Black Box: detours along the road to redemption

Without giving too much away right off the bat, I think the real story behind the long title is pretty simple: Black Box Theatre’s current production of “How to Survive Your Family at Christmas” is about all the detours and blocked exits along the road that ultimately leads to redemption – with some tinsel and a few holiday decorations thrown in.

All the characters have secrets and fears that they hide from themselves and each other in myriad ways, even as they look for acceptance and understanding.

Loretta (Debbie Jo Felix) isn’t sure about her religious faith or if she even has any. She hasn’t seen her parents in a couple of years and may have a secret boyfriend. Loretta’s mother, Rosy (Nancy Cline Tafoya), is a devout Catholic who seems to find the good in everyone. She spends a lot of time making phone calls asking the nearly 150 people she graduated from high school with to forgive her (think 12-step program). Loretta’s father, Jerry (Bobby Senecal), owns a hat shop and still hasn’t forgiven President Kennedy for changing the national trend away from wearing hats. (One of my favorite little twists in the show is when Jerry chases holiday carolers away from his front door with a Daisy Red Rider BB gun – the same one that Ralphie Parker is so desperately trying to get his hands on in “A Christmas Story – The Musical” just down the street from the Black Box at Las Cruces Community Theatre.)

Is it any wonder playwright William Missouri Downs chose Nutt for this family’s last name?

Father Ramona (Joseluis Solorzano) seems to know an awful lot about the death of the Nutt’s young son in a mysterious traffic accident, and he keeps a telephone and a ham sandwich at the ready in his confessional. And what about the Harvard law student (C.S. Rede) who knows a lot about hats but doesn’t wear one, has a strange bump on his head and suddenly appears asking Jerry for a part-time job in his hat shop?

As director Ceil Herman says in her playbill notes, she and her cast have obviously had fun exploring the different levels of these characters and this play. Their work is truly an ensemble success. There are deep divides between these characters, but ultimately Herman, Felix, Tafoya, Senecal and Rede blur the sharp edges in their search for what really matters in this crazy, mixed up world. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Go see the play and decide for yourself. You’ll also enjoy Autumn Gieb’s excellent period costuming and Joshua Taulbee’s marvelous set.

Remaining performances of "How to Survive Your Family at Christmas" are at 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, Dec. 13-14 and 20-21, 2:30 p.m. Sundays Dec. 15 and 22 and at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19.

Tickets are $15 regular admission, $12 students and seniors over age 65 $10 for all seats for the Thursday performance. Black Box Theatre is located at 430 N. Main St. downtown.

For reservations and more information, call 575-523-1223 and visit www.no-strings.org.