’Tis the season to be earnest, and the young cast at Habersham Community Theater leans into that spirit with a sincerity that feels both refreshing and surprisingly disarming. Their production of The Gift of the Magi, a stage adaptation of O. Henry’s classic holiday tale, plays with uncomplicated charm, youthful energy, and a level of devotion that mirrors the story itself.
From the moment Christmas music greets the audience, the tone is clear: this is a traditional, literary Christmas show. The opening scene unfolds with deliberate background acting, soft lighting, and an ensemble that makes the modest stage feel unexpectedly lived-in. Transitional singing replaces elaborate scene changes, creating a kind of musical narration that keeps the story moving without ever rushing it.
A youthful cast with serious commitment
The production features a notably young cast. The oldest actor is 22, and many performers are middle and high school students. Their ages prove to be an unexpected asset. The emotional stakes of young marriage, sacrifice, and first love come across as authentic rather than merely sentimental.
After all, what is more authentic than first love? The result is an earnestness that feels unfiltered, drawn either from lived experience or from something the actors hope to soon encounter. Teenagers and anyone who still believes in the sincerity of a well-told romance will find much to appreciate here.
A clever set design
The set design relies on resourcefulness rather than spectacle, the work of the modest yet immensely talented Mr. David Oppenhiemer. When distinguishing between different houses, the creative team swaps two walls and removes a single picture frame. Suddenly, the audience moves from a cramped tenement to a modest newlywed apartment.
The shifts are subtle, but the storytelling is not. In the poorer sister’s home, bricks sit almost against the window; in the wealthier sister’s apartment, they recede into the distance. The effect is evident: circumstances, even in the same city, are not uniformly shared.
The costumes remain historically realistic without overwhelming the performers, and several actors turn in visually memorable performances.
Dot, played by Gracelyn Williams, carries the wide-eyed sweetness of a 1930s ingénue, her expression recalling Deanna Durbin, with a face as pretty and open as a primrose. Della, played by Lyndsi Hill, sits on a bench reading with an aesthetic serenity. Her features recall the delicacy of a cameo pin.
Suited perfectly to the Edwardian styling, Della’s most striking attribute is her auburn hair, swept into a Grecian knot at the back of her head, with loose ringlets falling soft and deliberate down her bodice. The effect is uniformly pleasant, and the production remains enjoyable to watch from start to finish.
Jim’s confessions steal the show
Jim, played by Jadon Williams, emerges as the heart of the production. Williams delivers an “aw shucks” earnestness that recalls Jimmy Stewart: sincere, humble, and compelling.
But it is Jim’s confessions to Della on the night before their marriage that bring the loudest laughter. He admits, with comical desperation:
“I have whistled at girls on streetcars… and danced in dance halls.”
“I’ve read a book in very poor taste.
“I’ve winked at a show-girl…and I’ve had beer!”
The audience responds accordingly. The lines are harmless, theatrical in their innocence, but Williams plays them as if he carries the sins of a dozen lifetimes. The sincerity is so complete that the humor lands every time. In short, Jim Young is a very fine lad.
Bringing theatre into the classroom
Director Lindsey Brackett positions the production within a broader educational mission. She explains that The Gift of the Magi “meets 9th-grade academic standards,” which allows the cast to take the show on the road to White County High School’s Performing Arts Center. “We chose to do this because it’s a traditional Christmas show,” Brackett says. “HCT tries to do a classic, literary piece each year.”
Brackett speaks with the confidence of someone who sees theatre not as an extracurricular luxury but as an essential avenue for cultural literacy. By presenting the production directly to students, HCT folds literature, performance, and curriculum into a single, accessible experience.
The audience at the dress rehearsal included families and supporters of the cast. Kristyn and Phillip Burney attended to cheer on ensemble member Sadie Burney. Several other families filled the rows, suggesting tidings of comfort and joy.
A holiday classic told with heart
Habersham Community Theater’s Gift of the Magi succeeds not by reinventing O. Henry but by trusting him. The production leans into tradition and relies on a young cast whose youthful charm does most of the work.
In a season that often prizes spectacle, this modest, heartfelt show reminds audiences that simplicity can still be effective, and that sincerity, when performed without irony, can feel like its own kind of gift.
