Bridgewater-Raritan High School

New school year, new faces in the cast and crew and a new fall play.

At Bridgewater-Raritan High School, one constant is the production of the highly successful Theatre Arts program.

The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Theatre Arts program does not rebuild—it reloads.

This elite group of Theatre Arts students, steered by its dedicated director, Heather Diaflori-Day, is now rehearsing and prepping with its usual confidence and work ethic.

They assemble at the end of the school day in the high school auditorium to practice and fine-tune their performance in the 2026 Fall Play —A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas.

The three-day performance is scheduled for Thursday, December 3, through Saturday, December 5, in the high school’s refurbished auditorium. The curtain will rise each evening at 7 o’clock.

Tickets are $15 at the door or online at Tickets for A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas

Bridgewater-Raritan senior residents will be admitted free with proof of residence at the door that evening.

The Theatre Arts program is coming off a 2025-2026 school year that featured two significant performances—The Outsiders, which was the Fall Play last December, and the Spring Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, produced this past April.

Both performances received glowing reviews, which is not lost on three of the leading characters in A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas.

Sophomore Patrick Abdelmaseeh will portray Ebenezer Scrooge, while fellow sophomore Jacob Rizkalla will play Bob Cratchit, and veteran Aaron Weinstein, a senior, will portray Bert (Fruit & Cider Vendor), the Ghost of Christmas Present.

They are fully aware that they and their fellow cast and crew members must keep the strong tradition of the Theatre Arts rolling when they spoke at a recent afternoon rehearsal in the auditorium

Or, as Jacob declared, “We have to keep the ball rolling.”

“We have to keep the momentum from last year going,” Jacob added. “We have set the bar high.”

Aaron, who is joined in the cast by his younger sister, junior Zoe Weinstein, who plays Mrs. Fezziwig/Mother, and his younger brother, freshman Nathan Weinstein, who portrays Peter Cratchit, has been starring on stage throughout his scholastic career.

And he knows what makes this group tick so well.

“The key to success is the new students buying into our team mentality,” Aaron said. “We are one unit, and everyone buys into that.”

The cast and crew will be in a holiday spirit when they work as one team to produce this iconic Christmas show.

“A Christmas Carol is a story that continues to resonate with audiences because of its message of kindness, generosity, and second chances,” Ms. Diaforli-Day said. “Our students are working hard to bring this classic story to life, creating the world of Victorian London and the memorable characters who make Scrooge’s journey meaningful. I hope audiences enjoy the magic of the holiday season with us and leave reminded of how even small acts of kindness can make a difference.”

“This is an exciting time to perform this play during the Christmas season,” Patrick said.

“Christmas is my favorite time of the year,” Jacob revealed. “This should be exciting.”

And expect a wonderful performance, too.

Here are the Bridgewater-Raritan High School students who make up the cast and crew for A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas.