News
Act 1 Presents A Civil War Christmas for the Holidays
Act 1 is pleased to announce the premiere of A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration as the holiday production of its 53rd season. The play opens on Wednesday, November 30, and runs until Sunday, December 11, on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel with music by Daryl Waters, A Civil War Christmas is set on a cold Christmas Eve in Washington, D.C., in 1864. President Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, are planning their gift giving, while on the banks of the Potomac, a young rebel soldier asks for mercy from a Union blacksmith. In a downtown alley, Hannah, an escaped enslaved woman searches for her daughter after sending her off to discover freedom.
Along with the sounds of holiday music, marches, hymns, and spirituals, the musical weaves together multiple stories from one of the darkest moments of our nation's history to create a story of hope, peace, and resilience.
Paris Crayton III is the director and choreographer of the production. Crayton, an award-winning playwright, actor, and director, is a guest artist for Act 1. He has written more than 50 plays, 21 of which have been produced around the country.
“I would say, directing this show has been a huge challenge because I've had the task of taking a dark time in history and injecting it with as much light as I could. My two wonderful choreographers, CaSandra Danubio, Jasmine Bright, and I, have added lots of movement that keeps the play high-spirited and joyful!”
Will Neuert, associate professor and head of design, created the Washington, D.C., of the late 19th century, and Deborah Burrill, costume designer, recreated the period costumes. Eric T. Haugen, assistant professor, serves as lighting designer, and David M. Greenberg, sound designer.
A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration opens on Wednesday, November 30, and runs through Sunday, December 11, 2022. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 3, at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $30 for adults and $28 for students and seniors Monday through Thursday and $34 for adults and $32 for students and seniors Friday through Sunday. There are two Talk-Back performances with the cast on Sunday, December 4, immediately following the matinee performance and Monday, December 5, following the 9:45 a.m. performance. Patrons also have the option to stream a performance of A Civil War Christmas on December 10. Tickets are $15 per viewer.
Students who attend DeSales or other Lehigh Valley colleges or universities can purchase tickets for $8. Group discounts are available for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center Box Office at 610-282-3192 or by visiting the website at tickets.desales.edu.
To improve accessibility for all patrons, the Saturday, December 3, 2:00 p.m. performance will feature Open Captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and Audio Descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. During Open Captioned performances, all dialogue and sound effects are presented in real-time on an LED screen that is adjacent to the stage. During Audio Described performances, all action and physical appearances are described live through a headset. Tickets are half price for patrons using these special services on this date. Please call Box Office Manager Kyle Schumaker at 610-282-3654, ext. 1, for more information.
The Labuda Center is accessible and equipped with a listening enhancement system. Special seating is available for our patrons using wheelchairs or requiring other assistance. Please inform the box office of your needs when ordering tickets.
