GREENFIELD — When 9-year-old Ralphie utters the classic line “fuuuuuudge” to his father onstage at this weekend’s production of “A Christmas Story,” the actor’s real-life dad will be the one glaring at him in disbelief.
Eleven-year-old Everett Sumpter of New Palestine plays the lead role of Ralphie in the Ricks-Weil Theatre Company’s upcoming production at Greenfield’s H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts.
His dad, Derek Sumpter, plays the role of his “Old Man.”
The elder Sumpter thinks the quintessential Christmas story — based on the 1983 film — is a perfect show to bring to the historic Ricks Centre stage this holiday season.
“It’s a nice small-town kind of story that takes place in Indiana, and it’s a Christmas classic. It has a lot of things people can relate to growing up, especially the older generation,” he said.
While the play isn’t an exact replica of the iconic film, Sumpter said pretty much all the classic lines are there, including a few additional bits the audience will enjoy.
His favorite scene to perform is the leg lamp scene, in which his character is crestfallen to learn his wife had broken his prized leg-shaped lamp, which has caused quite a stir gleaming in the family’s front window.
Sumpter said it’s been a blast exchanging the show’s famous lines with his son, a sixth-grader at New Palestine Intermediate School.
The two mostly work on their lines independently using an app, which Sumpter uses to rehearse during his commute to Rushville, where he’s assistant principal at Benjamin Rush Middle School.
“To be able to say some of those iconic lines is a lot of fun. You don’t often get the chance to play a part from such a well-known movie,” he said. “The fact Everett plays the part of Ralphie just adds to the experience. We’re having a good time working together. It’s something we’ll always remember.”
Neither father nor son are new to the stage. Everett performed alongside his dad and sister, 13-year-old Charlotte, in this summer’s Ricks-Weil production of “Seussical,” and Sumpter has performed in roughly 30 productions over the years.
He took a 20-year hiatus until this year’s production of “Seussical,” but he’s glad to be back on stage doing community theater.
Producer Beth Ray-Scott is happy to bring her theater company’s first holiday-themed production to the Ricks theater, although she may not be able to attend. The longtime actress and director is recovering from ankle surgery and hasn’t been able to be as involved as she’d like.
First-time director Lindsay Taylor, a recurring stage presence in past Ricks-Weil productions, is leading the cast of “A Christmas Story.”
She previously appeared in productions including “Seussical,” “Annie” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Ray-Scott is confident the community will enjoy seeing “A Christmas Story” light up the stage, with six performances scheduled over the next two weekends.
“It’s a very familiar show to a lot of people, and ticket sales have been going well,” she said.
As for the actor playing Ralphie, the tenacious 9-year-old who dreams of getting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, Ray-Scott said the theater newcomer is holding his own.
“All the kids seem to be doing a really good job,” she said.
