Each and every December, you can almost set your watch by the literal onslaught of theaters doing versions of Mr. Charles Dickens’ classic but wildly overdone tale, “A Christmas Carol.”

Which is why it’s such a relief when an alternative comes along. Such is the case with the Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s holiday choice, “A Christmas Story.” The Rep’s cast and crew bring to life the timeless 1983 film, which was originally based on a book of short stories by Jean Shepherd called “In God We Trust (All Others Pay Cash).”

Rather than a body-less narrator describing the action, our adult Ralphie Parker (Chris Bradley) is right there—smack dab in the middle of the action, but invisible to everyone else in his memory, even his 11-year-old self. The year is 1939, and Ralphie (big brother to whiny but cherubic Randy, played adorably by Maximillian Kent) wants one thing and one thing only—say it with me—an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot-range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time in the stock!! (Repeated so often you literally CAN recite it by the end of the tale!)

During his desperate quest—from trying to persuade his teacher, Miss Shields (Carolyn Hause, who, in a softer demeanor and wardrobe, also plays Mother), to inundating his parents with ads, and even going straight to the big man himself, Santa—he is told the same thing over and over again: “You’ll put your eye out.”

The play shows us several steps and stages that a boy of that age endures. Ralphie is perpetually embarrassed by The Old Man (Ed Batchelder), and he must alternately deal with a crush from a girl and the neighborhood bully. He is sure that his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring will unlock the key to life, but it turns out to be just a crappy piece of plastic—much like a lot of the other things he’s sure will make his life perfect.

However, a number of good things come to Ralphie this Christmas. He notices Esther-Jane’s cuteness, realizes that he does, in fact, want his father’s respect, and realizes that he actually has faith in his father. And, his mother proves willing to forgive something normally considered a MAJOR no-no.

Carolyn Hause and Ed Batchelder play the cranky but happily married couple in such synchronization that it’s surprising to realize these two are performing for the first time together. Hause, in particular, deserves credit for her ability to flick from a warm, patient mother to a ruler-wielding teacher (and, in one fantasy, to the Wicked Witch of the West) in a matter of mere moments, flawlessly returning to each character just as she’d left it. Batchelder’s hearty and hale, I-am-the-head-of-this-family is also seamless, but you can also sense the sweet heart beneath the tough surface, and the big dependence he has on his wife and her quiet strength.

Michael Rothstein conveys all of Ralphie’s anxieties and frustrations during this difficult time. His diction, as well as most of the children’s, could use a little work, but it’s an awfully big space, and filling it is an equal job for little voices.

Chris Bradley, as the grown-up Ralphie and several smaller roles, shows us a quieter, more thoughtful, but no less enthusiastic side to his range. He is clearly caught up in the nostalgia of this special Christmas, where he learned that a plastic spider can be a beautiful gift and a fishnet-covered plastic leg lamp is NOT a “major award.” Every beat of the story is caressed with the fondness of his tone, wrapping the whole thing together in one big bow.

The remarkably efficient and impressive set, by Robert Mark Morgan, is a wonder in and of itself, and costume designer Sarah Johnson really did her homework. Most of all, stage manager Lauri Gagnon made sure that the many trains running in this story all stayed on track and came in on time—quite a trick for a tale with as many facets as this one.

“A Christmas Story” runs through Dec. 30 at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Showtimes are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Call 603-433-4472 for reservations.