Children's Theatre

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...

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...

55 pages

4 m, 5 w, 2 flexible, 1 girl and extras

No one loves Christmas more than Chrysanthemum Parker. As she and her grandma Gertie are discussing plans for a possible Christmas celebration show, Sheriff Gideon Gumption arrives to say that escaped convict Jedediah Thornside is on the loose. Jedediah actually is in the area with his partner-in-crime, Belinda Burnheart. They’ve concocted a sinister plan to swindle the town away from its current deed holder, the sheriff himself, AND cancel Christmas! Through a series of blunders, Sheriff Gumption falls for their scheme and the town now belongs to the villain...

19 pages

Gender-flexible cast of 12 (with ensemble opportunities)

It’s the greatest story ever told! Well, sort of…. Grade school student Miley accidentally ends up at the annual meeting of the Bethlehem Animal Historical Society. The animals are retelling the story of a miracle night witnessed by their ancestors thousands of years ago in Bethlehem. Only, as they begin to act it out, Miley realizes they may have some of the details and focus wrong. Can Miley help them understand the real meaning and importance of that fateful night?  The animals are shocked to find out the peacock is not the star, the donkey doesn’t win a m...

45 pages

5 m, 5 w, 1 flexible, 2 boys, 1 girl, extras, choir

Imagine the Christmas story written, directed and performed by teenagers! Follow the antics of CJ, the author of this wild and crazy nativity scene, along with Amos and Jordy, two idiotic stagehands, as they try to retell the story of the nativity from a "teenager's point of view." After watching a rehearsal and weathering an emotional explosion from a stuffy lady of the congregation, the Pastor reminds CJ and the rest of the teens that, although it is okay to have fun in the Christmas program, there is still a holiness about the entire event that should neve...

46 pages

3 b, 3 g, 6 flexible, extras as shoppers, carolers, animals

Beulah Bear's winter sleep is interrupted by ringing Christmas bells. She and her fearful friend, Donald Deer, venture into the big city to discover what Christmas is all about. There they meet up with some colorful characters, among them Rodney Rat, a shady street salesman, and Rover the Dog whose dread of the holiday is revealed with the poem, "The Nightmare of Christmas." Discouraged by the commercialism they encounter, they almost give up until the true meaning of Christmas is finally revealed to them by a church mouse. Wonderful characters, humorous line...

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.

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...

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...

44 pages

Main roles for 7 m, 3 w, 5 boys, 4 girls. Additional roles for 2 m, 2 women. Extras, 1 toddler, and an optional children’s choir.

What if Jesus had been born in your town? Rather than tell about the birth of Jesus from the traditional viewpoints of Joseph and Mary, this musical gives us a refreshingly different look from ordinary people who were there. A small group of adults and children befriend the holy family for more than a year, from helping them find the stable for the birth to a celebration for 15-month old baby Jesus, which turns into a bittersweet evening when the Wise Men warn them to flee. The story begins as Bethlehem prepares for visitors in “Company’s Coming” and we see t...

47 pages

Flexible cast of 15 (approx. 3 m, 9 w, 3 flexible), extras as desired

Confusion and fun are the business of the day at Kamp KAOS, a summer camp that boasts its own 12-watt radio station. It's opening day at the camp and director Wally Schneider is already in trouble: the mortgage is due; the world's wealthiest woman wants to buy the land the camp sits on; the county health inspector is coming; and the mysterious weather phenomenon El Gordo has brought a migration of mice! It's up to the wacky gang of counselors and campers to save the day when Wally eats cheese laced with sedative. This hour-long, one-set comedy can easily expa...

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...