The Little Christmas Tree
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 shares the story of the birth of Jesus and fixes the angel's wing. As other tossed out ornaments arrive and are fixed, Bernie, an assistant at Henthorne’s Department Store whose job is at stake, struggles to find a Christmas tree for the window display. When he places the little Christmas tree in the window with the ornaments, we are reminded of the transformation that can take place during this magical time of year- the Christmas season. About 45 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
PLAYWRIGHT BRIAN MARSH TALKS ABOUT HIS PLAY
THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?
A: I have always loved the Christmas season. During my career as an actor, I appeared many times in holiday shows, often in "A Christmas Carol." I started out playing Fred, graduated to Marley and ended up as Scrooge. The message if the play is timeless, which is why it is performed so often. I wanted to write a play with a message that, if not completely timeless, might capture something of the season's spirit
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?
A: Aside from the narrator's final speech, which is filled with reconciliation and joy, I love oft-repeated line: "it's a magical time of the year." It captures the spirit of the play.
Q: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
A: I believe that the characters combine great human traits along with familiar stage types. Do they remind me of people I know? I hope so. And I hope they remind the audience of people they know.
Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?
A: I wanted to write a play that audiences would enjoy and full of characters actors would enjoy playing. Above all, I wanted to create a play that had a warm and joyful message.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
A: I would ask audiences to find the angels in their own lives - and place these at the tops of their own Christmas trees.