Thank you to Heidi Dallin, the Cape Ann YMCA, and the Annisquam Village Hall Association for the 2024 production of Holiday Delights, a wonderful story written by Heidi and performed entirely by Cape Ann youth actors.

In my official role as backstage “Elf Wrangler,” I got to witness first hand the dedication and courage it took these young actors to perform on stage, some for the very first time. The kids have been practicing since September under the talented direction of Heidi at the Cape Ann Y theatre program. Heidi strives to make every single player feel valued. The kids love her and Heidi’s positive, team work vibe carries over to the cast. The young actors all look after each other onstage and off.

The actors play multiple roles including elves, dreidel dancers, Cratchit family members, Peanuts characters, and Little Women, to name only some. Our Charlotte was adorable as a Christmas tree, even when she was nodding off during a performance on the final day of the show’s run 🙂

The Annisquam Village Hall provides the perfect backdrop for a play set in Gloucester. We were marveling at the fact that the permanent backdrop on the stage, which was painted 20 years ago by my husband, Tom Hauck, is still holding up. Tom painted it for for another play set in Gloucester, Brigadoon. With artistic license, AVP Director Terry Sands turned the mythical Scottish Highlands location into the “moors of Annisquam.”If any parent would like a copy of the cast photo above, please email me at kimsmithdesigns@homtail.com and I can send you a high res file.