Adult Christmas

40 pages

Very fluid cast. Minimum: 7 m, 5 w.

“The Gift of the Magi” is probably one of the most beloved stories for Christmas. It, along with two other tender stories by O. Henry, “The Last Leaf” and the lesser known “Christmas by Injunction,” are dramatized here, set in the framework of O. Henry’s life which in itself is a story. In the early 1900s he was one of the most widely read authors in America. O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter, was known, however, to have spent some time in jail for allegedly embezzling from an employer, and it is believed that he started writing there in ord...

35 pages

2 m, 2 w, 1 flexible, 1 child, extra voices

Rev. Cordell opens the play as he recalls a Christmas some 20 years earlier when he was trapped with a handful of other strangers by a blizzard in a small Oklahoma diner. He wasn't a pastor then, but a young man full of questions. Seamlessly, we join the group: the owner of the diner who is set in her ways, a middle-aged man with a secret past, an edgy newspaper reporter from out of town, and a young mother completely on her own with a small child who does not speak. No one in the lonesome diner is quite sure of the real meaning of life or where theirs should...

26 pages

1 m, 3 w, 1 flexible, 1 boy, extras

Goldie, Frank, and Myrna, three counselors at an emotional helpline, have devised a way to have Christmas Eve off this year. They have engaged Thomas Wellmore, a charming but self-centered Wall Street type, to man the phones. He willingly embraces the opportunity to “balance his karma” and “do something real at Christmas for those less fortunate.” As the evening wears on and no one calls, he becomes increasingly irritated and his true character is revealed. Then, at the stroke of midnight, a cleaning woman enters with her young son, Christopher. Though the ey...

28 pages

Flexible cast of 23 (Approx. 8 m, 9 w, 2 flexible, 4 children, extras)

The church's Christmas play rehearsal is a disaster. The actors haven't had time to learn their lines and they're tripping and falling over each other. During a much needed break, Wendy, a busy lady playing Mary, complains to the new janitor, an old man, that she feels in all the holiday hustle and bustle she has lost God. He urges Wendy to pray. She does, and with a renewed sense of hope and vigor, calls the rest of the cast back on stage. But a mishap occurs and the janitor is knocked down. As he rises, we see the nail-hole scars in the palms of his hands. ...

26 pages

4 m, 5 w, 1 child.

Merry Lane is a nursing facility the Brittenham brothers call home. Rufus, the oldest brother, is a grouch who dislikes Christmas time. Edgar, the middle brother, is a kindhearted, soft-spoken man, the peacemaker, and Percy, the youngest brother, is scatterbrained, but has a heart of gold. Despite Rufus' many objections, Percy shares story after story about their childhood. And if that isn't enough to drive Rufus crazy, the members of the Ladies Auxiliary stop in to sing Christmas carols and the young kids visit and "adopt" a grandparent. One little girl touc...

40 pages

10 m, 6 w, 11 flexible, 3 children, extras, doubling possible

Sam Nazareth is a bumbling, down-on-his-luck private eye who will be out on the streets if he doesn’t get a case soon. Enter Delilah, a mysterious young woman whose boss wants to know why a certain bright star has suddenly appeared in the sky and where it leads. In this film noir-style tale with plenty of humor Sam (including his inner voice) and friends agree to help Delilah solve the mystery. Following that bright star, they take the audience on a journey across the desert to Bethlehem where we meet two silly shepherds, a no-nonsense census taker, and an in...

34 pages

5 m, 4 w

In 1933 the Depression had taken the merriment from the holidays. After a private party cancels, diner owner Mabel decides to stay open on Christmas Eve. That’s a good thing for a gangster, two thespians, and an out-of-town couple who wind up in a small diner just to get out of the cold and warm up with a hot cup of coffee. But when an inept robber takes them hostage these strangers find a Christmas miracle. This heartwarming holiday comedy tells an offbeat story of down-and-out strangers discovering the joy of Christmas at gunpoint. About 45 minutes.

