The Studio Theatre in Bath is spicing up the holidays next weekend with their fourth annual Twisted Christmas performance. The show begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3 at Winter Street Center in Bath, and features an ensemble cast of Studio Theatre performers and other community members. The theme of the night is improv comedy, and audience members are encouraged to play along as they sip drinks from the cash bar and breathe easy knowing their kids are home with the babysitter.

Though Christmas is a season of family, director Tamara Lilly of Studio Theatre stressed that sometimes a night out just for the grown ups is needed.

“It felt like there were a lot of family oriented shows this time of year,” said Lilly. “We were thinking that one area that Christmas doesn’t cover was a fun grown up show.”

Lilly said that the skits are takes on traditional holiday stories, with a little adult humor sprinkled in.

“We just want to be funny,” Lilly said. “There’s some improv, some planned skits, musical acts with bluesy and rock music. The songs will be standards like ‘12 Days of Christmas’ with different words or different from the tune you might be accustomed to.”

Members of the audience are invited to take part in the skits and songs throughout the show, but participation is not mandatory. One part of the show that is particularly fun for the audience, Lilly said, is a karaoke sing-along.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Lilly. “The audience can expect some staples that we do year to year, but there are new things that we be offering as well.”

One of the newcomers will be Studio Theatre president Marc Rodriguez, who is directing and playing music for the show.

“I had personally never been that big of a fan of variety shows, and I didn’t even attend Twisted Christmas the first couple of years,” said Rodriguez. “I went for the first time last year and was delighted at how wrong I was. It was the most fun I’d had at a theatrical performance.”

Rodriguez said what really drew him in was the human element of the show, which “sort of gets away from the fantastical elements that often come along with Christmas.”

“You can laugh at what’s going on and laugh at yourself, and you actually believe what you’re seeing. It’s very genuine and enjoyable.”

Lilly said that while the premise of the evening might sound racy, it’s really just a bit of good natured fun.

“When we say ‘grown up piece,’ you’re not sure where it’s going to go,” Lilly said. “There’s some wordplay and some innuendo. Treat it a little bit like going to a party. When you get the right people in the room, anything can happen.”

The audience has been very responsive in the past, Lilly said, and she doesn’t expect that to change this year. The Winter Street Center seats 100 people, and she expects those seats to be full.

Lilly stressed that of the major draws is the fact that so many different folks come to her with ideas, thus increasing the surprises, twists and turns of the show.

“It’s a little bit like how I make chili,” said Lilly. “People approach me with act ideas, and then rehearse on their own. We put it all together a couple days before the show.”

But Lilly warned that when people come to her with acts heavy on explicit language or themes, she will most likely turn them down.

“It’s more about the innuendo,” Lilly said. “That makes it a lot more fun.”

Ticket’s to Twisted Christmas are $15, and can be purchased at the Winter Street Center door on Dec. 3 and 4, or online at studiotheatrebath.com. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.

bgoodridge@timesrecord.com