Hart’s School of the Performing Arts and Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre are collaborating on “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

That’s not a critique. That’s the name of Barbara Robinson’s play about a couple trying to stage a church Christmas pageant with a young cast dominated by the Herdman children, who have a reputation for being the worst kids in town,

maybe the worst kids anywhere.

Shiloh Hart, founder of the school, said the idea was pitched by Hart’s board president Emelia Sherin to Eric Kildow, program director for Kent-Trumbull Theatre.

“She thought it would benefit both Kent-Trumbull and Hart’s,” Hart said. “That would help our business grow. And the more kids we get, the more kids we can push to Kent-Trumbull, when they graduate high school and consider going to college.”

Unlike a children’s theater production where the young performers work exclusively with their peers, this production features a mix of children of all ages and several local theater veterans, which gives the kids a chance to work with more experienced actors.

“I already put the bar pretty high, but it makes them want to leap over that bar, because they want to be just as good,” Hart said. “We have these well-seasoned actors that are just so talented that these kids are having that moment of, ‘I want to be like that. I want to do that. I want to be that good.’ It’s making the kids step their game up in the best way. They’re trying to match the adults, which is exactly what I was going for.”

The cast features Harmon Andrews, Sydney Olejnik-Thompson, Maybrie Grace, Olivia Reinhart, Sydnie Schoening, Vivian Miletta, Colton Smith, Katara Brown, Brinley Palmer, Ellie KIstler, Liz Conrad, Jessica Ludovici, Marley Bare, Piper Duncan, Rachael Conrad, Maeve McGuire, Ella Sembach, Avery Vastag, Harper Hoso, Isaahan James, Emma Hutchinson, Celyna Rosasco, Camryn Rosasco, Jonathan Bahrey, Nate Chapline, Vivianne Rossi, Aleecia Postlewait and Mara Paliswat.

In addition to opportunities for performers, Hart said she also wanted to give children experience in the tech elements of theater and has students handling or assisting with many of the production elements.

They are Connor Fitzpatrick, student director; Sophia Philips, student stage manager; Cadence Treich, student costumer; Merely Bare and Piper Duncan, student technical officers; and Jaxon Prinesky, Siyana Alayon, Milo Freel and Emma Paliswat, student crew members.

“My biggest thing for opening the school is I wanted these kids to do all parts,” Hart said. “There’s just so much more to theater than being on the stage, and I wanted to grow the school to a point where, like, the whole show was run by kids.”

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” only is running for one weekend, and Hart said advance sales are strong. It helps that a film version of Robinson’s play debuted in theaters last month, which has raised awareness for the stage version.

“I think that’s helped a lot,” Hart said. “It’s super cool to take your kids to the movies, and then you can say, ‘Oh my God, do you want to go see real people do it?’ I think it’s made a huge boost in our ticket sales.”

If you go …

WHAT: “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre, 4314 Mahoning Ave. NW, Champion

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens and $6 for children ages 12 and younger and are available online at www.kent.edu/trumbull/theatre and by calling 330-675-8887.