Elise Campagna
Stephen Howard
Laura LaCour
Emerson Rapp
Marc Ricketts
Joshua Tucker
Arianna Cleary
Sam Hewins
Michael Juncker
Kim Kershner
Briana Marxen-McCollom
Dalton Pittenger
Matt Sameck
Deborah Schuler
and
Jeremy Walter
Director
Emerson Rapp
Stage Manager
Sarah Frog Owen
Lighting Design
Josh Austin
Set Design
Laura LaCour & Emerson Rapp & Matt Hentges
Backstage Technician/Assistant Stage Mgr
Minnie Washington
Sound Design & Operations
Chris LaCour
Photographer
Jeremy Walter
Scene 1: “Carol”
Written by: Elise Campagna
Stephen Howard, Kim Kershner, Deborah Schuler,
Dalton Pittenger, Mark Ricketts, Matt Sameck
Scene 2: “The Good List”
Written by: Joshua Tucker
Arianna Cleary, Sam Hewins, Michael Juncker
Scene 3: “Eternal Fruitcake”
Written by: Stephen Howard
Matt Sameck, Dalton Pittenger, Marc Ricketts
Scene 4: “Kringlevex”
Written by: Stephen Howard
Arianna Cleary & Deborah Schuler
Scene 5: “Wake Up Parkville”
Written by
Laura LaCour, Emerson Rapp, Marc Ricketts
Featuring
Arianna Cleary, Kim Kershner, Deborah Schuler, Matt Sameck
Briana Marxen-McCollom, Dalton Pittenger, Laura LaCour, Sam Hewins
Scene 6: “Guess who’s coming to dinner?”
Written by: Marc Ricketts
Arianna Cleary, Sam Hewins, Laura LaCour, Emerson Rapp, Jeremy Walter
Scene 7: “Little Drummer Boy”
Written by: Elise Campagna
Sam Hewins, Michael Juncker, Dalton Pittenger,
Briana Marxen-McCollom, Mark Ricketts,
Matt Sameck, Joshua Tucker, Jeremy Walter
Scene 8: “Short Person PSA”
Written by: Elise Campagna
Arianna Cleary, Stephen Howard, Briana Marxen-McCollom
Michael Jucker, Dalton Pittenger, Emerson Rapp
Scene 9: “Sit on it”
Written by: Laura LaCour
Kim Kershner, Briana Marxen-McCollom, Emerson Rapp
Scene 10: “Reindeer Commercial #1”
Written by: Marc Rickets
Michael Jucker
Scene 11: “The Angel Report”
Written by: Laura LaCour
Sam Hewins, Matt Sameck, Joshua Tucker, Jeremy Walter
Scene 12: “Too Many Jimmys”
Written by: Emerson Rapp
Briana Marxen-McCollom, Michael Jucker,
Dalton Pittenger, Emerson Rapp
Scene 13: “Jungle Christmas”
Written by: Laura LaCour
Stephen Howard & company
Scene 14: “Reindeer Commercial #2”
Written by: Marc Ricketts
Michael Jucker
Scene 15: “Christmas Tree Salesman”
Written by: Joshua Tucker
Sam Hewins, Kim Kershner, Dalton Pittenger
Scene 16: “Santa isn’t Real”
Written by: Emerson Rapp
Dalton Pittenger, Deborah Schuler
Scene 17: “For Goodness Sake”
Written by: Marc Ricketts
Michael Jucker
Scene 18: “Wutcracker”
Written by: Marc Ricketts
Sam Hewins, Kim Kershner, Matt Sameck, Deborah Schuler
Scene 19: “What’s that Gift?”
Written by: Emerson Rapp
Kim Kershner, Michael Jucker, Emerson Rapp,
Matt Sameck, Deborah Schuler, Jeremy Walter
Scene 20: “Do you know Anyone here?”
Written by: Emerson Rapp & Joshua Tucker
Stephen Howard, Kim Kershner, Briana Marxen-McCollom, Marc Ricketts
Scene 21: “Reindeer Commercial #3”
Written by: Marc Ricketts
Michael Jucker
Scene 22: “Zoltar & the Hippo”
Written by: Stephen Howard
Sam Hewins, Kim Kershner, Laura LaCour, Jeremy Walter
Scene 23: “Silly Goose Meets the Parents”
Written by: Emerson Rapp
Arianna Cleary, Briana Marxen-McCollom, Michael Jucker
Deborah Schuler, Jeremy Walter
Originally form Peoria Illinois, Emerson has been doing theatre in Kansas City for over 15 years and has been writing “sketch” for even longer. A founding member of the famous Bottoms Up Sketch Comedy group “sketch” holds a special place in his heart second only two his love for cocaine and brown liquor.
He previously Directed here at Bell Road Barn back in 2019 when he tackled the wild farce, Boeing Boeing. He was most recently seen on stage at OCTA as Sam Byck in Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins.
He would like to thank Bell Road Barn Players for the opportunity to bring this little brain child to life and his amazing wife Briana.
Elise Campagna is an actor, writer, and musician.
Some she’s performed on various stages throughout Kansas City including The Coterie, Olathe Civic Theatre, Padgett Productions, and The Barn Players.
Her writing has been featured in the KC Short Horror Play Festival and No Sleep November at the Living Room Theatre.
Laura studied theatre at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan.
She was last seen as Princess Dragomiroff in Murder on The Orient Express at The Corbin Theatre and Sister Mary Downey in CTI’s Disaster! The Musical.
