BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Katie Matuska, 8, a third-grade student at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School, gets ready to rehearse the shopper scene of the Christmas play on Thursday.
Saturday morning, the students of St. Teresa of Avila School hope to answer one of the pressing questions of the season: Is there any Christmas spirit left on earth?
About 50 children from the school will perform "The Christmas Star," a play about finding the Christmas spirit. The performance begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church.
"I hope it's a wonderful kick-off to the Christmas season," said Sue Matuska, assistant director and accompanist.
The story begins in heaven with the angels preparing the Christmas Star to shine over earth for the holidays. The angels are arguing amongst themselves about whether there is any Christmas spirit left.
To settle the argument, four angels - two doubting and two believing - are sent to earth to settle the debate. They find nothing but materialism and selfishness until they enter the home of a family near the end of the play.
During breaks between scenes, the entire student body will sing Christmas carols and a sing-a-long will immediately follow the play.
Michael Shonnard, 13, is one of the doubting angels and this will be his eighth time performing.
"This is the biggest part I've had, but I'm not nervous because my lines aren't very complicated," Michael said.
Twelve-year-old Rebecca Doyle said she was happy to be a part of the play and help celebrate the holiday season.
"It's about Christmas and celebrating Christ's birth. It's the season for all Catholics and Christians to celebrate his birth and I want to do my part," Rebecca said. "It's a really important time of the year."
But, having one of the lead roles does mean learning to work with a headset microphone.
"When you have a mic and are standing backstage, any little noise is heard so you have to work at being very quiet," Doyle said.
Collin Boyle, 9, who plays one of the believing angels, said he enjoys doing plays and hopes people welcome the season.
"It means family getting together and having a good time. It's about celebrating Christ's birth," Collin said.
The play is the centerpiece of a fundraising drive for the school and church, which includes a luncheon following the performance as well as a bake sale and silent auction of gingerbread houses made by the different grades at the school.
The performance is free and open to the public.
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.