Pictured: A recent play rehearsal.
The Northeast Texas Community College Theatre Department, in collaboration with Firefly Community Theatre, will present the holiday classic, Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus – A Radio Play, Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 16-18, at 7:30 pm with a Saturday matinee at 2:30 pm. Performances will be held at the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts on the NTCC campus. Tickets can be purchased at whatleycenter.com/tickets.
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" is a line from an editorial by Francis P. Church, entitled "Is There a Santa Claus?," which appeared in the New York newspaper, The Sun, on September 21, 1897. It became one of the most famous editorials ever published. The editorial was written in response to a letter by eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon asking whether Santa Claus was real. It was initially published anonymously, and Church's authorship was not disclosed until after his death in 1906. Due to its popularity, The Sun began republishing the editorial during the Christmas season, including every year from 1924 to 1950, at which point the paper ceased publication. "Is There a Santa Claus?" has been cited as the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language and is still widely reprinted during the Christmas and holiday season.
Taking the stage to bring this beloved story to life are Ro’Shaun Allen, Athen Bales, Jill Bradley, Vanessa Buendia, Michael Burk, Garrison Duck, Tyeriske Hervey, Gabrielle Krusemark, Vicki Saxon, Ashley Rae Simpson, Madeline Tumey-Simmons, and Danielle Yanez.
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus – A Radio Play is co–directed by Dr. Page Petrucka, Theatre Director at NTCC, and Teresa Wooten, with Firefly Community Theatre. Petrucka and Wooten are excited to bring the vision of this show to the stage at the Whatley and hope to see you in the audience for their production of this Christmas classic story.
