Pierce is very familiar with “A Christmas Story,” as he was the narrator in the play about 15 years ago. Now he gets a chance to see it from a different lens.

“When the opportunity came up, they asked me to direct. I was very excited about it — to look at it from a different perspective,” Pierce said.

Pierce added that when he was on stage as the narrator, he noticed there were aspects about the play he may have changed, and now he has the opportunity.

While the movie version is very popular, the play is based on Jean Shepherd’s book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash,” which was originally published in 1966.

Elijah Evans as Ralphie, prepares to show Aunt Clara’s gift in a scene from “A Christmas Story” to be performed at Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown.

“A Christmas Story” will be performed at Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown, 18 E. Second St., and according to the theatre’s website, lbltj.com, Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Higbee’s Department Store. … All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; and Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios.

“We are thrilled to be bringing back this holiday classic to our stage. It feels like the perfect way to cap off the 2023 season and hope that everyone makes plans to come see this production. It’s certain to get you in the holiday spirit,” said Holly Weston, Lucille Ball Little Theatre president.

And Pierce likes to help his cast members be better actors by letting them grow into their characters.

“I give them an outline of what I want the character to be. And then I want them to build around that character using props. I’m a stickler for lines. I’m going to make sure that what the author wrote is what we’re saying,” Pierce said.

Pierce said he also lets the actors try different things on stage, and if they go too far, he pulls them back. Ultimately, he wants the actors to have fun with their parts.

“We have a great cast that likes to do those things,” the director added.

The cast includes Matt Smith as the Narrator Ralph; Elijah Evans as Ralphie; Cathy Caster as Mother; Jon Thompson as the Old Man; Matthew Hughes as Randy; Patti Culliton as Miss Shields; Grady Caster as Flick; Xander Glaser as Schwartz; Lydia Pound and Alexis Darling as Esther Jane; Parker Tomaszewski and Eliana Jones as Helen Weathers; Justine Russ as Scut Markus; and Chris Case as Santa Claus. The ensemble includes Caroline Case, Mira Johnson, Myles Glaiser, Gavin Glaiser, Selah Anica Mason, Adam Hughes, Kennedy Tomaszewski, and Kiarah Marucci.

The aspect Pierce likes most about directing is building the production.

“I like the process, even more than I like the show,” Pierce noted.

Pierce said he likes to watch the play grow from when the actors first come in for their first read through, to putting the set together, to watching get their props, and then putting the sections together so patrons can enjoy a quality production.

The director noted that in the play there will be a lot of laughs, and patrons will hear many of the iconic lines, but he would not give away any of them.

“You’ll see how the cast has brought their own personality to the characters,” he said. “We do stay as true to the script, and as true to the book, and the movie as possible. If you don’t have the Christmas spirit when you come in, you’ll have the Christmas spirit when you leave,”

“A Christmas Story” is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.; and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.

For more information visit lbltj.com or email boxoffice@lbltj.com.