Several Archbold and Archbold-area actors have featured roles in the Archbold Community Theatre’s production, “Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus.”

The play is based on a 1897 event in when an eight-yearold girl, Virginia O’Hanlon, wrote a letter to the editor of The Sun, a New York City newspaper, and asked about the existence of Santa Claus. Her father always said, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”

She told the editor her friends had said there was no Santa.

Francis P. Church, a Sun editorial writer, told Virginia in an editorial, Santa Claus does exist, “as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.”

The ACT production of the stage play features Kate Nofziger and MacKenna Whitacre as the friends who deny Santa, Jan Delaney as Mama O’Hanlon, and David Stuckey as Virginia’s father. All are from Archbold.

Randy Rohrs, Ridgeville Corners, plays the role of editor of The New York Sun. Adrienne Schmucker, Wauseon, plays Virginia’s teacher. Lydia Babcock, Napoleon, plays Virginia.

Other Archbold players are Jeff Patterson as Father Michael, Donna Kinsman as Mrs. Madison, and John Taquino as Lige.

Michelle Johnson, Wauseon, is the director. She is assisted by Ed Mooney, Continental.

Shawn Liechty, Bill Phelps, Steve Van Sickle, Johnson, and Mooney are building the set.

ACT performs “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2- 3, 9-10, and Sunday, Dec. 11.