College of the Ozarks theatre students to host “A Jones Theatre Christmas” featuring “Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol”

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — The College of the Ozarks Theatre Department will host a “A Jones Theatre Christmas” featuring the play “Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol” for its 2025 Christmas event. It will be a family-friendly production with caroling and hosts who will interact with the audience.

The performances will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Dec. 4 – 6, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2:30 p.m. in the Jones Auditorium. Cost for performances are as follows: adults, $15; seniors and non-College of the Ozarks students, $10; free for College of the Ozarks students, faculty, and staff. Please make reservations by calling the Theatre Box Office at (417) 690-2626 or by visiting https://jonestheatre.ludus.com/select.php.

The play, performed by C of O students, is directed by Josh Williams, theatre professor. Based on Charles Dickens’ classic, “Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol” by Ken Ludwig and his son Jack Ludwig, focuses on Tiny Tim’s perspective as he tries to get his father the Christmas holiday off. The story follows the clever boy and his friend Charlotte as they devise a plan involving ghosts and Christmas cheer to convince the miserly Scrooge to change his ways, leading to an unexpected Christmas miracle. This adaptation is known for being a fun and wild ride, intended to capture hearts of all ages’ holiday spirit.

Students built the sets from their own supply of wood and paint in the Jones Theatre Company. The crew members served on a volunteer basis and worked with Victoria Rivera, stage manager and senior theatre major, to prepare the light programing, sound for mics, props, and transitions between scenes.

“There is always a lot that goes into making a production into a finished product,” said Kara Gatch, theatre major. “I have loved being a part of it, and I hope that everyone will get a chance to come down and enjoy some Christmas spirit with us.”

Cast:

• Hosts, played by Kara Gatch, theatre major from Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and Chris Johnson, music theatre major from Rolla, Missouri
• Tiny Tim, played by Hayden Grimm, biblical studies major from Elon, North Carolina
• Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Jami Mallinson, music ministry major from Kansas City, Kansas
• Ensemble: Meredith Spence, music theatre major from Bentonville, Arkansas; Gage Hauck, music theatre major from Camdenton, Missouri; Lynessa Barney, recreation and sports management major from Hollister, Missouri; Tierce Carmody, theatre major from De Soto, Missouri; Brekken Manning, music theatre major from Wyandotte, Oklahoma; Kailey Letterman, theatre major from Springfield, Missouri; Chloe Main, public relations major from Kansas City, Missouri; James Sparks, allied health science major from Ulman, Missouri; Jacob Powers, speech and theatre education major from Rolla, Missouri; Kaelen Ludden, theatre major from Bolivar, Missouri; Joseph Pardo, video production major from Puerto Rico; and Jocelyn Stanton, speech and theatre education major from Nixa, Missouri

For more information, contact Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman at (417) 690-2212.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and fiscal responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 1 Best Performers on Social Mobility-Regional Colleges in the Midwest and No. 3 Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2025 - 2026 and No. 2 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2025. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Best of the Best Award 2024 for dining, Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award 2025 for lodging, and the Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 from ConventionSouth magazine for meeting and event spaces. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus.