MEET THE CHARACTERS
Scenic design by Allen Moyer
BY
PAUL HOPPER
Assistant Artistic Director
Costume sketches by designer James Schuette
ADELAIDE “ADDIE” MILLS Addie Mills is a young, imaginative girl who likes playing make-believe with her best friend Carla Mae—one of their favorite games is to decorate eggs so they look like the boys in their class and then smash them! Addie is also playing the role of the Angel in her school’s holiday pageant this year and often practices at home for Grandma Mills. When Addie asks Grandma why they don’t have a Christmas tree in the house, she claims it’s because her father is stingy. But Grandma knows that it’s because the tree would remind him too much of his wife, who died just after Addie was born.
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JAMES ADDISON MILLS III—“DAD” Addie’s father is a stuffy, serious man. He hates when Addie leaves a mess around the house and always seems to be in a grumpy mood. When Addie asks if they can have a Christmas tree this year, he plays a trick on her and refuses to buy a tree. We learn that James never really dealt with the loss of his wife and he often takes his anger out on Addie. When Addie makes a sacrifice so that a less fortunate family can have a tree, James has a change of heart. He learns that even though his wife died years ago, her spirit lives on in their daughter Addie.