Let’s face it, the holidays aren’t all about claymation Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman or even the big jolly man himself. For the realist who has a hard time finding quality holiday entertainment, the Brüka Theater in Reno has a special family to introduce to you: the Webers. 

Director Rodney Hurst said the family portrayed in “Weber Family Christmas” is anything but normal, but that is the appeal of the play. 

“It’s kind of like ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas’ meets ‘Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse,’ ” Hurst said.  

Hurst said the first time he saw “Weber Family Christmas” performed he knew he had to bring it to northern Nevada. 

“Well, I brought this project to the Brüka,” Hurst said about proposing the play at the beginning of the season. “I saw this play in San Francisco 17 years ago. I know the show’s never been done outside the original cast. 

“The original cast was four men playing all the roles,” Hurst added, explaining there are seven roles to be filled. “There is the Weber family of a father, mother, daughter and son and the other three roles were played by all the actors.” 

Hurst said he deviated from the original “Weber Family Christmas” by casting a woman to play the daughter, but that the other roles are still played by men. 

“When it came time to cast the show, I was casting women in certain roles and I was reminded by the original cast that men played all the roles,” Hurst said. He added that he does not believe changing how the play was cast has changed the way it is performed. 

Without giving too much away, Hurst tried to explain the Christmas chaos that occurs during “Weber Family Christmas.” The Weber family – mother, father and daughter – move to a small town in Illinois. The neighbor’s son has been left behind by his family and the Webers take him in as their own.  

Hurst said the unique part of the performance is the amount of audience participation with the actors. 

“There is about a half an hour of improv before the play, welcoming the audience to their home,” Hurst said. When they are seated, he said, audience members must walk into the Weber’s home where the family members will greet them. 

In addition to interaction before the play, Hurst said the actors dismiss the audience for intermission by asking if they want something to drink — like well-mannered holiday party hosts.  

“There is another half-hour after the show that they stay on stage and they open presents that the audience can bring,” Hurst said. 

Hurst said the Weber family immerses the audience in the holiday spirit. 

“The original cast reminded me that the stage has to look like Christmas vomited,” Hurst said with a chuckle. 

Another surprise for the audience is the use of multimedia, which Hurst said will bring a familiar face from the community into the Brüka for the performance. 

“There is a local newscaster in the play,” Hurst said, not giving away the name but saying that the person’s recorded performance receives applause during every show. “We have three TV screens on stage, we use film, we use slides, we use a newscaster, we use music. There is a lot of different light special effects.” 

While Hurst understands it’s hard to talk about “Weber Family Christmas” without giving away the plot, he said the performance is worth the suspense. 

“When people are leaving they are just so excited about what they’ve just seen, but I know they are going to go to talk around the water cooler and no one is going to understand what they’re explaining,” Hurst said. “The whole show is full of tricks, there are lots of surprises. 

“We’ve (the Brüka) done a lot of really heavy stuff over the last couple years and we were looking for something a little lighter,” Hurst added. “This is like nothing Reno has ever seen before because the actors are always on stage and the fourth wall is broken down. 

“Turn off your remote controls and come down and have a drink with the Webers,” Hurst encouraged. 

“Weber Family Christmas” will be performed today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Additional performances will be held Dec. 16 through 19. All performances begin at 8 p.m. except this Sunday’s performance, which begins at 2 p.m.

Tickets cost $18 for general admission, $16 for students and seniors and $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased by calling 323-3221, by visiting www.bruka.org or by going to the Melting Pot at 1049 S. Virginia St. in Reno. 

Hurst said shows sell out quickly but the Brüka suggests people come in and wait for seats that might not be filled.

“Even if we are sold out, if you come in and wait until everyone is seated we usually get everyone on stand-by seated,” Hurst said.