When six of the worst behaved children decide to attend church for the first time, they are wrangled into a holiday program. The event's organizers soon discover that their rowdy new cast members may very well destroy the event.

Audiences soon will learn whether these youngsters will stage a Yuletide disaster or possibly save the show when the University of Houston's Theatre for Young Audiences presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."

Based on Barbara Robinson's popular 1972 book, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" has remained a holiday theater staple.

Directed by Carolyn Houston Boone, associate professor of theater, the comic play is aimed at family audiences. Selected performances will be presented to local schools, and educators will be given Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills-based classroom materials and activities connected with the play.

The performance schedule for "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is as follows:

• For families and individuals: 1 p.m., Nov. 21, Dec. 5. Tickets are $5 for children and $10 for adults.
• For schools: 10 a.m. and 12: 30 p.m., Nov. 20, Dec. 4. Tickets are $6. Groups receive one ticket free for every 10 purchased.

The UH School of Theatre & Dance offers bachelor's and master's degrees in theater and teacher certifications in dance. Its graduate program consists of a master of arts in theater and masters of fine arts in theater with specializations in acting, directing and design. Each fall and spring, the school produces five plays performed in the Wortham Theatre and the Jose Quintero Theatre, two dance concerts, four graduate directing projects, two Theatre for Young Audiences plays and the Houston Shakespeare Festival each summer. The school has benefitted from notable star faculty such as Lanford Wilson, Sir Peter Hall and Jose Quintero. Among its faculty are Tony Award-winning playwright Mark Medoff, Tony Award-winning producer Stuart Ostrow and Broadway dramaturg Mark Bly. For details on UH's School of Theatre & Dance, visit www.theatredance.uh.edu.

For more information about UH, visit the university's Newsroom at www.uh.edu/newsroom.