Adult Christmas

19 pages

2 m, 2 w, 1 teen g, 3 b, 2 g, extras.

How do you explain to three kids that from now on, every Christmas might be a Christmas apart? Ever since Lee Ann and the children started going to church, husband Jake has felt alone and unhappy, so he's moved out. It's arranged that he'll visit with the children early on Christmas Eve, then drop them at the church for the pageant they're in. Maybe he'll even stay for it. God once sent an angel to Joseph to explain the importance of creating a family. This time another "angel" brings that message to Jake. A sensitive, deeply religious play which deals with t...

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...

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...

28 pages

3 m, 3 w, 1 teen g, 1 boy, extras

Ordinary people pull us into their lives as they endure the hectic days before Christmas. A mother is expecting, but the baby's father has left her. Little Jacob is being bullied, while Sara is trying to get through her teen years. Sara's parents are stressed over her attitudes and the holidays. Kathy thinks Christmas is about the gifts, while a homeless man has lost everything. These characters may have closed minds and hearts, but finally, and reassuringly, all find Christmas joy. While keeping Baby Jesus as the true reason for the season, we see that figur...

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...

19 pages

2 m, 2 w

Perhaps the most perfect Christmas parable ever written is O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi." In this one-act play version is the timeless story of Della and Jim, a struggling young couple who seek to give the other the ideal Christmas gift. They barter their most valued possessions to purchase each other's gifts: Della's beautiful long hair for a watch fob and chain, Jim's watch for a tortoise shell comb set for Della. While the physical gifts prove useless, their love is enriched beyond measure. About 35 minutes. 

21 pages

6 m (with doubling), 3 w, 1 adult flexible, 1 boy, 2 girls.

See the Nativity through the eyes of a family in the second century, "new" Christian believers in awe of the recent miraculous events. Jacob, a middle-aged shepherd, visits the home of Gaspar and Vashem and their children. The children demand Jacob tell the story of his grandfather, one of the shepherds who was visited by the angels announcing the birth of Baby Jesus. Vashem then tells the next story, that of the innkeeper. Finally Gaspar relates the story of his grandfather Melchoir, one of the wise men, and how he asked for a small strip of Jesus' blanket. ...