WILBRAHAM – Annually, Evangel Assembly of God in Wilbraham puts on a Christmas production which delights anywhere from 500 to 1,500 attendees.  In the past, the Church has had performances of “The Gospel According to Scrooge” and “Is it Christmas Yet?!”  This year, Evangel will host the production, “The Gift of The Magi.”

Director of this years production Colin Tracy chose “The Gift of The Magi” by Jon Jory because not only does he enjoy the script, but also it has a encouraging story behind it.

“The writing is so sharp and so fun, while also being extremely heartwarming.  ‘The Gift of The Magi’ is one of the iconic Christmas stories of all time.  I thought it was only fitting that we dramatize this story for the Springfield area,” Tracy said.

In a time where we often focus on buying and receiving gifts as well as spending copious amounts of money on throwing lavish holiday parties, it’s easy to forget the true message behind Christmas, especially for children.

“It’s so important for us to remember that it’s not the size or the price of the gift that’s important, but the people we spend our Christmas with,” Tracy shared.

Evangel’s Christmas production has been so well received over the years that Tracy is working to expand their production schedule to include an Easter show as well as a separate spring performance.  In the spring, “The Magician’s Nephew” by C.S. Lewis will be performed, with the proceeds going toward Evangel’s yearly mission trip to Haiti.  Due to the heavy schedule with multiple performances this year, Tracy chose “The Gift of The Magi” since it requires less cast members.

“We are producing this show with six actors, as well as another 10 between stage hands, costume designers, and lighting and sound coordinators.  Our actors range from [ages] 18 to 35 and we have been rehearsing every week since Labor Day,” Tracy said.

All in all, Tracy believes that Evangel’s productions are a fantastic opportunity to bring more theater to Western Massachusetts.

“So far, the thing I have enjoyed most about directing the theater program is having the chance to develop a course for the future, beyond doing only one Christmas show a year so that we can bring more and more theater to this area,” Tracy explained. “As someone who studied theater at UMass Amherst, it is such a fulfilling opportunity to be sharing the skills I learned there with others who love theater but may not have previously had the opportunity.”

Tracy can remember Evangel’s Christmas production as far back as he can remember, as he performed in their holiday shows when he was growing up.

“I grew up in this church, and I remember starting even when we were meeting at the Wilbraham Middle School doing what was called a Cantata, which was basically a basic drama without lines set to a choir’s singing, retelling the birth of Jesus.  I was involved in nearly all of those productions growing up,” Tracy shared. “As our Church and our department has grown, we’ve done so many fantastic productions.”

Evangel Assembly of God’s production of “The Gift of The Magi” will have two shows, one on Dec. 9 and the other on Dec. 10, both at 6 p.m.  There will be no entry fee for the production, though offering baskets will be passed around for donations.  Evangel is located at 348 Stony Hill Road in Wilbraham.