Children's Theatre

17 pages

1 man, 7 boys, 5 women, 1 girl, 6 flexible.

Here is a lighthearted play about a group of toys in a Christmas window display. One night after hours they come across some rather unusual visitors. As Raggedy Ann and Andy, Barbie, Cat in the Hat, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Winnie the Pooh and Queen Amadala watch the visitors in quiet wonder. When GI Joe spies shepherds and wise men approaching he shouts, "They are bringing in more troops!" Along with the toys, a little girl, with the help of the wise old shop owner, Mr. Wiggins, discovers that Christmas is about giving, not just receiving. A captivating ...

46 pages

A Collection of Skits

At last, nursery rhymes with a reason. Here are 15 skits, based on popular nursery rhymes and tales, with delightful new twists toward biblical lessons. For instance, "The Three Little Kittens" may have lost their mittens, but they end up dressed in the whole armor of God. In "The Grasshopper and the Ants," the grasshopper learns how important it is to make provisions for the future which explains why the ants collect the bread of life. In another, the Little Christian, like the little engine that could, finds he is rewarded for facing his challenges. These s...

47 pages

4 m, 5 w, 8 flexible

This stage adaptation of Frank Baum’s original story is perfect for churches and Christian schools. Dorothy, a teenager in Kansas, just isn’t interested in church anymore. In fact, she’s trying to determine what she really believes. Then in a dream, she finds she has been sent by God to a strange land, Oz, to be a missionary. Convinced she cannot accomplish the task, she is encouraged by Glinda the Good to seek the assistance of the Great Missionary in the Emerald City. On the way, she encounters three familiar characters who are also failed missionaries beca...

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.

29 pages

20 characters. (2 m, 1 w plus other parts which can be played by males or females.)

Friar Francis and Friar Juniper decide to re-enact the First Nativity for the people of their town at Christmas. They ask the nearby animals if their ancestors were at the First Nativity and could tell them what it was like. They encounter an amusing variety of creatures, reflecting a range of human follies. But the animals they encounter are all too busy with themselves to give Friar Francis what he wants. In despair, Friar Francis lies down for a nap. As he sleeps it is disclosed that Friar Juniper and all the animals have secretly been rehearsing for weeks...

41 pages

2 m, 6 w, 4 flexible, plus extras

Three teenagers are lured into malevolent Professor Carny Barker's Once-in-a-Lifetime Traveling Career Fair, where they are tempted with futures of glamour, riches and power by warped and wicked counterfeit pretenders from the medical, legal, business and military branches of Golden Calf Industries. With the oddball assistance of janitor Holly Coast, the teens avoid being trapped in a futureless fate worse than death. This modern morality play is loaded with slapstick comedy, wry satire and a flexible cast of bizarre characters, and is very easy and economical to produce.

12 pages

Large flexible cast

Preschoolers and children in lower grades will enjoy performing in this gentle and delightful Christmas pageant. Like many mothers of new babies, Mary is having a difficult time getting Baby Jesus to sleep. The wise men, shepherds, angels, lions, sheep, and mice sing their best lullabies, but all in vain. At last, one small, timid, striped kitten sings the Holy Child to sleep. Older children can handle the few speaking roles while any number of younger performers can participate as the animals. Easy costuming and staging and all the songs are traditional, wel...

18 pages

13 speaking parts, extras.

The older angels are preparing for the coming of the Christ Child but the little angels have not been told the great secret and their mischievousness is disturbing. Michael, the littlest one, is the worst! But when the Guardian Angel explains, they are eager to do their share. How Michael is chosen to be the one to accompany Gabriel down to earth makes this a play of beauty and dignity for smaller children.  Performance time: 25 minutes. 

33 pages

12 flexible plus extras

It is late December and Mr. Barker has sold all of the trees on his lot except for one - a little Christmas tree. It is a snowy evening, and the lonely little tree listens to Christmas carols that are playing in the distance. All of a sudden, an angel appears. He is a rather gruff, street-wise angel-- an angel that used to grace the tops of Christmas trees at Henthorne's Department Store. But this angel has been thrown out because its wing is broken. To cheer the angel up, the little tree tells the angel about this book she’s been reading: the Bible. She shar...

9 pages

7 main characters.

Annie is the saddest-looking angel in Heaven! With a broken wing, a crooked halo, untidy hair, and always a pile of mending to do, she is just too busy to even get to choir rehearsal on time. The angels all know something very, very important is about to happen. When the Heavenly Father chooses Annie to stand guard over his newborn son, all the other angels work hard to get her ready, and most of all, make sure she will be on time. Performance time: 20 minutes.

40 pages

22 flexible characters, 12 with doubling.

