Created from the mind behind last year’s winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Play (“Crevasse), MRS. CHRISTMAS lights up the holidays in Southern California with another world premiere from playwright Tom Jacobson. Directed by Karole Foreman, a multi-award-winning musical theatre notable (Richard Rodgers and Ovation Awards, Jonathan Larson, and Edgerton Foundation Grants), MRS. CHRISTMAS will definitely bring holiday lights into your life.

This brand-new take on holiday traditions delivers some savory entertainment for adults. MRS. CHRISTMAS stars Linda Libbyand Cody Bianchi (with Michelle Merring taking over Libby’s role during the last week of performances). On December 15, 2025, Karole Foreman kindly agreed to tell us something about this unique new holiday tradition in the making.

Karole Foreman – Photo by Rob Mainord Photography

HOW DOES THIS SHOW CHALLENGE OR PLAY WITH TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY THEMES?

Karole Foreman: I love MRS. CHRISTMAS because it is not your typical holiday entertainment. It is a show for those of us who aren’t completely jaded but maybe still a bit ambivalent about the holidays. It’s for grown-ups. It’s about our parents and about our kids and the legacies we inherit and the ones we leave behind.  It’s not about having it all figured out, but still doing the best with what we’ve got. It’s about those not so rosy holiday memories; but, somehow, we still manage to hold out hope for reconciliation – not only with the holidays but with family members with whom we may not have seen eye to eye on everything. And, okay, it’s still about hope and love.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST CATCH THE THEATER BUG? WAS THERE ANY ONE MOMENT THAT SENT YOU DOWN A CAREER PATH IN THE ARTS?

Linda Libby – Photo by Rhyan Michele

KF:  I first caught the bug, or at least had an inkling of the power of storytelling, when I was in sixth grade in Virginia. I was very shy and had experienced a lot of racism growing up, so standing in front of a group of people and talking was a terrifying proposition for me. In any case, we had to write and read an original story out loud in front of the class. I found myself becoming lost in the story; and at one point, it felt as if everyone in the room was leaning in to listen to me. When I referred to something in the back of the classroom, everyone turned to look at what I was describing. I had never felt anything like that before. For the first time I had the experience of feeling like I was the same as everyone else. That we were all in communion together, breathing and laughing together, sharing an experience. I couldn’t articulate it then, but I understood that it was the first time that people weren’t looking at me and judging me or trying to hurt me. It was the first time I felt safe in a space with other people who were all different and felt equal. Later, my family moved to San Diego, and I went to a combined junior high and high school.  Stepping onto campus, there was so much diversity, so I wasn’t a minority anymore. I ended up taking a Reader’s Theatre class, puppetry class, and acting. My high school teacher, Susan Shattuck, was an incredible mentor who exposed us to so much, laying the foundation of what would become professional practice for me. Becoming a professional actor didn’t really click until I did a production of “Little Shop of Horrors” at the San Diego Rep in 1988. Having the opportunity to work with professional actors made me realize: “Oh, people can do this for a living! That’s what I’m gonna do.”

HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS AN ACTOR/SINGER INFLUENCED YOUR DIRECTING STYLE?

Linda Libby – Photo by Rhyan Michele

KF:  That’s an interesting questions because my teacher in high school not only had us acting – but we all had to write our own material, direct, work on scenery, lights, and costumes.  She told us it was important to understand the value of the entire team’s contribution to production. So, I don’t necessarily see the creative work that any of us do being that different. We all must know what the story is. What are the specifics of the time, environment, culture, the people of the time? Of course, you have to learn the technical language of your production team as well as an actor’s language. I have had the great fortune to work with some extraordinary director’s like George C. Wolfe, Kent Gash, Glenn Casale, Gregg T. Daniel, Timothy Bond, Wren T. Brown, Saundra McClain, and Casey Stangl, to name a few. And I have loved watching them work, trying to absorb everything I could. I found that it is important to be prepared, to do my dramaturgical research, to do the investigative deep dive into the script, to respect the writer, to have a vision, but also to be open to my team’s expertise and artistry. To respect and trust my actors and my team. Leaving the ego and personal drama out of the room and creating a space where people feel safe to do their best work. I have had to reach back and remind myself of the times directors made me feel the most empowered, inspired, and encouraged. At times, I have had to kick my behind to help me do my best work. Also, I went back and completed my graduate work a few years ago at CSULB with a focus on teaching acting and directing; and I am so grateful for that training.

WHAT DO YOU FIND UNIQUE ABOUT TOM JACOBSON’S WRITING?

Linda Libby – Photo by Rhyan Michele

KF: Tom’s writing is exciting. I love the breadth of his imagination and his love of language. He is so fantastically smart, and every page is a meal. His work is visually and culturally rich. We have been waiting for almost 40 years to work on something together, and this has been such a joyful and creatively fulfilling experience.

WHAT HAS DIRECTING TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST?

KF: That I am stronger and more resilient than I ever thought. It has reminded me that I absolutely love being an artist. That I don’t need anyone’s permission to make art (but we definitely need the financial support to do a lot of it, and we are immensely grateful to those who do support it). That I love collaborating with people. That I thrive in the arts community.

ONCE YOU GOT INTO REHEARSALS, WERE THERE ANY STAGING CHALLENGES THAT SURPRISED YOU? DID TOM WORK WITH YOU DURING THE PROCESS?

KF: The staging challenges were working in the small space because the stage at the Aurora is only 12’ X 14’.  However, I knew it would be the perfect space for an intimate piece like MRS. CHRISTMAS. There were a multitude of props that our actors had to navigate as well as some technical ideas that needed to be trimmed down or eliminated. But everything worked out because we always had to do what best served the story. It was great to have Tom in the room. He is incredibly collaborative, and I loved the way we communicated with each other.  He is also the repository of all kinds of random ideas and details about the Midwest, Lutherans, and Krumkake, for which I will always be grateful. I appreciated how much he trusted me and the team with his play.

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER PROJECT THAT YOU’RE WORKING ON IN THE FUTURE?

KF: There are a couple of things I am looking forward to.  Some friends and I are working on a big band arrangement of a holiday song (and music video) that we wrote last year called “Santa Zaddy.” I am currently writing two musicals and working on a jazz chamber piece of a section from “The Iliad.” I am also heading up to Santa Maria to do “Come from Away” at PCPA and Solvang. And I would love to do more directing.

MRS. CHRISTMAS runs THROUGH December 15, 2025, with performances at 7 p.m. on Fridays, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays (added performance at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 15). Aurora Theatre is located at 4412 East Village Road, Long Beach, CA 90808. Tickets are $37.50 (students $20, seniors/military $30; Mondays, $20. Groups of 10 or more $25). For information and reservations, go online.