To give the gift of love
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
We are told early on that the holidays are
a season of giving. But the desire to receive—or not to give at all but to
horde— can be overpowering for even the most selfless. On these occasions it may
take a seemingly outdated fable to remind us of the power of giving.
In such a vein, the early-20th century
short story writer, O. Henry created in 1903 what would be come a classic
holiday story, "The Gift of the Magi."
This sweet and ironic American tale
concerns the devoted but struggling newlyweds Jim and Della. Their vivid
imaginations keep them emotionally afloat by creating a storybook world for
themselves. But there are hard times when Christmas approaches and there is
still little money at hand. Jim and Della each end up selling their most
valuable possessions in order to buy the other's Christmas present.
In this play version, adapter Peter
Ekstrom uses the O. Henry story but adds the element of music to the
story-telling. In this piece more than half the story is told through song.
The story is about generosity in its
purest form, about sacrifice, about what people who love each other will do to
express their love.
The cast, under Denise Simone’s direction
features Andrew Alburger as O. Henry and the shopkeepers, John Glenn as Jim and
Jennifer Perry as Della.
Alburger has appeared in the Company’s
productions of "The Tempest," "Waiting for Godot," "James Joyce's The Dead," "A
Christmas Carol" and "True West" with Bruce Willis. He also played Captain Von
Trapp in Laughing Stock’s "The Sound of Music."
Perry has appeared as Aldonza in "Man of
La Mancha," then directed, choreographed and danced in "Cabaret," appeared as
Maria in "The Sound of Music," all of which were produced by Laughing Stock
Theatre. Her work with Company of Fools has been in two productions of "A
Christmas Carol" and "The Tempest." She recently produced, directed and appeared
in "Little Shop of Horrors" at nexStage Theatre.
Glenn is a founding member and the
production manager for Company of Fools. He has appeared in "The Laramie
Project," "The Tempest," "A Christmas Carol," "This Property is Condemned," and
"Something Unspoken."
Simone’s directing credits for the Company
include "A Christmas Carol," "The Laramie Project," "Talley’s Folly," "The Town
Mouse and the Country Mouse," "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Diary of A Madman."
Set design is by Dennis Rexroad whose
designs for COF include "Always…Patsy Cline," "The Laramie Project," "The
Tempest," "True West," "Dinner With Friends," "The Seagull," "Side Man" and
"Danny and the Deep Blue Sea."
The stage has dark wood surrounded by red
curtains. "It looks like a little wooden jewelry box is on stage," Simone said.
"It’s so beautiful."
The costume design is by Elizabeth Weiss
Hopper an associate professor of Theatre at the School of the Arts at Virginia
Commonwealth University in Richmond.
Tickets are $12 for reserved seating
Wednesday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Dec. 10 through Dec.
21, Wednesday though Sunday.
The COF box office, located at 409 North
Main Street in Hailey, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets
may be charged by phone during box office hours at 208-578-9122, or on-line
through TicketWeb.