"It took me and Dramatic Publishing eight months to get all the contracts signed with Jean's people and MGM's people, but it was worth it. Jean died only days after the contracts were signed. I desperately wanted him to read this adaptation. I've been a fan of his since the early 1970's."

"The play is clearly based on the movie...but there were some things in the stories that didn't get into the movie that I liked...so they made it into the play."

"The Shep narrating character is actually a character, much like the stage manager in OUR TOWN. He initially comes down the aisle of the theatre talking about his hometown.  He is generally invisible to the characters onstage, but occasionally, in plain view of the audience, dons extra costume elements to take part in the story.  He becomes, for instance, the Christmas tree salesman, among other characters."

"The structure is similar to the movie, though I draw heavily on the four stories as well...and the sequence is not identical to the movie.  I have been careful to be as faithful to Shep as possible."

"In the film, Shep could narrate.  Unseen narration in a play is considered amateurish...but one thing Shep insisted upon was that we keep the narration, because it carries so much of the flavor."

"This was actually easy, though.  I could make the narrating character an actual character in the play. He opens the play by wandering down the aisle in the audience and he sets  up scenes. The characters don't see him, but the audience does."

"But then I could piggyback on that concept and solve another problem, too, by having the narrating "Shep" character ("Ralph" in the script, as opposed to "Ralphie," the younger self) play several of the other characters as well."

"So the Shep character talks to the audience, but puts on a hat and coat at one point to become the Christmas tree lot salesman.  At another point he is the voice of the neighbor offstage, talking to The Old Man about the leg lamp.  I use him this way for a couple of other characters, too."

"I've beefed up two of the little girl roles a bit.  It helps to sell a play to various groups if you try to balance the sexes a bit.  I also strengthened a running gag about Flick's "sore arm" as a result of encounters with Farkas. I did everything I could to make the play "producer friendly."  The set isn't easy...but it isn't as complex as it COULD be.  The cast balance is good, but the cast isn't too big.  The special effects are all carefully explained."

"People love the film, of course, and, frankly, there aren't a lot of good Christmas plays or musicals.  Theatre groups have been hungry for more. Once you've done A CHRISTMAS CAROL and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, there isn't much else out there."

"Shep's story will fill that vacuum...and be done by theatres (high school, community and professional) for a long, long time..."