Cheryl Hoefler/Go! MagazinePainted Sky Center for the Arts will present two holiday plays this weekend. Here, Sam Bailey, Teaghan Gibson, Kenneth Hollowell, and Tori Holland rehearse “Santa and the Naughty Gnomes.”

JOHN DAY — Young actors are busy rehearsing for two holiday plays this month thanks to the performing arts department at Painted Sky Center for the Arts.

The younger group of actors, ages 4-12, will present “Santa and the Naughty Gnomes.” The older kids, ages 12-18, will perform “Our Miss Brooks and the Christmas Carol.”

Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Both are at the Elks Lodge, 140 NE Dayton St. in John Day. Admission is $5.

Painted Sky, located in Canyon City, opened in 2019 and provides art programs after school and on Fridays.

“It filled so quickly,” Alicia Griffin, director of performing arts at the center, said of the after school slots.

After the center was established, Griffin said retired teacher Julie Reynolds approached the center about offering a theater program. The answer was positive. Ever since, Reynolds has directed the plays, with Griffin as the co-director.

“The youth programs and performing arts have been my passion,” Griffin said.

The first play was “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

“We had such a good community turnout,” Griffin said. “People talked about it all year.”

The play for 2020, “A Christmas Carol,” was rehearsed on Zoom.

“That was a big hurdle,” Griffin said.

Then, as COVID cases rose in the county, they delayed the live performance until January 2021. Griffin said the the audience didn’t mind.

“We were able to bring a little light to the community,” she said. “The community adores these children and is so supportive. They look forward to it every year.”

About Painted Sky

In addition to the youth programs, Painted Sky offers a full roster of art classes for adults. To see a schedule and register, visit www.paintedskycenter.com or check the center’s Facebook page.

Presented by youth from the Painted Sky Center for the Arts

7 p.m. Dec. 10

2 p.m. Dec. 11

Elks Lodge, 140 NE Dayton St., John Day

Admission: $5