(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- The Holmdel Theatre Company presents a reading of Then One Foggy Christmas Eve by Alexis Kozak on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 7:00pm. This is a delightfully unhinged holiday comedy by a local playwright.

'Tis the night before Christmas... and nobody at Shop Smart is going home early.

Forced to work a double shift, the employees of the local superstore find themselves face-to-face with a no-good Secret Santa with questionable intentions, a live broadcast featuring a disgruntled local news anchor, a once-in-a-lifetime mystical fog, and—yes—Santa’s giant energy weapon powerful enough to destroy Earth (Pew! Pew!).

Will greed win out? Will someone end up on the naughty list? Or will a superstore full of fed-up workers take down the capitalist machine and rediscover the holiday spirit in the most honest, generous way possible?

Equal parts holiday chaos, satire, and heart, Then One Foggy Christmas Eve is a fast-paced, hilarious evening of theatre perfect for the season.

Directed by Kirk White, the cast includes: Julie Freeman (Sara / Jennifer / Community Member), Emily Miller (Jane), Kirk White (Jerry), Laurie Shephard (Lady), Ed Faver (Wolf), Mike Gencarelli (Rudy), Tess Ammerman (Sherri), Charle Deitz (Cameraman / Santa), Rob Capici (Vic / Bob / Consumer / Dale),  and Heidi Carter Hart (Zagalon / Jodi).

The performance takes place Monday, December 15 at 7:00pm in the Duncan Smith Theater (36 Crawfords Corner Road) in Holmdel, New Jersey. There is a $5 suggested donation.

The Holmdel Theatre Company will be collecting new, unwrapped toys and gift cards for the RAINE Foundation, a Hazlet-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting local families in need by providing holiday assistance, essential resources, and moments of joy throughout the year.

Alexis Kozak holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts and in English from Rutgers University and an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Boston University. He is an award-winning playwright, director, and actor, whose plays, The Black Bird Returns (co-authored with wife Barbara Panas) and Babel Tower, have been produced off-Broadway by the Roundtable Ensemble. His short play, “Girls Pray, or The Ketchup Stigmata,” was included in Smith & Kraus’ Best 10-Minute Plays of 2014. His the author of the full-length plays 0 Days Since Last Miracle, Toms River Anthology, and Tango 105, a solo play about gun control and school shootings. His short works, “Shakespeare Gets and MFA” and “The Sexy Indians Dump the Tea,” can be found online. He is an avid soccer player (striker!) and would cut off his left arm to have more time to read. He loves making art projects and shooting basketball with his six year old son. He teaches Theatre Arts at Middletown HS South in Middletown, NJ.

The RAINE Foundation, based in Hazlet, New Jersey, is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families and individuals in need within our community. Through seasonal outreach, holiday assistance, and year-round support, the Foundation works to provide essential resources, comfort, and moments of joy to those facing difficult circumstances. With a strong focus on compassion, dignity, and community connection, the RAINE Foundation helps ensure that no one is forgotten—especially during the holiday season.

Holmdel Theatre Company at the Duncan Smith Theater (HTC) is a non-profit, semi-professional theatre company dedicated to presenting fresh interpretations of classic plays as well as rarely presented modern dramas and comedies. HTC is dedicated to providing opportunities for students and non-professionals to work with professional theatre artists in a collaborative, artistic and educational exchange.