BRIDGTON — Actor and director Will Rhys will give dramatic readings of several popular Christmas tales at 4 and 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, at the Magic Lantern. Proceeds will benefit the Lakes Environmental Association, a member-supported nonprofit organization that protects water quality in the Lakes Region.

At the 4 p.m. show, which is designed for children, Rhys will bring to life Ogden Nash’s poem “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t,” Clement C. Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas” and Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The readings and performance will take about 45 minutes.

Rhys’ recording of “The Christmas that Almost Wasn’t” was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2001 in the spoken word category. Nash’s poem tells the story of a far off land called Lullapat whose Christmas celebration is threatened by the evil nephew of Lullapat’s King Oldwin. It is up to 8-year-old Nicholas Knock to save the day by enlisting the might of Good King Wenceslaus.

At the 7 p.m. performance, Rhys will dramatize Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” This is a solo interpretation of Dickens’ immortal classic in which Rhys plays all the parts. The length of this “low-tech” performance (no sound effects, no gimmicks) will be about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Rhys was a founding member of The National Theatre of the Deaf and also was a resident director and later artistic director of The Cleveland Play House, where he appeared in more than 40 productions and directed another 20. He also has appeared in the Broadway productions of “The Changing Room” and “Jumpers” and in the off-Broadway productions of “The Balcony,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Three Valises” and recently, “The Velvet Weapon.”  He has worked at regional theaters across the country and has been a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island, Case Western Reserve University, Hendrix College and Williams College. He now lives in Bridgton with his wife, Nancy, and their springer spaniel, Chace.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at the LEA, Cool Moose and Magic Lantern. Seating is limited. The Magic Lantern is at 9 Depot St.