Christmas

17 pages

10-15 children, plus extras, doubling possible

The all angel news team of ANN, the Angelic News Network, are reporting the evening news. Tonight’s top story is the census. Gabrielle is working to keep everyone on schedule, Seraphima is maybe a little too relaxed for being on the air, Sandy Storms doesn’t have much to report on the weather, and Angel-on-the- Scene is interviewing an innkeeper about the increased business. Then Joseph and Mary arrive, and a bigger story begins to unfold before everyone’s eyes. It is not the story the angels expected to report, nor did it occur where they expected to report ...

24 pages

4 m, 6 w, 5 flexible, 2 youngsters, small children’s choir, and extra adults

The Thompsons like to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus by displaying a nativity scene on their front lawn, much to the dismay of their homeowners’ association president, Mrs. Matthews. Citing "rule 763" she wants the display taken down – immediately! Mrs. Matthews gets her wish when she discovers that the Thompsons’ nativity figures have been stolen by local troublemakers. As Mrs. Thompson's oldest son Joey sets out to find the figures, he meets Maria, a troubled young girl who has wandered onto his yard looking for shelter. With the help of three w...

6 pages

Six readers.

Nativity scene may be composed of statues or actors. In this moving and unusual reading you can show your congregation just how much they value Christmas by taking it away. Three Non-Believers explain away Christmas, eliminating first the shepherds and wise men from the manger scene and finally Joseph, Mary and the Christ Child. When they've eliminated everyone, all that's left is a void, an awful emptiness. The Believers, however, show how that night at the stable did happen. By accepting the miracle, they give us back that night! Easy to produce, yet unforg...

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 ...

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...

19 pages

10 speaking parts, plus a large flexible cast.

Want a wonderful children's Christmas musical, but don't want to invest heavy rehearsal time during the already overloaded Christmas season? Here's your answer! This musical features four main speaking roles which provide the humorous framework for a showcase of familiar Christmas carols to be sung by the children of your church. Come along as Billy tries to find the Christmas spirit and Max works hard at putting together his version of a really big show. Enjoy the "Old Testament Rap," the comical parade of animals heading for Noah's Ark, and Billy's revelati...

11 pages

Flexible cast.

All the children in your church can participate in this play which explains the nativity in a simple, beautiful way. Two youngsters, Sam and Lori, have brought their young friend, Terry, to their church's Christmas pageant rehearsal. When they open a gift box which contains items associated with the nativity - an angel, a doll, a toy lamb, a shepherd's staff, and others - Sam and Lori explain to Terry that these are the best gifts to receive. Scripture readings and carols by the other children enhance the explanations of the nativity and add beauty to the per...

19 pages

4 m, 2 w, 1-2 flexible

A reader’s theatre play. Howard Sinclair is ready to direct the church’s outdoor manger pageant again, but since the previous one five years ago was a complete disaster, his wife Gladys wants everything to run smoothly. But of course that doesn’t happen! First the rented animals are delivered a week early, but instead of a camel, a goat is sent and it promptly starts eating the neighbor’s bushes. To appease their prickly neighbor, Howard agrees to let him play the part of a shepherd, even though another church member had been promised the role. Then there’s t...

14 pages

10 agents and a group of younger children, no gender requirements

The children are given a "Mission Impossible"-type assignment to take a trip across America to find things that remind them of the original Christmas story. The young “agents” travel to Texas, Iowa, Alaska, Maine, Hawaii, and Florida to find things in each state that remind them of the nativity. In between stops to the various states, younger children may sing or recite poems. The play concludes with a reminder that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and a prayer that we won’t be at war for any Christmases in the future. Optional corresponding scripture readings th...

18 pages

6 boys, 7 girls, 10 flexible parts.

This is a part of the nativity story that isn't in the Bible, but could have happened. With Mary and Joseph, the shepherds in the field, the women at the well, the three kings, and the little drummer boy, we prepare to embark on that special journey to the manger...sharing their worries, their joys, and their faith along the way. The play ends with that glorious moment when humankind first lays eyes on their Savior, followed by a celebration of music. Ideal for younger actors, this play appeals to audiences of all ages. Performance time: 30 minutes. 

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.

47 pages

19 to 28. 13 males (doubling possible), 3 females (doubling to 2)

3-12 minor characters and extras (captain of the guard, shepherds, Wise Men, priests, courtiers, and crowds) "One night in Bethlehem, and the world was not the same." This is how God's redemptive love story begins and ends in this 13-song musical. This biblically accurate show unpacks the events up to and including the birth of Jesus as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. God's plan for humanity's salvation begins with unexpected people the world wouldn't choose, but who are called to these eternally remembered roles. The approachable angel Gabriel (Gabe...

40 pages

Very fluid cast. Minimum: 7 m, 5 w.

“The Gift of the Magi” is probably one of the most beloved stories for Christmas. It, along with two other tender stories by O. Henry, “The Last Leaf” and the lesser known “Christmas by Injunction,” are dramatized here, set in the framework of O. Henry’s life which in itself is a story. In the early 1900s he was one of the most widely read authors in America. O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter, was known, however, to have spent some time in jail for allegedly embezzling from an employer, and it is believed that he started writing there in ord...

53 pages

Flexible cast up to 42

Here is a holiday treasure with a beautiful variety of music, from the cheery "A Fifteen Shilling Christmas," and "The Fezziwig Ball," to the dramatic "Link by Link," and "Make Each Day Count." There's also the bright song, "The Spirit of Christmas," and the unforgettable closing number, "God Bless Us, Everyone." The story stays close to Dickens' original novel in dialogue, but adds additional speaking roles for great casting flexibility. Along with the hard-hearted Scrooge, the Christmas Spirits, the Cratchit family and the beloved Tiny Tim, there are carole...

70 pages

4 m, 1 w, 3 male teens, 4 female teens, 1 girl, 2 flexible, extras

David and Ashley Johnson and their six children are excited about the upcoming holidays singing gleefully “I Can’t Wait for Christmas.” But like most families today, they are over-extended and over-committed! That’s why on Christmas Eve they still need to hit the mall to shop for gifts, stop at a local tree lot to buy the perfect tree, and once home, dig out the old decorations for said tree -- and the rest of the house! The family is so consumed with all the last-minute secular preparations they ignore the most important reasons for the holiday, even when th...

28 pages

6 boys, 2 girls, 8 flexible parts, and extras

Even the sheep sing in this heartwarming original musical drama, although it is serious about presenting the true Christmas story with a salvation message. In answer to her granddaughter's questions, a grandmother reads Luke, Chapter 2, and as she does the whole story unfolds on stage. Smaller churches can "double up" on roles, while larger groups can include everyone by increasing the singers, angels, etc. Beautiful music, including a recitation and song, "Don't Wake the Baby" for your littlest performers. 

Performance time: About 35 minutes.