Christmas

74 pages

5 m, 6 w, 6 boys, 4 girls, extras

It's the 1800s and Emily Ainsley, an idealistic young lady, is trying to provide a home to young orphans. She rents space from a greedy businessman, Aloysius Penningham, but gets behind in the payments. He proposes marriage to her (so that he can manage her inheritance which she receives after marrying) or threatens eviction if she refuses. While other well-meaning folk attempt to help Emily, Penningham is visited by Harrold, an angel in the guise of a gentleman. A ragtag band of pickpockets creates havoc and humor as Penningham must confront the consequences...

26 pages

7 m, 4 w.

Chris, a very materialistic teenager, just got busted for stealing her parents' credit card. Her punishment, "to teach her a lesson about those less fortunate than she," is to work at the local homeless mission every evening of her Christmas vacation. It's a punishment she is not happy about! Through Sam, a bitter homeless man; Les, the long-suffering director; and Miss Jackie, a wise, yet mysterious resident, Chris learns the true meaning of Christian love and unselfishness. A humorous, yet touching play, with an unexpected twist at the end. One simple inter...

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...

26 pages

1 m, 3 w, 1 flexible, 1 boy, extras

Goldie, Frank, and Myrna, three counselors at an emotional helpline, have devised a way to have Christmas Eve off this year. They have engaged Thomas Wellmore, a charming but self-centered Wall Street type, to man the phones. He willingly embraces the opportunity to “balance his karma” and “do something real at Christmas for those less fortunate.” As the evening wears on and no one calls, he becomes increasingly irritated and his true character is revealed. Then, at the stroke of midnight, a cleaning woman enters with her young son, Christopher. Though the ey...

40 pages

18 flexible characters

The Breckenheimers are a loving Christian family celebrating Christmas with a unique hillbilly flair all their own. As our story begins, we flashback to the day Poppa delivered some very exciting news to Mama, his parents and his children Bucky, Queazy, Myra Jean and Lindy. He has just been promoted to the Assistant to the Junior Assistant Manager at the pickled egg plant owned by Garver Goobler. Poppa will even get to help Goobler with a "special" project Christmas morning. But the family's happiness is tempered by Mama's uneasiness with the motives of Goobl...

35 pages

4 m, 7 w, 2 male teens, 2 female teens, 2 boys

An angel, who remains comically nameless throughout the play, shows a small group of squabbling strangers what the phrase "Merry Christmas" really means. From a well-off but rude family to a stressed waitress at a café, and from some tense and terse bank customers to overworked employees, we see how thoughtless people can be as the holiday approaches. Through some heavenly intervention, they all end up at the home of a typical family whose struggles to make ends meet almost, but not quite, override their path to a Christian Christmas. Together, these people e...

34 pages

1 m, 3 w, 1 boy, 1 girl, extras.

It's Christmas Eve inside Sizemore's Department Store. Janet, a sales associate, is a new widow trying to cope. The store manager, Mr. Fox, in an attempt to impress his boss, Ms. Sizemore, constantly harasses Janet over small things. Janet's faith is dwindling to nothing until she witnesses a simple nativity reenactment her best friend organizes for the shoppers at the end of the hectic business day. She realizes dealing with life's heartaches becomes a little easier when we slow down long enough to let God's love fill us. A touching story mixed with comic mo...

40 pages

10 m, 6 w, 11 flexible, 3 children, extras, doubling possible

Sam Nazareth is a bumbling, down-on-his-luck private eye who will be out on the streets if he doesn’t get a case soon. Enter Delilah, a mysterious young woman whose boss wants to know why a certain bright star has suddenly appeared in the sky and where it leads. In this film noir-style tale with plenty of humor Sam (including his inner voice) and friends agree to help Delilah solve the mystery. Following that bright star, they take the audience on a journey across the desert to Bethlehem where we meet two silly shepherds, a no-nonsense census taker, and an in...

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. 

35 pages

Large, flexible cast.

From the original story by Leo Tolstoy. Christmas Eve has come, but the old Russian shoemaker, Papa Panovich, is sad and alone. When he begins to read the story of the very first Christmas, the treasured words take on new life as he imagines and interacts with the words of Scripture. Then Papa Panovich believes he hears Jesus speaking to him, telling him that He will visit him tomorrow. All the next day while looking longingly for Jesus, Papa Panovich stops to help so many - providing a warm drink for Ivan, the old street sweeper; encouraging a struggling wid...

46 pages

7 m, 5 w, 11 teen girls, 3 teen boys.

The Davies’ house is a picture of confusion and complications this Christmas Day with the arrival of various extended family members and guests. No one can find Uncle John, there’s body glitter all over Kelly’s room, Sandy and her daughters have been doing something with feathers in the kitchen, and nobody knows what Nana Jane might do this year! But then a stranger appears who might be Sandy’s new boyfriend, Phil’s old friend from college, or (if we believe Grandpa) the mysterious Uncle Don from the Amazon. The stranger says nothing, and yet his soft smile i...

51 pages

Adults (4 m, 5 f); Teens (3 m, 4 f); Children (1 boy); flexible (4)

Christmas at Happy Valley isn't going to be so happy for Leo or his forgetful buddy Al. There're the only two residents of the retirement home not leaving to spend the holiday with family or friends. Leo especially is undone over the plans put in motion by his estranged daughter-in-law, Chelsea. In anticipation of his early demise, she has consigned him to the home and taken over his finances. Meanwhile, the activities director cons a church group into performing a Christmas program for the two old gentlemen, but at such late notice, only a handful of teens s...

28 pages

3 m, 5 w, 2 girls, 3 flex.

The Biblical story of the prodigal son is the basis for this modern-day play. Steve, a high school senior, hates living at home and wants to quit school to escape. His dad, also fed up, gives him the money he has saved for him for college. Out on the street, Steve finds he has friends - as long as he has money. At his lowest point he meets Gabby who shows him the importance of God and family. At her urging, Steve writes his parents saying if the one flickering light in their Christmas decorations is visible, he'll know he is welcome back home. A very heartwar...

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...

47 pages

4 m, 8 w, 4 b, 3 g.

Millionaire Jonathan Bingsley suddenly has his mansion and life turned upside down when a social worker friend asks him to take in six young children for the holidays. It's just a "temporary" measure until the children, who have lost their parents and home in a tragic fire, can be placed permanently. To add to the confusion, Jonathan's interferring sister shows up, bringing along her lazy son and his family. Jonathan's only relief from all the stress is the thought of his only daughter, Cynthia, who is coming home for the first time since her mother's (his wi...