Wednesday, October 15, 2003
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Wednesday, October 15, 2003 |
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Heritage Christian members gear up for 'Dickens Village' Christmas extravaganza With temperatures still reaching up to the 80s, it’s hard to get into the “holiday spirit.” But there are some local folks at Heritage Christian Church who, even with the hot and humid weather, are having a Dickens of time getting ready for their annual “Dickens Village,” planned for Dec. 10-14 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Each December the grounds and facilities of Heritage Christian Church near Peachtree City undergo a major transformation from modern architecture to 18th century England in the blink of an eye. “If you believe that, I have a bridge in New York I’d like to sell to you,” states Ramon Sammons who is the outside infrastructure team leader. “In August I started getting the materials and work force together for a new facade. Each year we add a new piece to the village and this is the largest faŤade we will build to date.” In reality, the work for this year’s Dickens Village started back in February. “We begin in February while the previous event is still fresh in our minds,” says Shellye Febrey, event coordinator. “That way we can improve upon the upcoming year’s stage production and visuals.” The “visuals” Febrey refers to are the sets and props that make up the Dickens Village. A Main Street runs through the village that consists of a variety of shops, hot cocoa stands, and Georgia Chestnuts. “We tried roasting chestnuts on an open fire but this is Georgia,” remarked Marion “Big Daddy” Alley, “We found that boiling peanuts and calling them Georgia Chestnuts made our guests a lot happier.” Street performers consisting of minstrels, jugglers, and town folk mill about the village. Rory Stump who teaches the dialect class for cast members says, “When guests come to Dickens Village, the townspeople and other cast members portray 18th century English folk so when a guest asks a cast member to use their camera to take a photo, our townspeople act as though they have never seen a camera before. It’s a lot of fun to watch the guests explaining how to use it. Sometimes guests will ask several cast members to take photos just for the fun or watching them all react to the camera.” Guests of Dickens Village leave with more than just a good time. “Everything at the village is free,” states outside operations director Julie Ballard. “Families can have their photo taken in Dickens-style clothing, children can make toys or ornaments, drink hot chocolate, eat our famous ‘Georgia Chestnuts,’ and it is all free.” For those who feel they must bring purses or wallets, there is a souvenir shop where guests can purchase Dickens Village collectables at a nominal price. There is a stage show each evening in the auditorium and outside dramas and stage shows on 30-minute rotations. “A lot of activity goes on all at one time, states Johnny Prettyman, who leads the worship and arts department at Heritage, “There are over 100 cast members working and performing simultaneously all over the place. It is amazing how much hard work has to be done but how fun it is at the same time.” Hard work best describes Febrey’s role in Dickens Village. As event coordinator, she oversees every detail of Dickens Village. “There are many talented people who make Dickens Village a success each year,” she says of the cast and crew members, “And they are more than just talented. They are passionate about what they do and are always prepared for last minute changes to make our guests visit as enjoyable as possible.” For more information and show time call 770-716-5768.
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