Another King Family Christmas (Bard Theater)

The Kings of Christmas

By Doug Schutte

Directed by Sabrina Stein

A review by Kate Barry

Entire contents are copyright © 2024 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.

There’s no place like home for the holidays. Well, sometimes. When a writer begrudgingly makes his way home for Christmas, a dead cat makes way for some unusual events. The Bards Town owner and Artistic Director, Doug Schutte, mounted his original The Kings of Christmas over ten years ago. While The Bards Town’s Highland location was still open, the show became a holiday staple in Louisville. On December 13, members of The Bard staged a one-night only production full of laughs and seasonal tidings.

When it comes to Christmas, this script celebrates anything and everything related to December 25th. The plot relies heavily on allusions of A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life with visits from spirits and lessons learned about how to love and accept those nearest to you. Schutte’s script is ever irreverent with running gags about dead cats, an Elvis impersonator, horrendous magic tricks and even a mock trial thrown in for good measure. Whether you enjoy ugly Christmas sweaters or like to drink a lot on the holiday, the play highlights all the traditions you can think of and is not afraid to poke fun of them as well.

As an ensemble, the cast kept a steady timing and pace with the shows humor and heart. Lee Stein’s Carter is naturally Scrooge-like, grumpy and resistant of family time. With two unique brothers and a mother who likes to play dress up, Stein’s Carter is able to balance the exasperation of a dysfunctional family and the frustration of close quarters in stressful times. On stage for the majority of the show, Stein has even pace with his comedic timing as well.

Bryce Woodard was dead pan and no-nonsense with his narrative bits and explored his impression as Elvis with just the right amount of curly-lip charisma. As Carter’s brothers, Clinton and Kennedy, Tony Smith and Joey Eberling’s character choices are strong and evident. As Clinton, Smith’s nasally tones and not-too-bright-on-the-uptake persona plays nicely into “is he an idiot or a genius” description. Eberling’s magic obsessed Kennedy may appear as a man-child with wand in hand but he plays sincere moments with great conviction.

With only two female characters in this play, I hope future productions might give opportunities to gender blind casting. Although both female characters are one dimensional, a mother and a lovesick girl next door, Abby Braune and Meghan Logue Holland bring fun and quirky performances. Braune never breaks a sweat as mother Carol throws on wigs and pretends to be made up family members. Holland brought on gasps and laughs as she repeatedly pulled things from her skirt with ease.

Many travel home for the holidays and it can be pretty stressful. But there are some good times too. The Kings of Christmas has shown why it is a local holiday tradition, and how it carries Doug Schutte’s legacy long past The Bards Town.

The Kings of Christmas The Bard Theater and Art Sanctuary December 13, 2024 Art Sanctuary 1433 S Shelby St Louisville, KY 

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