‘A Texas Carol’ gives Christmas a raucous Lone Star twist
The A.D. Players’ production is a welcome addition to the Houston lineup of holiday plays
What happens when the family matriarch kicks the bucket on Christmas Day? Well, suffice it to say, chaos ensues. Or, with the Texas family in “A Texas Carol” at A.D. Players, chaos continues without interruption. It’s a zany look into how the holidays can bring families together.
Written by A.D. Players executive artistic director Jayme McGhan and director Kevin Dean, this play is a new addition to the Houston lineup of holiday productions. With Ryan McGettigan’s expert scenic design, you really will feel like you are in the living room of an East Texas farmhouse at Christmas, replete with a magnet-studded refrigerator, a stone fireplace, hunting trophies and family photos on the walls.
The story begins when Gretta (a vivacious and convincing Christy Watkins) finds Me Maw dead in her bedroom. Me Maw has left a glib and cryptic note, so we have to wonder what really happened — at least until the end of the play.
When Gretta’s financially challenged brother Erik (Chip Simmons) arrives, they have to decide if they are going to hide this fact or spill the peppermints about their grandmother’s untimely demise. As Erik points out, she “is the color of a bluebonnet.”
Did I say this is a comedy? Well, maybe a “dramedy.” Things are funny and frenetic the first half, but get a bit more serious and poignant after the intermission. After all, it is the Christmas season, which sort of requires entertainment and a message. And “A Texas Carol” certainly has both. It feels kind of like a sit-com, kind of like a Christmas movie with punchlines and a few epiphanies.
The fuel that fires “A Texas Carol” are the characters themselves. In addition to Gretta’s handwringing and Erik’s intermittent grifting, we have sister Ginny (a wistful Kara Greenberg), who is mourning the loss of her first husband and dealing with a mouthy antisocial teenager, who demands everyone call him “Blaze” (a terrific Ian Gallagher) and accuses almost everyone of “being a fascist.”
If that doesn’t seem like enough, she is also introducing her new boyfriend to everyone for the first time. No wonder she has to Zoom her shrink during the visit. She has a lot of issues, and this is before she even knows about poor Me Maw.
Add to this dysfunction junction Van (a memorable Jeff McMorrough), who has his own set of issues, which he pushes to the side under his obsession with being a loyal Aggie. There are all sorts of Houston, Dallas, Texas, college-affiliation and gun jokes, so the whole show has an entertaining twang about it.
All those H-E-B reusable grocery bags are around just in case you forget where you are.
Hugo, well played by Sam Houston State University theater professor Kevin Crouch, is Ginny’s new boyfriend, a former professional hockey star who has to endure endless jokes about Canada and hockey. His responses to what these family members say to him are fun to watch. And Mya (an energetic and memorable Olivia Swasey) is a YouTube culture influencer for survivalists, the college-bound daughter of Gretta and Van.
The theme of family conflict during the holidays is amped up by local color and an infusion of comedy. So, while some of the issues in the play are serious, they are delivered in a way that are reminiscent of sit-coms ranging from “Roseanne” to “Reba.” This is a high-energy play, with angst about everything from critters to kimchi to cash for college. So strap into your saddle, because it is quite a ride.
Kristina Ortiz Miller’s costume designs are spot on, from Van’s well-worn Texas A&M merch, to Gretta’s standard suburban mom Christmas outfit. And Blaze, who is kind of a cross between Edward Scissorhands and a gothic punk (I have never seen such aggressive Army boots in my life!) is told by cousin Mya that he “looks like Hot Topic exploded” on him. Yes, there is a Santa in this play and some sweet resolutions to fraught family ties. And why not? It’s the season for those kinds of gifts.