Christmas Eve pageant commemorates 45 years



The cast of children after rehearsing at the recreation center for the Christmas Eve pageant. They are Jack Charest, from left, Juliet Charest, Kalin McCarthy, Chloe Donnelly, Claire Talancy, Shae Donnelly, Isla Joubert and Finnan Shafts. PHOTO BY CATHERINE SHAFTS

The cast of children after rehearsing at the recreation center for the Christmas Eve pageant. They are Jack Charest, from left, Juliet Charest, Kalin McCarthy, Chloe Donnelly, Claire Talancy, Shae Donnelly, Isla Joubert and Finnan Shafts. PHOTO BY CATHERINE SHAFTS

Barring a surprise rainstorm, the annual Christmas Eve pageant commemorated its 45th anniversary Tuesday with a live Nativity on Shoreby Hill.

And while there is an African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child, it has taken a community to reenact the birth of Jesus Christ annually since 1975.

The pageant was introduced to Jamestown by Jeanne Bunkley. She got the idea from a similar pageant held in her hometown of Bronxville, N.Y., which has featured the Nativity every year since 1914. The procession includes carols that tell the story of Jesus Christ’s birth.

Organizers this year have included Jane Dickinson, Eileen Donnelly and Catherine Shafts, and these women are tasked with sewing costumes, casting reenactors and wrangling farm animals.

“The trickiest part is to fit the wings to the angels,” said Dickinson, who has been involved for eight years. “Because they’re used year after year, they need some mending. We usually get together at the rec center and go through the costumes.”

But, in order for the Christian story to be told, they rely on much more than themselves.

With direction from teacher Laura Ferrick on the flute, students from the middle school choir were scheduled to lend their voices, while Jack and Billy Jansheski were slated to play their guitars.

Also, John Murphy from the Lions Club secures insurance, Windmist Farm provides the animals and Largess Forestry donates the decorative greens. Bill Munger and his team install the manger, hang the lights and bring electricity to the Shoreby Hill green.

“Lots of folks are part of bringing this town tradition alive,” said Donnelly.

For the 2019 edition, Will and Lisa Tuttle were cast at Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph. According to Donnelly, these roles have traditionally been portrayed by Jamestown business owners, although children have filled the void in recent years. This year, however, the tradition returned. The Tuttles own and operate the brewery in the Bomes Theatre. Another tradition is Don Richardson as a shepherd; the Davis Street nonagenarian has been involved since the pageant’s founding.

Tuesday’s pageant had its own version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” with 10 angels, seven shepherds, two readers and two guitarists. It also helps having working farms nearby to secure the four-legged actors.

“We’ve had donkeys walking down Narragansett Avenue,” Dickinson said.

Although Dickinson has been lightening her responsibilities in the past three years, she has stayed involved in an advisory role for Donnelly and Shafts to learn the ropes.

“She is a great source of information and history of the event,” Donnelly said.

Despite Dickinson relinquishing duties, she is pleased about finding two moms to take over the tradition.

“This is truly a family tradition,” she said. “We go from having five people to hundreds in minutes even though the event is a half hour or less.”

For 45 years, the only thing that has deterred the pageant is the weather forecast. Heavy rain has canceled past pageants.

“There’s just so much electrical work involved,” Dickinson said.

But when the show does go on, Dickinson said she looks forward to the end of the performance when the choir is united with the audience.

“Everyone joins in and just becomes one,” she said. “It’s really beautiful.”