UP Home holds annual Christmas program

WASHINGTON - For the past two months the young and old have been hard at work to prepare for the United Presbyterian Home's annual Christmas play. On Friday, Dec. 20, the handwork was shown off to a full house during the production of, 'I think It's Time to Remember.”

Andrew Zuehlke, Spiritual Life Director for the UP Home, said he has been working on the script for the cast of 20 for the last two months. He said he looked through other scripts but decided his directorial skills were not as strong as was needed for a professionally written play. Instead, he decided to write his own and has been doing so for the past three years.

The show opens with four ladies who are discussing the woes of the Christmas season. After a series of complaints, one suggests they forget about Christmas this year. This does not go over well and one of the ladies, played by Esther Bordwell, asks, 'Have we forgotten what Christmas is all about?”

The show continues with readings from scripture that tell the story of the first Christmas. Residents of the UP Home donned crowns, bath robes and garland to dress themselves as shepherds, angels and wise men as they made their way down the aisle.

Children from the UP and Kids day care acted as sheep and joined into sing Christmas carols at the end of the show. Various residents from the UP Home sang as well, including Dave Brown who wrote and performed an original piece, 'Away from a manger.”

Zuehlke said the program is something everyone looks forward to seeing every year and the opportunity to share it with people is what he looks forward to.

'I think what I like most about it is we have an opportunity to, in an entertaining and creative way, share the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Mary Atwood, a resident at the UP Home, helped with costumes. She said for the last six weeks she and various volunteers have been working to make the show a success.

Atwood said while most of the costumes were made with various craft materials or from clothing residents already owned, some were borrowed from various churches and the community theater in town. She said her favorite part of the program is the camaraderie and Christmas spirit working together provides.

'(I enjoy) just being able to share the story with friends and the relationship building that goes on while we're doing it. It's just fun,” she said.