Her last directing venture was right here with Bell Road Barn Players’ production of Ripcord. This production has been a lot of fun to work on and she is so thankful she got to be a part of it.
As always, she is grateful to her family who kindly and beautifully support her theatre involvement–whether they want to or not.
She is also so glad you chose to support live theatre–whether you wanted to or not. She really wanted to write a clever limerick for her bio, but it’s hard to find a catchy rhyme for “Michigan.”
Stephen is very happy to be back on the Bell Road Barn stage for his third Christmas program, and the second one for which he has written. His last regular Bell Road stage appearance was in An Ideal Husband in May of this year. He last appeared with the Corbin Theatre in 12 Angry Jurors this past September. Thank you for supporting local artists, and thanks to Bell Road Barn for providing a venue where local artists can shine.
Marc Ricketts is a resident of Overland Park, KS. This is his first time on stage in 24 years but his third outing as a writer for the Bell Road Barn’s holiday shows.
You may remember the drunken Santa monologues he wrote for the Awkward Christmas shows in 2018 & 2019. When not moonlighting as an actor or playwright, he can be found moonlighting as a photographer & DJ.
He would like to thank Emerson, Matt & the Bell Road Barn for this opportunity, Mom & Dad for the roots & the wings, his super friends for being super, and Erika, Lee, Timothy, & Wallace for their love & support.
He would also like to thank you for reading this blurb and laughing at his jokes.
Josh has been writing sketch for years, starting out in films with the group Stuck in a Straightjacket.
This is his debut writing and acting on stage.
He appreciates Bell Road Barn letting him join them for this very fun show.
Much love to his wonderful wife Rachel and his great kids Sam and Lilith for letting him disappear for 4 weeks.
Matt previously appeared in Bell Road’s productions of Silent Sky, The Foreigner, and Hollywood Holidays, in addition to Corbin Theatre’s production of Suite Surrender last year in Liberty. He was a member of the improv company Comedy City for over 10 years and has appeared in several film and commercial projects around KC, including two Tech N9ne music videos. His theatrical credits include Deathtrap with Pacifica Spindrift Players (Pacifica, CA), The Miss Firecracker Contest with PTD Productions (Ypsilanti, MI), and other productions in the San Francisco Bay area. He’s eternally grateful to his wife and son for their support.
After an 8-year break to focus on family Arianna returns to the stage with the Bell Road Barn Players.
She wants to thank her husband for his support and dedicates her performances to her two children.
Sam grew up in Northwest Arkansas and has an English degree from the University of Arkansas.
He lives in North KC with his dog Petunia.
In his free time, Sam competes in a bowling league and plays the bass guitar.
Jeremy is happy to return to the City Theatre of Independence, which apparently is the oldest community theatre in the Kansas City area.
He has many fond memories of performing for the Summit Theatre Group, which apparently is the oldest community theatre in the Kansas City area.
In fact, one of Jeremy’s best performances took place at the Corbin Theatre, which apparently is the oldest community theatre in the Kansas City area.
When not performing, Jeremy enjoys seeing shows at the Olathe Community Theatre Association, which apparently is the oldest community theatre in the Kansas City area.
Much love to cast & crew. Thank you for supporting community theatre!
Michael is thrilled to be returning to the Bell Road Barn stage. Previous appearances include Drunk Santa in the Awkward Christmas Holiday Specials and Charlie in The Foreigner. Thanks to my family, the Sups and this cast and crew.
Kim is thrilled to be making her Bell Road Barn Players debut and with such a fun and festive production!
She has been in various shows around the metro including Disenchanted (Royal Court, STG), Arsenic and Old Lace (Officer O’Hara, CTI), and The Odd Couple – Female Version (Renee, The J).
Kim wishes her friends and family very happy holidays!
Following a propitious childhood that overflowed with intellectual pursuits & notable scholastic achievements, Ms. Marxen-McCollom veered suddenly, and irrevocably, into a dark world from which few ever escape: the arts.
Though her parents implored her to follow in their reputable footsteps, their entreaties went unanswered. Yet they have remained unwaveringly supportive, and she thanks them.
A graphic designer by day, Briana resides in Historic Northeast KC with her dashing husband, Emerson, and their pack of wild dogs, cats, and chickens.
Many thanks to Bell Road Barn Players and all the fabulous writers of this show.
Dalton is excited to be working with Bell Road Barn Players, after previously directing for last December’s Radio Plays for the Holidays, serving as the rehearsal AD/SM for The Foreigner, playing the role of Robert Lambert in Boeing Boeing, Patrick Simmons in A Murder is Announced, and participating in several of the Christmas plays over the years. When Dalton isn’t doing theatre with BRB he is… teaching theatre and running the co-curricular program at Smithville High School. Dalton is thankful for his family, friends, and the KC metro theatre community!
You may have recently spied Deborah in Olathe Civic Theater Association’s explosive production of Assassins (Sara Jane Moore) or in Choral Spectrum’s concert production of The Pirates of Penzance (Major General Stanley).
She is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles and is most likely to be found paying off her student debt.
Deborah would like to thank her children for doing absolutely nothing.
Park University, Park Campus Safety, Bobbi Shaw, City Theatre of Independence, and Olathe Civic Theatre Association.
OUR THEATRE PARTNERS
https://citytheatreofindependence.org/
Thank you for your support of local community theatre.
To continue your support, so that we can continue to bring you quality productions, please consider making a financial contribution to our organization. Bell Road Barn Players is 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization.
