“Good Grief! He’s the Star…” at Wagnalls

The kids all wait for Charlie’s to speak.

December 16, 2022
Article by Rachel Scofield
Photos by Vonda Paxton

This weekend, December 16-18 Mouth of the Wolf Productions (MOTWP) will present Good Grief! He’s the Star of the Christmas Play! at Wagnalls Memorial Auditorium, 150 East Columbus Street, Lithopolis.

Charlie finally gets his big break – the lead in the school Christmas play. The best Christmas play ever! The show is going so well that it starts to get attention as an advertising opportunity.

Everyone is excited. What could go wrong? With snow on the ground and stars in the eyes of all his friends, it will take the empathy and strength of a dog to put things back into perspective.

With an original script by local writer Amber Myers, Good Grief! tells the story of how a group of friends overcame the bright lights of stardom and the temptation of money and greed to share the true meaning of Christmas.

According to executive director Tina Gleason, the play is one of MOTWP full-length, family performances, designed to educate children on all elements of theatrical production.

“The cast is the crew,” Gleason said. “They are supported by parents who have built costumes, choreographed, composed music, designed set and all the many details from marketing to concessions. Mouth of the Wolf. Productions not only provides shows that entertain and help community members in need, but we also create lasting family memories. We give parents an opportunity to share their creativity with their children toward something that they can feel great about.”

Charlie (Luke Angersbach) receives instruction from Miss Othmar (Myah Paxton)

Performances of Good Grief are at 7 pm on December 16 and 17 as well as 2 pm on December 18. Admission is free although MOTWP will be collecting donations of new socks for those in need. To reserve your seats, please visit www.motwp.com.

“This is an awesome show, and I am so proud of these kids,” Gleason said.

MOTWP. provides central Ohio students with theater arts enrichment programs. Theater classes include eight-week sessions based on various seasonal themes. Every child receives a part written specifically for them.

All plays are age-appropriate adaptations or original works written by local artists. At the end of an eight-week quarter, students produce a performance open to the public, friends, and family. Students learn theater basics from projection to body movement.