Courtesy photo of the sign in front of the Alpena Civic Theatre promoting its next feature called Merry Christmas Grandpa.

ALPENA — On Monday, rehearsals began at the Alpena Civic Theater for the upcoming feature “Merry Christmas Grandpa. Scott Edgar and Ted Rockwell are directing the comedy, which will open on May 14 and run through May 24.

The play will follow Amber, who invites her family to have the “perfect family Christmas.” She decorated her house, carefully planned the meal, & even ironed her shoelaces! Once her brother, sister, parents, & curmudgeon of a grandfather show up, though, nothing is done right. When an accident prevents Amber from making Christmas dinner, it falls upon her kitchen-challenged siblings to take up the slack, with hilarious results. Just when the dinner can’t get any worse, it ends up with a twist or two that makes it, indeed, the perfect family Christmas.