Williamston Theatre’s Christmas play is so Lansing

For most of us, a “Christmas play” conjures images of old men being visited by ghosts and rosy-cheeked children peacefully opening presents on Christmas morning. Christmas shows are meant to be nice, but they can feel like sugar scrub in a wound for those of us with more savory, even salty feelings about the holidays.

If you’re also eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dec. 26, run, don’t walk, to the triumphant return of Williamston Theatre’s “A Very Williamston Christmas,” a holiday show for the rest of us that had my companion and me rolling in our seats, bracing for the next laugh during a 90-minute send-up of a Hallmark movie that clocks lightning speeds and delivers what many real-life Christmases only wish they could: A room full of people having a genuinely great time together.

Comedies have to be fast to be funny, and this show has inspired me to introduce a new metric into the Lansing theater review lexicon: JPM, or jokes per minute. You won’t be waiting for a laugh, but your knee might get sore from involuntary slapping.

“Do I have to know anything about Williamston to enjoy the show?” a friend of mine asked as I pressured her to buy a ticket during a post-Silver Bells brunch. Definitely not — you need only understand the premise. As I described it, “A big city woman comes home to her small town for Christmas, and her world turns upside down. Except the big city is Lansing.” My friends were laughing already, and if I could have pulled out their phones and purchased tickets for them right then and there, I would have.

The show is successful for so many reasons, from the razor-sharp script to the superb stage talent to the impeccable technical execution. Beyond all this, it reflects our lives back to us in a way that’s universal — within the mid-Michigan region, at least. It’s not only a treat for people who love theater; it’s a great introduction to the caliber of shows that happen in Williamston all year long. The company has once again mounted a triple threat, with script, acting and scenic elements working together in a way that delivers comfort, community and honest-to-God hilarity at a time when we all could use a night of very serious laughter.