51 pages

Adults (4 m, 5 f); Teens (3 m, 4 f); Children (1 boy); flexible (4)

Christmas at Happy Valley isn't going to be so happy for Leo or his forgetful buddy Al. There're the only two residents of the retirement home not leaving to spend the holiday with family or friends. Leo especially is undone over the plans put in motion by his estranged daughter-in-law, Chelsea. In anticipation of his early demise, she has consigned him to the home and taken over his finances. Meanwhile, the activities director cons a church group into performing a Christmas program for the two old gentlemen, but at such late notice, only a handful of teens s...

28 pages

3 m, 5 w, 2 girls, 3 flex.

The Biblical story of the prodigal son is the basis for this modern-day play. Steve, a high school senior, hates living at home and wants to quit school to escape. His dad, also fed up, gives him the money he has saved for him for college. Out on the street, Steve finds he has friends - as long as he has money. At his lowest point he meets Gabby who shows him the importance of God and family. At her urging, Steve writes his parents saying if the one flickering light in their Christmas decorations is visible, he'll know he is welcome back home. A very heartwar...

64 pages

Lead roles for 7 m, 7 w, 1 boy and 2 girls.

It's December, 1944. W-O-R-D Radio station manager Arthur Kensington hopes a special show will raise the ratings and advertising dollars, but his staff is in disarray. There's a dyslexic sound man, a poetry/drama queen, and a pompous crew of actors, including one who has written a new radio play retelling the Nativity as a hard-boiled detective story. On top of that, everyone's hopes are dashed when an anticipated visit from the famous singing Andrews Sisters turns out to be the not-so-famous Epstein Cousins. Oh, and did we mention the orphans, the rival radi...

40 pages

5 m, 9 w, 2 girls

Emory and Eleanor Vanderbilt take pride in hosting their big annual Christmas Eve party for family and friends, but this year's gathering will be a life-changing event. While a snowstorm prevents most of their friends from attending, their daughters are certainly adding "life" to the party with their problems and sibling rivalry. Jocelyn, the oldest, harbors a hidden secret; Samantha's marriage is in danger; Sarah's dream of becoming a missionary is diminishing; and Esther, the youngest, rebels against almost everyone and everything, especially designer cloth...

36 pages

6 m, 6 w.

Here is a modern story of a "prodigal son" and a "prodigal father" as well. Matt McCord left home at an early age because his wealthy father, Sam, who claimed to be a Christian, was so strict. Now, years later, Matt has come home this Christmas Eve, saved and repentant of his earlier, wasted lifestyle and anxious to make peace with his family. Everyone welcomes him with open arms, but father Sam refuses - at first. But, as the family points out, Sam has been a "prodigal father" wasting the love of God and his family in favor of business concerns. Together the...

16 pages

8 m, 4 w, 4 flex, extras.

The Shoemaker and his wife want so much to have Christ visit their home during the Christmas season. They feel certain they'll know Him when He comes, but their only visitors are a poor woman and her baby, a rich old spinster, a beggar, and a young boy in trouble, all of whom they invite willingly into their home. Later in a dream, the Shoemaker sees those he helped that day worshipping at the manger where the Christ Child lay. He realizes that, through them, Christ had visited. Performance time: 30 minutes.

27 pages

7 m, 2 w, 1 boy, 1 girl.

Here's the story of a mysterious stanger who, one night, changes forever the lives of a small group of stranded travelers. Each traveler has his own fear or weakness. The cripple depends on his crutches to gain sympathy; the woman feels she must wear valuable jewerly to be worthy; the preacher has lost sight of God and can only see as far as his flask; the young husband and wife are running away, afraid to go home again. Charley, the bus station agent, uses tall tales to hide his true soul. Afraid at first of being robbed by this mysterious, bleeding man whos...

51 pages

10 m, 11 w.

A year ago two angels, Angela and Debra, found themselves on a mission to keep a homeless shelter open. They did so with the help from a busload of stranded travelers and a couple of loveable bums. Now, a year later, the angels have returned for a happy reunion party which turns into assignment number two. The shelter owner's son plans to commit his father to an asylum and sell the property for a profit. Aaron is being influenced by a demon who is posing as an attorney. It's an even tougher undertaking for Angela since the demon is one she has yet to defeat i...