A Christmas Story @ Tacoma Little Theatre (Tacoma)

Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940’s follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus himself. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” All the elements from the beloved movie are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a leg lamp; Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios and more.

Pay-what-you-choose performance 12/22 (Thursday night); ASL interpreted performance 12/18 (Sunday matinee).

Tickets ($27) here.