Adult Christmas

33 pages

5 m, 6 w, 1 child.

The Shepherds are a family in name only. Tyler, a minister who's lost sight of his calling, and Dylan, a cynical news reporter who rejects all religion, are brothers who cannot get along even when their parents and wives try to get them to work out their differences. Needless to say, fireworks are set when Dylan is assigned to cover the Christmas cantata at Tyler's church where a well-known (but self-centered) gospel singer is going to appear. When every detail has to be perfect, everything that can go wrong does. But thanks to the help of a stranger named Ma...

36 pages

7 m, 5 w, 9 flexible.

A group of young people from church have won the honor of decorating the grounds in front of city hall for Christmas, but when they put up the manger scene, an atheist businessman objects. Meanwhile, a younger sister of one of the group wages a persistent attack on the walls of anger that a grumpy neighbor has erected. The kids fight a losing battle for the right to keep the religious decorations and finally decide they themselves will be a living nativity scene on Christmas Eve. Forced to stop by city officials, they are invited to create the manger scene on...

43 pages

3 m, 2 w

Mary’s best friend, Yana, and Joseph’s best friend, Mendel, succeed in getting their friends together. And so begins a betrothal period in anticipation of a Jewish wedding. Joseph and Mary get to know one another better during the betrothal, and love grows. Joseph is also hard at work on an addition to his home in preparation for Mary to take up residence there. Everyone’s plans change, however, when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary with the news that she will bear the Messiah. Mary’s pregnancy scandalizes the town, strains friendships, and threatens to end ...

16 pages

2 m, 8 w (doubling possible) 1 b, 1 g, and carolers

This turn-of-the-century Christmas is going to be a white one for bachelor Robert Kelley: white because his white lie has caught up with him! His boss, who only hires family men, wants to meet Robert's wife and kids. Robert decides to rent a family but has to disqualify several zany applicants. He is desperate until he spies sweet Mary O'Riley selling fruit. This one-act play is lighthearted, easy-to-stage and includes suggestions for favorite carols as well as one new song. 

48 pages

4 m, 6 w

Rev. Sarah, the minister of a small-town church, finds Christmas barreling down on her. Like everyone, she, too, is caught in the trap of commercialization where everything has to be bigger and better, including the Christmas Eve service. But how is she supposed to get it all done? Her crisis peaks moments before the service is to begin when, feeling totally uninspired, she finds out the kids who were supposed to present the nativity are stranded and won't make it in time. Her salvation comes from the most unlikely characters: John, the old maintenance man; C...

25 pages

4 m, 3 w.

It's Christmas Eve and successful businessman Thomas Benson is having the worst day of his life. His wife announces she is leaving with their pregnant teenage daughter to live with relatives where they will be away from his condemnation, and his accountant has news from the IRS that may make Thomas' business go belly-up. How could life get any worse? Utterly depressed and defeated, he passes out that night at the office. Then two born-again ex-con janitors in Santa hats appear on the scene. Can the lovable duo change Thomas's Christmas? With their help, he ex...

56 pages

6 m, 5 w, 1 extra, 1 boy, 1 girl

Grandpa, along with Luke, Ellen, and their two teens, fly to Texas to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the family. Grandpa's other son is a real down-home cowboy, and, unbeknownst to everyone else, has recently gotten married. His new wife, a former New Yorker and Jewish, is a recent convert to Christianity. She very likeable, but the family can't understand half the words she's saying! Even more puzzling is her teenage son, who misses the big city, resists speaking to anyone, and is on a "religious break." Family confusion rises to new heights when Grand...

33 pages

5 m, 6 w, 2 boys, 4 girls, extras.

Some 10 years earlier a dying little boy taught B.J. Grant, a skeptical teenager, about Christ ("To See Christ at Christmas"). Now a youth minister, B.J. gets a chance to do the same. He arranges a Christmas church camp where Gary, a lonely boy, finds love in the family of Christ, and Mae, the camp director, finds the courage to go on. Ending allows for optional Christmas program of your choice. Very touching. Performance time: 35 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...

15 pages

7 m, 7 w, 6 flexible parts.

The Spirit of Giving appears in court to prove he is the true spirit of Christmas. Using scenes from three modern homes, he exposes the ever-popular spirits of Selfishness, Greed, and Pride who try to control Christmas. Finally, Giving shows us his true spirit through the Wright family, then to Isaiah the Prophet, and finally to the first Christmas in Bethlehem. (Also non-speaking parts for nativity scene and optional choir.) Performance time: Approx. 30 minutes.

25 pages

5 m, 8 w, 5 children.

The angels who announced the coming of the Messiah proclaimed it first to some simple shepherds abiding in the fields. Here is a very special Christmas play that reminds us that sometimes the church must reach out to those in the streets around us. Bo Miles, a new Christian with a worldly past, is anxious to help with the church's outdoor nativity. The other members, who feel too busy to help, are glad to let Bo handle the job until his disreputable street friends create problems. But Bo shows everyone the true mission of the church and at the end, the local ...

26 pages

5 m, 5 w, extras as nativity characters, carolers and shoppers

Joe, deeply hurt by his daughter's rebellious marriage to Mark, has not been able to accept his son-in-law or the child which prompted the marriage. When Mark, sent by his wife, arrives at Joe's Christmas tree sales lot to give him a hand, the stage is set for a bitter confrontation. Although Joe is known for the gentle Christmas spirit he shares with his customers, he has none to offer his unwanted son-in-law. However, meeting with Miz Wilma, a social worker; Margie, a local bag lady; and others, especially after they've visited a nativity scene, start Joe t...

24 pages

2 m, 1 w, 5 children.

The Rev. Robert Harper came out West to serve the needs of other pioneer settlers, but he and his wife, Sarah, find their faith wavering. Finally, in the midst of a terrible snowstorm on Christmas Eve, after having attended to an ill woman, Robert and Sarah concede that they were naive in thinking they could withstand the harsh living conditions for themselves and their three children as well as spiritually uplift the other settlers, too. But when a neighbor goes to great trouble to deliver an unexpected box from back East, a box filled with warm clothes, foo...

43 pages

5 m, 6 w, and several flexible

Christmas is going to be a little unusual this year as the family tries to celebrate their first "official" holiday after Grandma's death. Over the past year, Grandpa, Samantha, and her teens, Mary and David, have each responded differently to their loss. Samantha has buried herself in her job at the hospital, David has quit the team, and Mary has developed an attitude. Family unity has fallen apart, but through humorous and tender moments, they try to rebuild their broken relationships. A beautiful Jesus stocking filled with love notes they have each written...

23 pages

6 adults, 2 children

The angel Gabriel has enough on his mind with lining up the Savior’s birth. He’s appeared before Mary, arranged for the Heavenly Hosts, and even ensured it will be a clear night for Jesus’s birth. All he needs to do now is figure out a plan to notify the whole Earth about the birth of the Christ child. Suddenly, Adele, Lyric and Rachel burst into Gabriel’s office complaining about the two hooligans. Hark and Harold are at it again, screaming like banshees rather than singing, creating an unexpected meteor shower, and running off to create more shenanigans. Wh...