This is a somewhat zany retelling of the traditional story of Jonah. Although enhanced with some extra characters and scenes, the theme and overall message hold true to the Old Testament Scriptures. Included in the story is Herald, the angel who acts as God’s voice and has the ability to turn up at unusual places and in unusual ways. In the opening scene a handful of fun-loving woodland creatures discover Jonah asleep, and bring in the right blend of seriousness when they realize he must be the prophet. Along the way Jonah interacts with some sailors who even...

32 pages

4 m, 2 w, 4 flex, and a choir or singers.

When Jack Willoughby's youth minister has to go out of town at the last minute to visit his sick aunt, he leaves his best student, Jack, in charge of this year's Christmas play. But when everyone begins arriving at the church for the first rehearsal, this teen realizes his task may be more than he bargained for. Strange noises are heard in the empty church, an unknown janitor begins appearing and disappearing, and no one wants to cooperate with the new young director. It's beginning to look as if there may not be a play after all. Then things begin to change ...

33 pages

6 m, 3 w, 5 flexible

In the Prologue, Light, Night, Sky, Sea and Earth tell how and why God created them, and why He went on to create Adam to rule over all the other creatures on the Earth. In the Garden of Eden, Adam decides to name all the animals he meets. A pair of Elephants teach him some manners, describe how versatile their long noses are compared with his, and leave him to ponder his limitations. A pair of Monkeys play word games with him to arrive at their name, which Adam finally decides must be "Montgomery." Satan as the Snake appears and privately reveals to the audience his rebellious origin a...

44 pages

8 m, 8 w, 4 children, extras.

It is Christmastime, 1855, in a small fishing village in Maine. The mayor and his wife try to keep the villagers on their toes with harbor rules and planning of a traditional Christmas Eve celebration, but the villagers are reluctant to work together. During a relentless snowstorm, Holly, a young mother, finds solace and shelter in the town’s Nativity stable where she nestles her son in the manger. While she sleeps, her is baby taken. Quickly, Prophyte Harbor rallies around Holly and helps search for her missing son. God’s messengers provide saving grace in a...

36 pages

3 m, 8 w, 16+ flexible or with doubling 3 m, 6 w, 2 flexible

When Angel was a child, she knew she had wings. She knew she could fly. After telling everyone and enduring mockery, she left her wings on the ground in exchange for fitting in. Now she is in high school, and when she sees her friend Hunter being teased for sharing honest feelings, Angel is torn. Standing up for Hunter now means no longer fitting in, giving up her new possible boyfriend Isaac and alienating the few friends she has. But Angel gains one of the most important insights of all — that she is already loved just for being herself. An Angel Chorus use...

40 pages

Script: 40 pages.

Here are four holiday puppet plays, two for Christmas and two for Easter, that are sure to delight young audiences. "Barnyard Christmas" has more cow jokes than you've ever "herd," but these cows bring a "mooving" message of selfless giving. "Who Will Go" takes laughter to new heights as these loveable angels try to help fix the problems of the world. Easter skits include "The Bad News Bullies" and "Hannah."

14 pages

12 speaking parts,

Here's an unconventional and entertaining program for children to perform! In Scene 1, "The Garden of Eden," a narrator tells how God became lonely and so created the earth and man to walk upon it. But in Scene 2, "Noah's Ark," sin became too great and the floods came. Later, in Scene 3, "God's Gift," there were a lot more people and some of them pretty mean, like Herod. That's when God decided the earth needed a gift and sent Jesus. From then on, everyone knew for sure that God really loves us all. Easy-to-learn lines for youngsters and easy scenery which can be moved by the rainbow ...

12 pages

10 speaking parts, angel choir, optional extras.

Here is a beautiful pageant for children with easy-to-learn lines and simple staging and costuming. It's Christmas Day in the year 2050 and the spaceship crew wants to celebrate the holiday - all except for the captain. He says Christmas is just for children. When they come upon three lost angel children there's nothing to do but follow their map to return them to heaven. Once there the crew sings carols and exchanges gifts with all the angels. The captain, however, cannot see anything because he doesn't believe - until he receives the gift of love. About 20 ...

32 pages

1 adult female, 2 flexible adults, plus 3 male teens, 7 female teens

Students in Mrs. Smith's class have forgotten, or never knew, the true meaning of Christmas. From Santa to expensive presents to boyfriends, their explanations of what Christmas means to them are generally selfish and shallow. But that quickly changes when their bus breaks down during a snowstorm and they find themselves seeking shelter in an abandoned church. A homeless man suddenly enters. At first cautious, they soon give him their food, warm coats, shoes and other belongings to comfort him. When he reappears as an angel, he shows them that their generosit...

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...

28 pages

Large flexible cast, doubling possible.

