Many people have that friend like Mary, someone who loved the holidays so much she would wear jingle bell earrings and a leopard print Santa hat. Then she has to witness her fiancé kissing another woman and “every holiday since then has sucked.” Thus begins “The 12 Dates of Christmas.”

Pullman Civic Theatre will show the production this weekend as a side project from the theater’s normal lineup. A comedy show, it follows 30-something-year-old Mary and her misadventures in the year following her failed engagement.

Mary’s sister Exercise Sally says, “You kiss a dozen frogs before you get a prince.” In Mary’s case, this becomes true as she goes through numerous match-ups organized by her family.

“It’s kind of a fun mashup of Valentine’s Day and Christmas and a whole bunch of everything in between,” said co-director Kami Cornwall, who plays Mary.

The unique thing about “The 12 Dates of Christmas” is that not only is it written to be a one woman show, it is played out as a Reader’s Theatre production. This means that the actors onstage have their scripts in their hands during the entirety of the show.

Reader’s Theatre gives an advantage to put together a show quickly but still treat everything like a normal show process. The actors still move around onstage, almost pretending as though the scripts aren’t in their hands. They even perform a kickboxing scene while juggling the binders with their lines.

At first, Cornwall was the director and the other characters were played by Char Fluster. The show would’ve played out to be an hour’s worth of Mary’s monologues coupled with her mimicking the various people in her life, Cornwall said.

This was changed during the rehearsal process to make Cornwall Mary and Fluster playing the other 12 roles that represented Mary’s friends and family.

“I thought it would be fun to see another actor,” Fluster said. “The first time I read (the script) my first reaction was (it’s) very fun and very sweet.”

To constantly change and distinguish between these various characters, Fluster changes the accent, the way she moves, and sometimes hints certain characters by using a jacket or hat. Some of it depends on audience imagination to see these different characters.

Among the dozen characters Fluster plays is Mary’s Aunt Kathy, the self-proclaimed matchmaker of the family who tries to hook up anybody that’s single. This not only includes Mary but also people like the grocery bagger boy at the store, Fluster said.

Aunt Kathy and Mary’s mother spend most of the show trying to help Mary get a new man in her life. The resulting scenes are comedic to the audience while Mary is simply infuriated with her relatives, Cornwall said.

“I’m doing my best not to laugh,” she said. “If you see me, and I look angry, I’m doing a good job.”

While nobody in a relationship would want to see what Mary saw, Cornwall said if she ever saw her husband kiss another woman she’d have very strong words for him and then never speak to him again.

“I had a lot of weird dates (before) finally meeting my husband,” Cornwall said. “The dating life was crazy and I’m glad I’m not there anymore.”

Mary’s situation may not be as exaggerated as one would think. Fluster said Mary’s life is relatable, from family getting involved to experiencing a crazy date or two.

Fluster’s view on Valentine’s Day is pretty cynical, but she finds the play fun. Cornwall said she likes the idea of having a holiday to celebrate love for one another, but she hopes people choose to show love all the rest of the year.

“It can be sad for people who feel like they need a date to make this day fun,” Cornwall said. “That’s the point of what Mary has to say about it.”

Beneath the wacky events of the year, the root of Mary’s distress is she has to go through the holidays single again, an idea she doesn’t like. Her personality greatly differs from Cornwall, who described herself as a calmer person.

“She’s a real ballsy New Yorker, full of angst and spitting vinegar,” Cornwall said. “Hopefully I pull that off effectively.”

“The 12 Dates of Christmas” will show at Pullman Civic Theatre Feb. 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 if bought in advance at pullmancivictheatre.org and $15 at the door.