Adult Christmas

24 pages

6 m, 4 w.

The Murphys are back in another heartwarming, spiritual comedy. (Meet them in "A Christmas Rapture".) This year they get a lot more than they bargained for when they adopt a nursing home patient for the Christmas holidays. What was hoped to be an opportunity to minister turns into a trial of their faith when Gus Swanson (better known as Grumpy Gus) arrives. Bitter and hardened from a past hurt, Gus makes life miserable for anyone around him. But the faith of teenage Denita Murphy and an unexpected reunion between Gus and a young evangelist, show us the healin...

53 pages

11 m, 10 w, 3 boys, and 12 flexible (With doubling, 4 m, 3 w, 1 boy, 6 flexible)

Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser, choosing to spend Christmas Eve alone instead of with his cheerful nephew, Fred. That night, he is visited by his old colleague, Jacob Marley, who explains that three ghosts will come. After seeing his Christmas Past, Present, and Future, Scrooge awakens with renewed faith. In his redemption, he embraces family and friends and gives generously, forever changed. Following the story of Charles Dickens’s "A Christmas Carol," this unique version incorporates singing narrators, traditional carols, and continuous action on ...

44 pages

7 m, 9 w

Marcy Bradford, a self-centered movie star, is distraught over being delayed at the airport on Christmas Eve with the possibility of being late for her performances. Add to that the antics of three senile, sweet old ladies, two small-time thieves and a doctor and his wife trying to get away on a long overdue vacation and you see the tension rising. Both Marcy's mother and secretary try to remind her of what Christmas used to be like before her fame. With the help of a missionary couple coming home after four years in Africa, and Jimmy, a homeless man (really ...

20 pages

3 m, 5 w, numerous extras, choirs, optional pianist

Convinced that God doesn’t really care about the elderly, 84-year-old Beatrice has become the resident Scrooge of her nursing home. No matter what her roommate says, or what Bible stories the expectant nurse’s aide reads, Beatrice is adamant. “God doesn’t care about the elderly. His supposed only Son didn’t even live past 33 years, so how does He know what it’s like to be old!?” she declares. But during a church service she reluctantly attends, she falls asleep and dreams of bits and pieces of the Christmas story she is hearing, scenes of the nativity involvi...

32 pages

6 m, 5 w.

The wealthy Hendersons have mounted a large, brightly lit Christmas star on their roof, and they do believe it will attract everyone's attention. It does - only not the way the Hendersons intended! In the middle of trying to tell their maid they're not interested in going to a Christmas Eve service with her, a big snowstorm hits. The Henderson's star becomes a beacon for their neighbor, Angela; two homeless men, the Wise cousins; Pastor Shepherd; and a retired couple who used to manage a motel. From this merry menagerie the Hendersons find out why their Chris...

44 pages

7 m, 11 w.

An arguing couple, a hypochondriac, a singer who won't stop humming scales, two selfish daughters bent on putting their mother in a rest home, and other colorful characters are stranded at a remote mission house when their bus breaks down. Tired, cold, and a little put out, they only seek food and shelter until they can be on their way again. But the two ladies running the house are on a mission from above to provide not only food for the body, but more importantly, food for the soul as well. That's not so easy, especially when the old Scrooge who holds the l...

40 pages

3 m, 5 w, 2 flexible, 1 young child

The lives and struggles of several individuals come together in this light-hearted story when popular radio psychologist, Dr. Terri, decides to hide out at the Pear Tree Inn. Facing burnout and questioning the value of her career, she longs to be a normal person again. At the inn she meets Beverly, a retired school teacher who feels unappreciated and useless and who spends her days reading the newspaper and listening to her favorite talk show host — Dr. Terri. Beverly's daughter Lisa and husband David, owners of the inn, have problems of their own since compe...

40 pages

8 m, 8 w, 1 flexible, 1 child.

This is the first Christmas Tim and Lisa have ever spent with both of their families together under one roof. It could be explosive since Tim's upper income family objects to his marriage to Lisa, who comes from a religious farm family. There are plenty of tense and hilarious moments that put the young couple's marriage to the test. Besides the obvious friction between the parents, a nosy neighbor and her henpecked husband are on the lookout for any signs of crime, and eccentric Grandma and Grandpa arrive having just escaped from their nursing home. Then add ...

47 pages

6 m, 4 w, 2 teen girls.

If putting on the church's Christmas play isn't hectic enough under normal circumstances, Randy Rogers has the added problem of whether to use two new members. Fred and Royce Fink are ready to act, but they are so comical and bumbling, the other church members don't want them anywhere around, much less with major roles! Even Randy starts to doubt his decision of including them when he sees what a disaster the play is turning into. But when the Royce brothers accept Christ, they step into their greatest roles - that of showing us the joys of acceptance and for...

52 pages

Widely flexible cast (suggested minimum 4 m, 4 w, 1 narrator, 3 children)

These 12 Yuletide sketches will provide an evening of laughter while never losing sight of the holiness of the season. With flexible casting and only a chair or bench for scenery, they're just right for any stage and ideal for dinner theatre. On this visit to Christmastown you'll meet some passersby in a park who tell you what Christmas really means to them and some strangers waiting for a bus who give gifts to each other, inspired by a little girl's doll. Find out what the wise men were thinking, at least when they are portrayed by three 10-year-olds in thei...

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...

31 pages

4 m, 6 w, extras.

Everyone wants this year's Christmas pageant at church done right - that means done their way! As the committee members argue over ideas at a fruitless (and funny!) meeting, they realize the Baby Jesus prop for the nativity can't be located. Finally it is found on top of some old records about the church's very first Christmas pageant, and everyone realizes they had lost sight of keeping Christ in Christmas. Lots of humor with an optional ending for a nativity scene and carol. Performance time: 40 minutes (or longer with optional nativity scene).

28 pages

3 m, 4 w.

Kyle is bringing home his fiancee, Katie, a very religious young woman, over Christmas and the Murphys dread it. Talk about a damper on the holidays. Grandma won't even be able to eat her rum balls in peace! When Kyle and Katie start talking about the rapture, the adults exit fast. Soon the young couple take the other children outside to see the snow. At that moment an unexpected power outage hits and in the dark, empty house, the Murphys think the rapture may have actually happened!  Performance time: 30 minutes.

29 pages

4 m, 5 w

The kids are coming home from college and the Air Force so Marsha Givens wants this Christmas to be perfect. That's why she's un-invited the lonely neighbor, who usually spends the holiday with them, and even told the minister they won't attend Christmas service. But everything goes haywire when Grandma and Grandpa (without his hearing aid!) decide to visit and the kids each bring extra guests, one of whom has never been to church. It's chaos and comedy as Marsha finally discovers what really makes a perfect Christmas. Easy living room set.  Performance time:...

52 pages

5 m, 5 w, 2 flexible. Doubling possible.

Come on back to a simpler time and visit the folks at Juneberry this Christmas! Things seem peaceful at the courthouse on Christmas Eve, and Sheriff Randy Baylor thinks that is mighty fine. His deputy, Arnie Nife, couldn't disagree more. Arnie is tired of the lack of action happening in the small town. Even locking up Curtis, the town drunk, isn't exactly cheering him up. When a few robberies start getting reported and a couple of carolers go missing while singing for the town, boring Juneberry gets real busy, real fast! Come join the citizens of Juneberry, w...