Adult Christmas

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.

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 ...

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...

24 pages

3 m, 2 w, 1 boy, 2 girls.

Overworked and over-committed, Jim and Mary McIntyre are frazzled! Their three kids are acting up and they've got a thousand and one things to do at the church for Christmas. Instead of feeling the joy of the season, they're feeling resentment. Enter Mason Angel, a stranger whose car broke down at just the right time and just the right place. Taken in by the kind family, Mason shows them the perfect peace they all seek. He reminds them that serving the church is not the same as serving Christ, the Savior, who died for us. By following their individual calling...

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.

40 pages

4 m, 6 w

Ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of Mary and Joseph along the nativity trail? Stargazer Holy Land Tours promises that you will experience what it was like as you journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, just like they did over 2,000 years ago. Not only will you step where they stepped, but you will do it in style. The tour promises luxury yurts, the finest Jewish cuisine, and an expert tour guide. But sometimes the amenities in the brochure are just too good to be true. Join the retired pastor and his wife, a newlywed couple, a travel critic, a photographer, a...

36 pages

2 m, 7 w, 3 boys, 2 girls, optional extras.

Two ladies in a rest home are arguing. Florence, who has never had a real family Christmas, fantasizes that a family would come along and take her in for the holiday, but of course no family would put themselves out that way. Yes, they would, says her roommate Myrna who has had years of storybook Christmases with her five children. To prove their differing viewpoints, they invent the fictitious Genevieve, a little old lady in a rest home near Myrna's children in Idaho. If one of them will agree to take “her” in, Florence will really believe in Christmas. Dram...

40 pages

2 m, 7 w, 3 b, 2 g + extras if desired.

Florence and Myrna, residents of a rest home in Pasadena, make up a story to test Myrna's children. Florence has never had a real family Christmas. Myrna had years of storybook Christmases with her five children who live in Idaho, but now her health needs have brought her to a warmer climate. Florence fantasizes that a family would come along and take her in for Christmas, but of course no family would put themselves out that way. Yes, they would, says Myrna, her children would. She taught them to be caring in just that way. "Would not," says Florence. "Would...

17 pages

5 m, 4 w, 2 flex, doubling possible.

Strangers meet at an inn in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. They all had things they wished to give Him but one by one, they gave their gifts to needy people. Finally, as a group, they decide to go to the stable and seek out the baby with the one thing they have left to give - their love. A symbolic story which shows that we are all strangers, in a way, until we meet through the person of Jesus Christ. An optional nativitiy scene creates a beautiful ending. Performance time: 25 minutes.

24 pages

1 w, 1 flexible

This is the story of two displaced people: Esther, an escapee from a nursing home, and Nathan, a young runaway who is fresh to the streets. They break into an apartment and she feeds Nathan a meal he will never forget. Together they create memories, making up events that they each wish would have happened, from merry Christmas holidays to lazy summer days at baseball games. The more they pretend, the more we see that Esther misses her family members who have passed away and that Nathan is deeply hurt by his divorcing parents. The memories they create will tak...

11 pages

2 m, 2 w, 1 flexible and chorus

Using historical and contemporary voices, "Supplicants: An Advent Drama" broaches thought-provoking Advent themes that are often overlooked during the holiday season. The play's characters, including a Hebrew man circa 10 BCE, a present-day businessman, a physician, a soldier, and a homeless woman, anticipate deliverance from distress even as they despair of present circumstances. The play features non-denominational Christian spiritual issues and is appropriate for family audiences. About 20 minutes.

28 pages

Flexible Cast and staging

As "The Reluctant Shepherd," ten-year-old Toby invents numerous excuses to keep from participating in the live nativity at his church. Later, standing on the cold hillside under the sparkling stars, Toby and the other shepherds bring the true meaning of Christmas to life for passing motorists.

A well used crèche helps bring calm to the chaos as two exuberant children decorate for Christmas without adult supervision. The nativity figures, though scratched and broken, can be used, "One ...

17 pages

5 m, 7 w, extras.

Here's the story of a woman of Bethlehem so caught up in the activities of the day that she missed the very first Christmas. It is also the story of some of the people of our own time who almost miss Christmas for the same reason. A closing nativity scene blends both contemporary and Biblical characters to give a meaningful message. Ten carols add to the beauty of this program. Performance time: 50 minutes. 

23 pages

4 m, 7 w, 2 boys, 1 girl.

Looking for a play that will bring forth the holiness of the season and unite your congregation as never before? This exquisitely moving play is our choice. The Grant family is a family divided. Mrs. Grant and the daughters are strong Christians, but they can't convince Bruce Grant or son, B.J., of the importance of God in their lives - until a heart attack lands Bruce in the hospital shortly before Christmas. There he and B.J. meet other faithful Christians. But it isn't until they get to know Thad, a critically ill little boy whose dying wish is to see Chri...

26 pages

5 m, 5 w, 2 flexible, 1 girl

It's Christmas Eve and Jonathan is looking forward to a quiet family celebration with his wife Michelle and daughter Cissy. This idea comes to a screeching halt when, unbeknownst to him, Michelle invites his mountain family to come down for the holiday. These good folks turn up bearing, not only gifts, but a rocking chair (for Pappy's sciatica) and a live turkey for Christmas dinner. When another high-society guest shows up unexpectedly, the mountain folk eagerly pitch in to help. After all, that's what family is for. Unfortunately, their backwoods ways raise...