Bennington Community Theatre Announces Cast for Second Annual ‘Best Christmas Pageant Ever’

By Marisa Dawson, 2025 Production Photos by Marisa Dawson

A group of six children and teens dressed in casual clothing with confident expressions, standing on stage in front of a decorated Christmas tree.

Bennington Community Theatre is bringing back a holiday favorite this Christmas season, announcing the cast for its second annual production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

The production follows last year’s successful run, which drew a strong response from local audiences and helped establish the show as a potential holiday tradition for BCT.

This year, the production will be directed by Chentel Wanek, who appeared in last year’s cast. For Wanek, the opportunity to move from the stage to the director’s chair grew out of her experience being part of the inaugural production.

“Donna [Dahlsten] did such a great job directing last year and I loved the idea of this becoming a holiday tradition for BCT,” Wanek said. “I remembered the humor and warmth from being on the inside and thought ‘I can do this.’”

As a first-time director, Wanek (pictured below portraying Grade Bradley) said she has drawn on what she observed during last year’s production, including the importance of being prepared to adjust when things don’t go exactly according to plan.

A group of four people posing on stage, smiling at the camera. One man in a robe holds a gift, while three others, including a woman and two children, stand together. A girl in the background watches.

“Being a first time director, I’m employing a lot of the knowledge I gained from watching the process last year,” she said. “One of those things being that things rarely go as planned – you have to be ready to pivot and adapt to a different approach.”

The show’s humor, warmth and unpredictable young characters helped make last year’s production a hit with audiences, and Wanek believes those same qualities will continue to make the story special this year.

“I think that The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is such a fun, feel good story and kids can be so unpredictable so you never know what you’re going to get!” she said. “We’ve got a younger cast this year and we’re excited for the opportunities that will be created within the story.”

Returning audience members can expect plenty of familiarity, but with a few changes. Several actors from last year are returning, though they will take on different roles this time around.

“Audiences can expect to see familiar faces if they saw the show last year but not to expect them in the same roles,” Wanek said. “They can expect the same hilarity and all the heart.”

Wanek said rehearsals have also given her an opportunity to see returning actors continue to grow while welcoming new performers to the BCT stage.

A group of children and adults seated in a rehearsal setting, reading from scripts, with various props and storage bins in the background. — *Rehearsals are officially underway as of Monday night! Photo Courtesy of BCT.*

“It has been so fun for me to see castmates from last year and how much they have grown in their performance skills,” she said. “I’ve also loved seeing all the new faces who will be stepping on stage for the first time or just the first time with BCT.”

That combination of returning performers and newcomers is one of the things Wanek is most excited about as the production comes together.

“I’m excited for the fresh perspective our veteran actors will bring to new roles and seeing something familiar in a new way with first time actors,” she said.

At its heart, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is more than a comedy about a chaotic Christmas pageant. The story explores community, acceptance and the assumptions people can make about others before taking the time to understand them. Wanek hopes that message will remain with audiences after the laughter ends.

“I hope audiences leave thinking about how easy it is to decide who someone is before we’ve really taken the time to see them,” she said. “At its heart, this show reminds us that community means making room for people who may not quite fit in, looking beyond reputations, and giving one another the chance to surprise us.”

A large group of children and adults dressed in various costumes, including white robes and angel wings, gathered on a stage in a church setting. Behind them is a large pipe organ and wooden panels, with audience seating visible in the foreground.

“Sometimes the people we think are going to ruin the pageant are the very people who remind us what the story was supposed to mean in the first place,” she added.

With the cast now officially announced, Wanek said she is excited to see how the diverse group of performers comes together throughout rehearsals.

“There’s such a wonderful mix of personalities and experience in this cast, and I’m excited to see what happens when we bring all of those pieces together,” she said. “This story needs a little chaos, a lot of heart, and a cast willing to jump in together, and I really think we found that.”

For BCT, the return of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever offers another opportunity to bring local performers and audiences together for a holiday production filled with humor, heart and a reminder to look beyond first impressions.

Check out the full cast list here:

Cast announcement for 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,' featuring various family roles and character names from the play.