Humorist Frank McKinney Hubbard once observed: “Next to a circus there ain’t nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit.” He could very easily have been describing Christmas with the Bunkers. No, not those Bunkers – this family is British, though no less dysfunctional, and they’ve come together for the holidays in Alan Ayckbourn’s sharply observed and very funny Season’s Greetings, which will run at Stage West from November 23 to December 31, 2007.

The family has gathered at the home of Neville and Belinda to celebrate, but family tensions are simmering along with the dinner. Belinda is trying to keep things running smoothly, and is feeling generally neglected by her husband, an inveterate tinkerer. Pattie is very pregnant with her fourth child, and is unable to get any help from husband Eddie, who is a pretty inept sort. Cranky gun-lover Uncle Harvey is only interested in watching his action movies on the telly. Bernard, a less-than-brilliant doctor, is preparing his annual puppet show for the children, while his wife Phyllis is getting drunk and burning the dinner. And into this uneasy atmosphere comes Clive, a well-known author who is the guest of Belinda’s older, unmarried sister Rachel. Hilarity and disaster ensue.

Ayckbourn has a keen eye for human frailties and the differences between men and women in relationships, and these are magnified here by the ever-present frictions of a large family gathering, especially around the holidays. It’s something audiences can readily relate to, even as they are laughing helplessly. And though Season’s Greetings lacks Ayckbourn’s sometime-trademark set and/or plot complications, it offers one of the most memorable puppet shows ever. Stage West has produced the play twice in its history, and audience members have continued to request a repeat. It’s a sure-fire antidote to the stresses of the season. Steve Orme, writing in The British Theatre Guide, said “If you get the chance, give yourself a present this Christmas and go see it.”

Season’s Greetings, the final show of the 2007 season, will be the inaugural show for Stage West’s new home in its former space at 821 W. Vickery in Fort Worth. After nearly four months of renovations, the space is now completed. The actual theatre space, which will seat 150, will be a proscenium stage, allowing for the return of more conventional sets. The sight lines are excellent, and with a house only 6 rows deep, the space will retain Stage West’s trademark intimacy. The Vickery space will also permit a return to food service, as there is a kitchen, and the lobby has ample room for table seating. Dining before the show was a highly popular perk in the group’s former time in the building, and many patrons have expressed enthusiasm for the return of dinner and the Thursday “Pasta Nights.”

Season’s Greetings will have its preview performance on Friday, November 23 at 8:00, and will run from Saturday, November 24 through Monday, December 31, concluding with a special New Year’s Eve performance. Performances will be Thursdays at 7:30 (other than the first week), Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00, and Sunday matinees at 3:00. Food service will begin 90 minutes prior to performances.

There will be an Opening Night champagne reception following the performance on November 24, which will feature special entertainment. The New Year’s Eve performance will feature the show and a party afterward, which will include the champagne toast and black-eyed peas.

Ticket prices range from $20 to $24, with discounts for students and seniors. Pay What You Can performances will be Thursday, November 29 and Sunday, December 9. Tickets for New Year’s Eve will be $50 per person, $25 for subscribers.

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