Young Adults Theater brings a twist to Christmas classic

The Shafter Young Adults Theater presented a new twist on an old classic recently when they staged "A Christmas Chaos," a take on the Charles Dickon's classic "A Christmas Carol." The production was directed by Joshua Cooley, who also treated the audience to a humorous character, The Confused Actor, who interrupted the production repeatedly, reciting lines from plays that had nothing to do with the current production.

The cast was a collection of veteran actors who slipped into their characters with ease. Ebeneezer Scrooge was played by Micah Neufeld, who has been in productions for years. "I love the theater. I just love getting into a character and becoming somebody else," said Neufeld, who started with the Shafter Childrens Summer Theater years ago.

The narrator of the tale was played by Amber Newby, who also doubled as Tiny Tim #2. Emily Aparicio also had dual roles, as she took on both Bob and Mrs. Cratchet at the same time. Having been made up as half man and half woman, turning towards the audience the character that she was speaking as at that moment.

Camryn Yasenchak played multiple roles, and there still weren't enough parts for this young woman. She played the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, as well as the Charity Lady. She was hilarious in all of her parts.

The rest of the cast were a joy to watch. One of the most wonderful things about the entire production is the thought that the cast looked like it was having so much fun doing it. This made the production just that more enjoyable and entertaining.

The Shafter Young Adult Theater serves the young men and women who still have that passion for the theater after their time with the Shafter Childrens Theater.