Watching children and adults enjoy a show in nearly equal measure can be one of the pleasures of this season, and AIRE's enchanting little Christmas show delivers it: In one row, an older couple clutched hands and sang along to "The Holly and the Ivy"; in another, kids giggled at cat hand puppets and Gagnon frozen in place with a carrot nose. 'Tis certainly the season.
Megan Grumbling can be reached at mgrumbling@hotmail.com.
A CELTIC CHRISTMAS | directed by Tony Reilly | Produced by the American Irish Repertory Ensemble | at Lucid Stage, in Portland | through December 11 | 207.799.5327
Another tradition
If you're looking for holiday revels with a Jewish angle, consider the folkloric hijinks of Acorn Studio Series' "The Wandering Beggar." Drawn from the stories of Solomon Simon, this feel-good comic ensemble show presents the adventures of Simple Shmerel (Hal Cohen), who despite his seeming simplicity turns out to be wiser than the rabbis. Harlan Baker directs an original adaptation by local writer Howard Rosenfield, from December 2-18, in Westbrook.
Topics:
Theater
, Holidays, Theater, Theatre, More 
, Holidays, Theater, Theatre, Dylan Thomas, American Irish Repertory Ensemble, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Christmas, The Nutcracker, AIRE, Lucid Stage, Less 
