Christmas on Prosperity Lane
It’s almost Christmas on Prosperity Lane. The Johnson family can’t get any of their Christmas lights to work, but worse than that, Charles and Elaine, along with their four children, have lost the Christmas Spirit – and they haven’t even noticed! After Mrs. Snodgrass, their outspoken elderly neighbor, points this out, Elaine offers a hasty prayer for help and comes up with a plan to help the children reach out to others during the season. Charles is with Elaine, but of course the kids all put up a fuss. Meanwhile bumbling thieves Rex and Roxie Lewis are making plans of their own. They pose as electricians to help the Johnsons, but are really there to case the house, planning to take advantage of their prosperity. What they don’t know is that Broden, the youngest son, has his toy spy equipment set up everywhere! Broden discovers their plans, but with all the Christmas activities going on, and the fact that everyone is tired of him spying on them, he can’t find anyone who will listen to him. Can the Johnsons save Christmas on Prosperity Lane? With a little help from an unlikely source -- and a lot of help from God-- the Johnson family may receive the best gift of all, their Christian Spirit! About 50 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
SUSAN EVANS TALKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS ON PROSPERITY LANE:
1. What inspired you to write this play?
My inspiration is from my own children when they were young and all the youth I have worked with - past and present. They can seem self-centered at times, but with a little nudge they can be loving and caring.
2. What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
My favorite part is when Broden gives his gift to the little boy from the orphanage and his parents realize he knows WHAT he is giving away. When my children were young they gave away some items that I wanted to object to, but knew it was from their hearts.
3. Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
The characters are bits and pieces from children I've known; however, my children thought the characters were suspiciously familiar. Broden's character came from one of my grandsons who always loved the spy toys.
4. What did you try to achieve with this play?
I wanted to remind people what Christmas is really about and encourage them to reach out at this time when people are a little more open to the gospel. We all have gotten busy with the trimmings.
5. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
The thieves added some humor and a little excitement to the story. The audience loved it, mistakes an all! We really had fun practicing the play and performing it. The youth love being in plays- even the shy quiet ones want parts. The community comes out to see the plays and seem to really enjoy them. Prior to writing my own plays we have performed plays from Eldridge for about 25 years.