It's Bill, 12/28/25: Christmas Pudding

Being Asked to Join Christmas Pudding

A few months ago, I received a phone call from Suzanne, a friend and retired innkeeper. She asked if I would be interested in participating in the Christmas Pudding performance at the Lubec Memorial Library. She explained they needed a few more speakers, especially men, for this year’s presentation. She had heard me speak and read some poems. Suzanne told me she thought I had a good voice and would be a welcome addition. Flattered, and not really knowing what I was getting into, I said “Yes!”, with no further thought.

Rehearsals and Finding Our Voices

We had attended Christmas Pudding last year and remembered it being entertaining, particularly knowing the performers and audience. There were seven performers who would read their parts in various Christmas short stories, poems, and anecdotes. The readings were alternated with stringed instrument music. Of course, we enjoyed wonderful refreshments, both at the intermission and the end, with everyone visiting friends.

The first rehearsal was at 10:30 on a Wednesday morning, with seven of us, most repeat performers. Sara, an original Pudding founder from over 15 years ago, had typed and copied eight seasonal Christmas-time readings, all with a bit of humor and nostalgia, written by mostly British and American authors. Some of the authors were Agee, H.H. Munro, Truman Capote, Roger Angell, John Updike, and Anton Chekhov.

With our readings in hand, Sara assigned each of us our reading parts, composed of a narrator to start the reading and individual characters with speaking parts. We made notes on our reading copies as to our part and the parts of others, often checking and re-checking.

Becoming the Characters

The effect of our readings was that we became characters in a play, each with our own role, complete with an appropriate accent, emotion, and measured speed of speaking. We worked with each other to give life to the reading, creating a natural flow to the story. We stood up when it was our part and sat down when completed. This created an intimate focus for both us and the audience. We were all in this together.

The following Wednesday, we had a second rehearsal. We all proceeded smoothly, being more relaxed and more in the moment of the reading. During both rehearsals, we sang some Christmas music. We sounded fine with our ad hoc chorale.

Performance Night and Community Spirit

Our readings were interspersed with traditional holiday music performed on viola, violin, guitar, and nyckelharpa (an ancient Swedish stringed instrument). Performers and the audience sang as one, everyone enjoying the moment.

During intermission, performers and the audience mingled. Our Lubec community now became its own live performance, sharing food, drink, and holiday chit-chat.

The performance ended with everyone smiling and in the Christmas spirit. A few friends (and Patricia) spoke kind words to me. Sara asked me back for next year. I will be there with a smile!

The Christmas Pudding readers, gathered together, sharing stories, laughter, and the spirit of the season at the Lubec Memorial Library.