It's Christmas and everyone is happy. Everyone, that is, except Travis, who tried to play a little joke on the Pastor's wife and now only has sticks and stones to look forward to. His grief is intensified by Felicity whose perfect record this past year has earned her all that she wants for Christmas - and she wants 364 gifts, one for each day of her goodness. After Felicity blows her contract and loses everything, they both learn that there is still one gift they can receive for Christmas...one that no one can ever be good enough to earn (Isaiah 64:6), but yo...

26 pages

Widely flexible,from children to young adults.

Benny is a young boy who thinks he is too little to do anything right. His grandmother decides to tell him a story of an impulsive young angel named Benjamin. He seems to have missed the journey to Bethlehem to welcome King Jesus. When Benjamin sets out to find Bethlehem on his own, he encounters a series of discouraged people. He proceeds to help them find their place in God’s plan, all the while fearing he himself has missed his own place. As he helps Mary and Joseph find a place for their baby to be born, he discovers God’s plan for his life and most impor...

25 pages

Flexible youth cast.

All the joy of life bubbles out in this delightful play which combines favorite Bible stories with beloved hymns and spirituals. The church is putting on a show but unfortunately the "featured celebrity" can't make it because there are just too many prayers to attend to. So everyone takes turns reading God's lines. Stories include Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the Ark, Tower of Babel and 5 others. Humor shines throughout from the serpent telling Eve that eating the apple will stop ring around the collar, to the lions saying they'd rather have a pizza than Daniel for supper. Easy to ...

17 pages

Large, flexible cast.

PowerPoint visuals, music, and narration blend together to form this beautiful Christmas program that you personalize to make uniquely yours. "God's Great Gift" is seen through three program parts: the Creation story, the Christmas story, and your own church story. Start with our eight photos of the heavens taken from outer space (included) and collect your own slides along with statements of thanksgiving from each of your Sunday school classes. Adults and children alike can celebrate together in this service of worship because the production is done ahead of...

82 pages

2 m, 2w, 1 male teen

An emotional, heart-opening journey about love, friendship, family, sacrifice, and what it truly means to give begins with an enormous Christmas tree wrestled into the warmth of a Colorado cabin. The Britton family, Brad and Tina and their son Nick, are eagerly anticipating the joy of a fun-filled holiday vacation spent with their close friends, Kyle and Jan, who arrive bearing gifts of sentiment, sarcasm, and sass. The two couples merrily begin to share their laughter, their affection, and their memories of the good ol’ days, but too soon Jan begins to quest...

20 pages

7 m, 5 w, 2 teen girls, 2 boys, extras as angels.

Leah, a teenager, has never spoken a word in her life, and her mother, an old servant woman at an inn, feels guilty and worried about the future. But that all changes when Baby Jesus is born at the inn's stable. As shepherds come to worship Him, another miracle occurs and Leah speaks for the first time, to sing a lullaby. A beautiful, dramatic story. Performance time: 30 minutes.

20 pages

Cast of 10. (2 w, 3 teen girls, 5 teens)

Kaylee is not particularly thrilled about having to be part of a living Nativity at her church. Instead of standing outside in the cold, posing with her friends in costumes like a cheap religious Christmas card, she'd rather be with her boyfriend. The others have varying opinions, but all agree that emailing, texting and playing on their cell phones help pass the time between running to positions whenever a car passes. Kaylee just thinks it's all a waste of precious time. But sometimes God chooses crazy things, like this living Nativity, to share His love. So...

29 pages

5 m, 5 w, 6 flexible, extras, doubling possible

How students cope with the death of classmates due to drinking and driving is poignantly brought home in this one-act. On one side, Lisa is consumed with guilt because she didn't take away her brother's car keys, even though she knew he drank. On the other, Kurt is racked with pain because if he hadn't been drinking, he wouldn't have needed his sister to pick him up and she wouldn't have been in Lisa's brother's car. Then the football team wants to erect a roadside cross in memory of Lisa's brother right next to a cross the girls are planning in memory of Kur...

0 pages

Script: 33 pages.

Here are six clown skits which cover subjects ranging from Christmas and the Fruit of the Spirit to how to talk to God. Even creation is not safe from the clowns' crazy interpretation of the six days (and what God did on the seventh!) in "A Very, Very, Very, Very, Very Long Time Ago." Created with ease of presentation in mind with minimal cast and prop requirements. #3019M - CLOWNING AROUND

41 pages

Flexible cast

This collection will delight all church children's leaders. The 22 recitations and choral readings are perfect for preschoolers and elementary school children. Older youngsters will enjoy performing the three plays: "Christmas Gifts From Jesus," "Channel J-O-Y," and "The Fourth King." Because of the flexibility of this book, any number of children can be involved. It's great for any size church - a must for this Christmas.