SPARTANBURG – Spartanburg Youth Theatre will kick off the 2009 holiday season with a production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec, 5.

“This show is one of my alltime favorite youth theatre scripts, as well as one of my favorite Christmas stories” says Matt Giles, Youth Theatre artistic director and the director for the production. “The story is at once hilarious, touching and sentimental.”

The story follows Grace Bradley, a mother who must direct her church’s Christmas pageant. This task becomes nearly insurmountable when she’s forced to cast the Herdman children, who are “the worst kids in the whole history of the world.” Hilarity and chaos ensue as Mrs. Bradley tries to hold the pageant together by her fingertips.

The production is different from most Youth Theatre productions in that Giles has cast adults in the adult roles.

Performance dates are Dec. 4 at 4:30 and 7 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. All performances are at the David W. Reid Theatre in the Chapman Cultural Center. Tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for students, and can be purchased by calling 864-542-2782.