>"Christmas in a Shoebox"

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During The Many Days of Christmas at Tryon Palace
Special holiday performance December 27th

Tryon Palace presents playwright Ella Joyce Stewart’s holiday delight, Christmas in a Shoebox, on Monday, December 27, as part of its Many Days of Christmas traditional holiday celebration. Curtain time in the North Carolina History Center’s Cullman Performance Hall is 7:30 p.m., with warm cider and cookies served beginning at 6:30 p.m.

This well-loved play is the perfect way to continue celebrating the holiday spirit after the presents have been unwrapped and the holiday dinner enjoyed.

The Stewarts, a family of sharecroppers, reside in rural North Carolina two miles outside of Kinston. On this midday, we find them gathered in the living room of their small plank farmhouse two days before Christmas in early 1960s.

Snow is falling as they sing holiday songs. Mama and Daddy Stewart, along with their two grandchildren, are heading to town in the old pick-up truck. Left behind are six other children. Sibling bantering, an unexpected guest, a special cake, an advancing snow storm and a stranger on the muddy path make this a hilarious original family play — reminding us of past traditions and the true meaning of Christmas.

This performance of Christmas in a Shoebox is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers (NCABS). Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for students and free with that day’s Tryon Palace admission pass.

Submitted by: Trish Ashburn, Marketing and Communications Manager, Tryon Palace, 800-767-1560