An ‘anti-holiday spectacular’

Prefer rudeness to Rudolph, getting blitzed to Blitzen, or X-rated humor to Xmas? The show “F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Spectacular,” which will be at the Iron Horse on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., might be for you.

McKeown bills this musical show as “the world’s first anti-capitalist, pro-queer, suspicious of christmas-as-patriotism, sex-positive, not safe for work, multi-ethnic, radical leftist Anti-Holiday show,” which has “nothing redeeming about christmas” whatsoever. 

For obvious reasons, this show is for adults only.

Tickets are $24 at ironhorse.org.

‘Home for the Holigays’

Don your gay apparel for Eggtooth Productions’ annual holiday show, “Home for the Holigays,” on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Shea Theatre in Turners Falls.

The 90-minute show, a variety show version of “A Christmas Carol,” features characters Mr Drag (Joe Dulude II), DD Drag (Myka Plunkett), Ellsbeth (Emily Pritchard), Jinnifer (Linda Tardif), Karl (Kat Adler), Quince Cordial (Lori Holmes Clark), and Marina Goldman (played by herself).

In a press release, Dulude said, “The joy that Mr Drag brings the community pales in comparison to the joy he brings me. He opened me up, made me more comfortable with who I am and made us all laugh. We all need the joy and silliness of the Drag Family, now more than ever. Never could I have imagined the warmth and love that I have been shown doing these shows. It's the reason I keep doing it. I do it for audiences. I do it for me. I do it for rebellion against all those who would silence our beauty, love and happiness."

Tickets are $20 at sheatheater.org.

‘A Christmas Carol’ in Greenfield

That said, perhaps you want a more traditional “Christmas Carol” show. 

Arena Civic Theatre will present the original story of "A Christmas Carol" at The Perch in Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on the weekends of Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22.

The show, directed by Erika and Jesse Clark, will “follow Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformative journey through Christmases past, present, and yet to come” and “captures the joy, warmth, and hope of the holiday season,” according to a press release.

General admission tickets are $20; student, senior, and veteran tickets are $18. Tickets are available at the box office, at the door, by phone at 413-774-0150, or online at hawksandreed.com. 

Vespers at Smith

Smith College’s annual Vespers program, a holiday tradition, will return to John M. Greene Hall on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 4 p.m. and will “celebrate all the ways we look for and generate light in dark days.”

Participating performers and readers include the Smith College Chorus, Glee Club, Chamber Singers, Vespers Orchestra, Handbell Choir, a cappella group Blackapella, and the Campus School Chorus. Smith students, staff, and faculty will give readings; The Rev. Matilda Rose Cantwell will lead the event.

Vespers is free and open to the public, and donations will support community members in need.

For guests who can’t make it in person, the event will be livestreamed at smith.edu/news-events/events/vespers-livestream.

‘Bard in the Bar’

Valley Players, whose production of “Constellations” the Gazette covered earlier this year, will perform a “Bard in the Bar” reading of Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale” at Four Star Farms in Northfield on Friday, Dec. 13, from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

A “Bard in a Bar” performance is not a production per se – it’s a “an unrehearsed, script-in-hand, drink-in-hand” staged reading of a Shakespeare show set in, obviously, a local bar. 

Per the event description: “This play has got it all: jealousy, tyranny, rebellion, love triumphant, redemption, magical statues, shipwrecks, sheep-shearing, ballad-singing, and, of course, a bear!”

Admission is free, but Valley Players will be accepting donations, which will be split between the theater company itself and The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. 

If you’d like to join the show, email info@valleyplayers.org to get one of 24 randomly distributed and gender-blind parts.

Three art events in one

Easthampton’s Old Town Hall will host multiple simultaneous art events from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, bringing more than 40 artists to sell and exhibit their wares in one place.

Guests at CitySpace’s Pop-Up Market, Big Red Frame’s Art is a Gift, and ECA Gallery can buy photos, paintings, books, prints, clothing, pottery, and more. 

Admission is free.

Penguin-themed book written by a local author

Northampton author Eric Bennett released his latest children’s book, “Noodles & Albie on Thin Ice,” last Thursday, Nov. 28, to local booksellers and Barnes & Noble.

The picture book is about two friends, a penguin and a fish, dealing with the effects of climate change and invasive species.

Bennett also runs Penguin Gift Shop, an online store stocked with penguin clothing, penguin accessories, penguin plushies, penguin home goods, and more.