work together to celebrate a holiday we all cherish.
People sit, as the lights dim in Ukiah High’s ‘Little Theatre’. Drama teacher Maria Monti opens the show with a speech while speaking she gets emotional saying “we’re back!”. The teacher expresses how performance hasn’t been held on the campus since late 2019, and that she and her students couldn’t be happier to perform once again. After sharing about the joy of coming back to the theatre, Monti gives an overview of what the play will present.
From a toy soldier that hates her job to a caring boyfriend buying a ring to propose to his girlfriend, this play is full of plot twists, and cheesy jokes (quite literally) and as a member of the audience, you can’t help but feel the Christmas spirit. Throughout the play, you see the good sides of humanity. You learn lessons about love, friendship, family, and life.
Not only is this play heartwarming in the light of Christmas, but the comedic aspect is also very present. With fun lines such as “the whopper is a work of art”, “worst-case scenario she’ll have to hold on to the ceiling fan until Dad gets there,” and a whole dialogue of a man speaking to a chair, the actors were able to bring the audience in with the art of laughter.
During the final scene, a plot twist appears (no spoilers) where each actor spoke of something real. As the cast enters the stage for the last time, each member tells the audience a word that represents the lesson their character’s story represented. With a final bow, the audience’s applause fills the room and Monti shouts with glee, “thank you for coming!”.
Overall this play is anything but what you expect. It’s fun, lighthearted, and truly brings you holiday cheer. Oh, also a partridge in a pear tree.
[…] On Thursday and Friday, December 9th and 10th, Ukiah High School’s Advanced Drama class performed a newly written one-act called And a Partridge in a Pear Tree written by Tracy Wells, loosely based on the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was performed 2nd-8th periods, teachers were invited to bring their classes, concluding with an evening performance on Friday. Ukiah High News team spoke with the actors about the emotions and preparations leading up to the performances as well as after the performances were over. For a brief summary of the performance check out Katie Williams’s article, “Ukiah High Drama Returns to the Stage with Laughter in their Christma…. […]