‘SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS’ to Premiere at Northern Kentucky University, Dec. 12-21

CINCINNATI - Nov. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- On Christmas Eve, 1914, two soldiers – one British, the other German – meet by chance as they gather straw to keep warm in their respective trenches along the Western Front. They eye each other with trepidation, but realize their common enemy is the cold.

Thus begins SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS, a new play that commemorates one of the most extraordinary events of World War I, in which soldiers on opposing sides laid down their weapons and celebrated the holiday with each other, exchanging gifts and singing carols. The play, by award-winning playwright Phil Paradis, will premiere December 12-21 at Northern Kentucky University.

“I heard about the Christmas Truce from one of my uncles, when I was a boy,” said Paradis, who began researching the subject more than 10 years ago. “It was an incredible story that stayed with me. These soldiers were sworn enemies, but they stopped killing each other long enough to celebrate Christmas.”

Though inspired by true events, SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS is a fictionalized account of the Christmas Truce. The characters are composites of soldiers' loved ones and the thousands of troops who took part in the celebration along the Western Front.

SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS was a finalist in the Kentucky Theatre Association Roots of the Bluegrass New Play Contest. He received a 2014 Kentucky New Play Series Award for his play SUNNY SIDE and his play Footprints of the Polar Bear took top honors in New Edgecliff Theatre's Cincinnati Director's Competition. Of the dozens of plays he's written, Paradis considers SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS his most important work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p05E_ohaQGk


“In the midst of war, it gradually dawned on British and German soldiers that their similarities were greater than their differences,” he said. “I think that’s what resonates here and why this is such an unforgettable story. ”

A production of the Actors & Playwrights Collaborative and New Edgecliff Theatre in Cincinnati, SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS is directed by Robert Allen. The cast includes Carter Bratton, Jared Earland, Aaron Epstein, Michael Gettinger, Alexa Glaser, Blair Godshall, Robert Macke, Patrick McWilliams, Jeff Miller, Emily Mohler, Torie Pate, and Quinn Stiefbold.

SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS will be presented at the Corbett Theatre at Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, on December 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $18 for students. For more information, visit www.Cincyticket.com or call 1-888-428-7311. More information about the play is available at www.soldierschristmas.net.