"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"
by Barbara Robinson
directed by David Knezz
Dec. 10 through 19, 1999

The hilarious story of the efforts of a woman and her husband to put on the annual Christmas pageant despite having to cast the horrible Herdman kids - probably the meanest, nastiest, most inventively awful kids in the history of the world.
This heartwarming story of effort and understanding brings home the Christmas message in a comic new way.

Theatre of Western Springs and
Children’s Theatre of Western Springs present "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"
Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Other Acknowlegements:

Thank you to all those volunteers whose names were received too late to be included in the program. We apologize for any omissions.

Special Thanks
Clarendon Hills Fire Department for the use of
fire-fighting gear.
GlenOaks Hospital for the use of medical equipment
Dave Bremer for the sweatshirt design.
Fred Koch for scene-change music.
Sandra Rasnak, Cindy Stone and Michelle Konow for choir direction.
The librarians at Thomas Ford Library for research
First Congregational Church of Western Springs for the religious art.
Sharon Sleezer for the painting of madonna and child.
Carol Dapogny for emergency assistance.
Monica Guzowski for all her help.

About the Play:
The theatrical adaptation of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" received its first professional production at the Seattle Children’s Theatre in November of 1982. Since then, it has proved to be very popular, with many theatres producing it annually during the holiday season.  The script has become a favorite at Theatre of Western Springs/Children’s Theatre of Western Springs, where it has been  produced three times, in 1991, 1994, and now in 1999. 

About the Author:
Barbara Robinson began writing children’s books
in 1962. She wrote the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ten years later in 1972.   It quickly became a favorite among children all around the United States. In 1982 she adapted her own book into a play. It was also made into a movie and remains a popular holiday classic.  When she is not writing at her home in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Barbara Robinson travels around the country visiting elementary schools for lecture appearances. She and her husband have two grown daughters. She is also the author of Across from Indian Shore, The Best School Year Ever, The Fattest Bear in First Grade, My Brother Louis Measures Worms and Other Louis Stories, Temporary Times, Temporary Places, and Trace Through the Forest. 

A Note from the Author:
When tws staged its first production of "The
Best Christmas Pageant Ever,"  the cast and crew received a special message from the show’s author, Barbara Robinson. Her connection to the Theatre is through Active Member, Bill Love, who is also an author, and who met the playwright the year before he was cast as Reverend Hopkins in our production of her play.  We feel certain that her good wishes extend to the current cast and crew, and include an excerpt from her note here. 
“I send special greetings to (Bill Love as Reverend
Hopkins) and all his ‘parishioners.’
“The ‘terrible’ Herdmans now exist in a book, a play and a film; and they do their damage in England, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, France, Japan...and Western Springs! Good luck to the Western  Springs Herdmans and all those who must cope with them: angels, shepherds, Bradleys, and horrified church folk.
“In the words of Alice, ‘Break a leg!’”