Venerini Christmas play sends message

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
WORCESTER – Christmas is about Jesus.
That’s what eighth-graders at Venerini Academy portrayed with their pageant there last week.
The play – “Lights! Camera! Christmas!” – tells the story of a director and actors at “SOS Studios” in Hollywood trying unsuccessfully to come up with an award-winning Christmas play, and finally settling on depicting the birth of Christ. In the movie, character Jack West, a New Yorker following his dreams to Hollywood at the encouragement of his ill sister, is chosen as director by the desperate actors.
“This is the true meaning of Christmas,” the actors decide in the end. “We are celebrating the birth of Christ.”
Nehemiah St. Surin, who played St. Joseph, said it’s important to present the fact that the real meaning of Christmas is Christ, as that often gets lost.
 Each year at Venerini, the eighth-grade class puts on a Christmas pageant, interspersed with younger grades singing Christmas songs, said Nike Beaudry, the music teacher, who was producer and director.
Eighth-grader Ethan Muchai said they were going to perform “A Christmas Carol” this year. But classmate Addison Brooks pointed out that the play had mostly male roles.
Mrs. Beaudry said they chose a play written by alumnus Josh Bardier, who became an actor in New York City. His play was performed at Venerini in 2017. For this year Mrs. Beaudry edited it and wrote in extra roles so 14 eighth-graders had parts. She also changed a dance scene from ballet to lyrical for Addison Brooks, who dances competitively and did a solo. Zachary Hoadley, the 15th class member, was backstage crew chief.
“Part of why we chose it – we saw it when we were younger,” said Addison. “We were part of it twice.” (As singers in 2017.)
“It just seemed like a twist on the usual Christmas story,” said classmate Joseph Vigeant.
Videos of former plays show happy faces, which makes students look forward to their turn to perform, said Briar Heppenstall, one of this year’s eighth-graders.
“I think it’s a really big honor that we get to do this” – even during COVID – said Dylan Swedberg. “It’s one of the things I’ve looked forward to most since kindergarten. I just think it’s really exciting and cool to do.”
Mrs. Beaudry said they weren’t sure whether they could do a pageant this year, given the virus. The Dec. 16 evening show was only open to the eighth-graders’ families. Photos were posted on the school Facebook page for younger students’ families to see, Mrs. Beaudry said. For social distancing reasons, half the school attended the dress rehearsal, the other half attended a daytime show.
Pre-kindergarteners through seventh-graders sang during the dress rehearsal and daytime production. Providing music for the evening production was a jazz ensemble made up of Mrs. Beaudry’s husband, Tony Beaudry; Trey Brooks, Venerini class of 2020, and Steve Skop, who a directed a Venerini jazz ensemble before COVID.
Given the uncertainty about doing a play, preparations started later than usual – which gave everyone only about four weeks to get ready, Mrs. Beaudry said.
Students in grades 6 and 7 helped with other aspects of the production. Teachers helped them with costumes, set design, sound, lighting and stage crew work. Students learned how to operate the lights, and seventh-graders also helped backstage with props and set changes, Mrs. Beaudry said.
“I think it was awesome – most of us are teenagers and they trust us” to organize the production, said Briar.  Some of her classmates praised the adults for helping them bring everything together.
“I think it’s really nice how we were able to get it done so quick,” said Nicholas Rodriguez.
“I hope it inspires the kids in the lower grades like it did me, and shows them how fun it is to put on the pageant,” said Dylan.
Mrs. Beaudry asked the eighth-graders how many of them think they might try out for drama in high school, and several indicated that they wouldn’t have thought of it before doing this production. Briar said it’s more work than she realized, but it’s worth it.
“What a wonderful play to contribute” to a long Venerini tradition, and to celebrate Jesus’ birth, the principal, Jason Phelps, said after the daytime show. He praised the eighth-graders’ professionalism and the support of the whole school.