Nacogdoches Independent School District

The Lamp-Lite Community Theatre’s latest performance will have a distinctly Nacogdoches ISD feel to it. Five NISD students are among the cast of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” and six NISD staff members are either part of the production or have students appearing on stage.

“This really has a Nacogdoches ISD flavor to it,” said director Dr. Katherine Whitbeck, a Nacogdoches High School teacher who’s also director of the Lamp-Lite production. “This is an excellent production, and we’re so excited about putting it on.”

Joining Whitbeck in the play is NHS student Rees Runnels, who will portray Beth Bradley; Ben Serna-Villaneuva from McMichael Middle School in the role of Charlie Bradley; and Lori Serna, Alexandra Norman, and Madeline Norman, also at McMichael, who play Sunday School kids.

Whitbeck serves as the play’s director; Chelsi Condon, a at teacher at Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary, is a member of the cast playing Grace Bradley; Frances Teal, music teacher at Emeline Carpenter Elementary is a soloist; Betsy Tucker, a retired NISD teacher, is assistant director; Joella Villanueva, an EB specialist at NHS, is a member of the cast playing Mrs. Clausing and a parent of four cast members; and Summer Norman, an NHS counselor, is the parent of two cast members.

In “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” the Herdmans are considered “the worst kids in the world,” and after hearing about the possibility of desserts at church, they take over the main parts of the fictional annual Christmas pageant, much to the chagrin of the Bradleys, another family in the church. From there, the story becomes can Mrs. Bradley turn the impending fiasco around? The audience shall see.