Photo by Ryan Arnst

(From left) Casey Sacco, Marlo Vashti Rodriguez, and Susanna Ninomiya star in New City Players’ world premiere production of The Last Christmas.

By AARON KRAUSE

Eve Hart’s brown eyes blink repeatedly before she expresses her wish during an uncertain and scary time for many.

“I think I want a hug,” she tells those around her.

And a group hug follows. In fact, if you are experiencing Tyler Johnson Grimes’ touching new play The Last Christmas, you want to join in.

Such is the power of this new heartfelt piece that reminds us that you do not have to be a miracle worker to make a difference in somebody’s life. Often, all you need to do is listen.

The Last Christmas’s moving world premiere professional production is running through Dec. 22 at Island City Stage’s intimate blackbox theater space in a strong New City Players (NCP) mounting. In addition to the production, NCP has planned post-show activities for audiences that may further put you in the holiday spirit. The show runs 95 minutes with no intermission, but includes free hot cocoa for all audiences.

If you regularly attend NCP’s productions, you are familiar with The Last Christmas’s characters. That is because the play is the latest and perhaps last entry in a trilogy of works set in fictional Ft. Lauderdale radio station WNCP.

We first heard about WNCP in 2022, when NCP mounted a production of Joe Landry’s radio adaptation of the classic tale, It’s a Wonderful Life, set in 1947.  In the play, NCP cast members portrayed WNCP radio actors and they, in turn, played the story’s characters.

In 2023, NCP jumped ahead to 1971 for WNCP’s live radio broadcast of A Christmas Carol. Grimes wrote the play in which that broadcast occurred.

Now, NCP and WNCP flash even farther forward to 1999. It is a time when radio plays have become nearly obsolete. And, so, WNCP has invented a new flagship program titled Calling Claire (for those who have been following WNCP, a young Claire Phillips played a major part in the radio station’s 1971 A Christmas Carol broadcast.) Folks seeking connection call into the show, and its gracious host is always glad to listen.

But in The Last Christmas, set on Dec. 24, 1999, Eve Hart finds herself at the microphone for the first time. She is filling in for Calling Claire’s legendary host, who is ill.

“Nobody’s alone,” we are reminded not only by Stephen Sondheim, but by Grimes in The Last Christmas. And neither is Hart; Calling Claire’s producer, Ruth Dillon, is with her, as is sound engineer Izzy Flores. The threesome may argue and get on each other’s nerves, but clearly, deep down, they care about each other. The group hug that occurs toward the end of the play is a touching expression of that admiration.

Compounding Hart’s and others’ anxiety on this night is the fact that the Y2K bug looms. With the millennium approaching, people are concerned not only that computers will fail, but that the end of the world may be near. Fortunately, people such as Hart sit ready to listen to their concerns, and perhaps lessen their anxiety.

On this night, Hart will hear from a diverse group of people. They include a girl who believes that aliens abducted her dad, a Miami Dolphins fan who is considering not attending his annual Fins game because his buddy just died, a dog lover whose friend moved out of town, and a man who feels he let his young son down.

The Last Christmas moves between poignancy and comedy, darkness and light, as we meet WNCP’s lonely listeners. You’ll also watch humorous commercials and the unexpected may also happen.

An eight-person cast portrays multiple characters. The performers are Marlo Vashti Rodgriguez, Casey Sacco, Susanna Ninomiya, Caroline Tarantolo, Carlos Alayeto, Summer Davis, Nick Valdes, and Harold Petion. All capture the heart and humor of the piece, under NCP Producing Artistic Director Timothy Mark Davis’s sensitive direction. Assisting him is Ali Tallman, the production’s dramaturg. Basically, a dramaturg is a behind-the-scenes resource person who provides context, research, and feedback to help improve the quality or accuracy of plays and productions of them. Look for Tallman’s note in the program.

Grimes not only wrote the play; he also designed the seemingly realistic sound and foley effects. They include discomfiting noises that occur just as Hart experiences anxiety attacks. The sounds suggest Hart’s unease as she grows increasingly nervous.

Rodriguez portrays Hart with heart. With a warm voice, Rodriguez’s Hart does her best to reassure listeners, but this temporary host of Calling Claire is feeling uneasy herself. Indeed, throughout the play, it appears as though Hart is trying her best to keep herself together. Rodriguez makes Hart’s anxiety look and sound authentic. In addition, she comes across as natural when Hart is seemingly calm.

Does Hart possess magical powers? It may appear that way judging from a couple scenes in the play. For instance, in the segment featuring the Dolphins fan, one moment Hart is talking to him on the phone from the radio station. Then, she is suddenly tossing a football back and forth with him at a location that Grimes never makes clear. Did the fan come to the station or did she drive to his location? He never told her exactly where to meet him. Is this an instance of magical realism in which Hart mysteriously appears to the fan?

In the script, Grimes notes that the “lights shift,” which can indicate a change in time or location. Still, Grimes could make it clearer what exactly happened. On the plus side, a football is among the many items comprising Aubrey Kestell’s detailed set design, so at least we know that Hart did not magically make a football appear.

Something similar happens in the segment featuring the young girl who believes that aliens abducted her father. One moment Hart is talking to her, and the next she appears to be doing the girl’s hair. Perhaps such suddenness makes more sense in a scene about something otherworldly.

Rodriguez is not the only cast member shining in NCP’s production. In addition, Sacco portrays producer Ruth Dillon with a convincing jaded demeanor that suggests an eye-rolling teenager forced to perform a chore. Still, Sacco’s Dillon conveys sympathy toward Hart when the latter seemingly needs it most.

Hart is not the only character with a case of the nerves on this night. Sound engineer Izzy Flores also panics, and Ninomiya, who portrays her, ensures that her character’s nervousness looks and sounds real. With wide dark eyes and dark hair protruding from underneath her backwards cap, Ninomiya’s Flores resembles a rebellious teen who is feeling vulnerable.

Each of the other cast members play multiple roles. Generally, they have created distinct, authentic, and likable characters. They may not be perfect, but who is?

Kestell’s scenic design includes enough detail to indicate a radio station, and the holiday decorations should get you in the mood for the season.

The backstage artists also include lighting designer Annabel Herrera, who uses appropriate hues such as red and green to stand for Christmas.

Sacco, in addition to acting in the production, co-designed the costumes with Laura Argiropulos. Both use the appropriate colors red and green for this festive time.

If The Last Christmas marks the end of WNCP, many will be sad to see the radio station go. But while it is true that live theater is fleeting, memories ensure that an audience’s theatrical experiences live on.

NCP is a not-for-profit, ensemble-based, professional theatre company in Fort Lauderdale. Its mission is to create community through transformative theatre, in the service of a vision to help South Florida become a more thoughtful and empathetic community.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Last Christmas, by Tyler Johnson Grimes.

WHEN: Through Dec. 22.

WHERE: Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors.

TICKETS: Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for students (under 25 with ID). You can purchase tickets at www.newcityplayers.org/season, or call (954) 376-6114.

FRIDAY CAROLERS: Enjoy live caroling from the Yuletide Carolers plus complimentary holiday libations immediately following the show on Dec. 13 and 20.

SECRET SANTA SATURDAYS: Bring a wrapped gift ($15 or less) to put under the tree for a post-show gift exchange.

SUNDAY TALKBACKS: For those looking to go a little deeper into the process of bringing a new play to life and step into NCP’s theater-making process, you can join the cast and creative team after every Sunday performance for an interactive and engaging talkback. Remaining dates are Dec. 15 and 22.