Emily (Rebecca A. Herron) loves a good holiday card in Best Medicine Rep’s production of “Rules for Writing Christmas Cards” at the Arts Barn. Photo by Elizabeth Kemmerer.
Christmas card etiquette has been a ubiquitous topic of the holiday season for generations with the practice of sending greetings dating back to the Victorian era. Jennifer Faletto’s holiday revue, “The Rules for Writing Christmas Cards,” is a merry medley of sketches surrounding this seasonal tradition with additional spoofs on holiday customs and popular culture. Best Medicine Rep Theatre Company’s production of this comedy, with spectacular direction by John Morogiello, is a hysterical holiday hit, with a talented troupe of performers portraying a cavalcade of characters.
…with spectacular direction by John Morogiello…a hysterical holiday hit, with a talented troupe of performers portraying a cavalcade of characters.
“The Rules for Writing Christmas Cards” is centered around Miss Emily (Rebecca A. Herron), a spinoff of Emily Post, who is hosting a seminar about proper Christmas Card protocol. Miss Emily’s seminar covers lessons on what topics to avoid in Christmas card messages. These are accompanied by skits pertaining to the topic at hand, featuring songs and scenes performed by a nimble quartet of actors. Terence Heffernan, Cristen Stephansky, Rose Hahn, and Matthew Marcus collectively play more than 20 roles. This ensemble additionally performs transitional interludes and musical numbers between sketches. The entire production is accompanied by a talented and versatile pianist, Andrew Mauer, who serves as the production’s music director.
As Miss Emily, Herron led the show with a superbly polished stage presence. Her communicative expressions added depth to her rich speech and excellent diction. She exquisitely depicted the character’s respectability while projecting authority and vast knowledge. Herron also presented a resounding singing voice as a soloist in the show’s finale.
Demonstrating an impressive mastery of many dialects, Heffernan portrayed dynamic characters ranging from an angel with a New York accent to a ghost with an Irish brogue. He was delightful as the dad in the Christmas card family photo scenes, and his performance as Burt the Secret Santa was tremendously entertaining.
Stephansky gave a humorous monologue as a “blank Christmas card,” and her deadpan delivery perfectly conveyed this humor. She presented a wacky “Letter from the Angels” scene with Heffernan, and her exaggerated gestures while reading the letter complemented its comical text.
In a standout performance, Hahn showcased her fabulous singing voice while executing energetic puppetry in a scene about the Christmas turkey. Her additional role as Maria the Pirate was comedic gold, and her swashbuckling vocals and physical antics contributed to her brilliant personification of this eccentric character.
Marcus’ recurring role as an obnoxious, whiny child made to write Christmas cards was a highlight, and his enthusiastic presentation powerfully fueled this persona. Alongside Stephansky, he entertainingly played the disgruntled husband in a scene where a star-crossed couple was taking Christmas card photos, colorfully stating the character’s disdain for being photographed.
The charmingly simple, yet festive, set design by Morogiello displayed a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with presents beneath. Several large blocks decorated as gift boxes were used as platforms and set pieces for the actors adding visual dimension to the performance. A video screen on the back wall of the stage displayed the name of each sketch, as well as illustrations and backdrops tailored to each scene. Elizabeth Kemmerer’s vivid costume design included vibrant red and green holiday attire, as well as adorable reindeer headbands and a cheery Santa outfit. Andrew Harasty’s light design illuminated the stage with bright seasonally-toned spotlights that enhanced the set’s primary color scheme. In great contrast, his dim lighting design of a candlelit segment honoring lost loved ones projected the scene’s somber mood.
Best Medicine Rep Theater Company’s hilarious production of “The Rules for Writing Christmas Cards” is a heartily recommended joyride. This lively masterpiece is a heartwarming tribute to sending and receiving Christmas cards, and the production’s roasting of holiday traditions is sure to elicit side-splitting laughter.
Running Time: Approximately one hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.
Advisory: Recommended for ages 12+ due to mature language and themes.
“The Rules for Writing Christmas Cards” runs through December 15, 2024 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. (with an additional 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, December 14), and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is no performance on Saturday, December 7. For more information and to purchase tickets, go online or visit the box office prior to the performance.
