Off-Grid Christmas
A Christmas Comedy About Faith, Family, and a Malfunctioning Holiday.
What happens when your smart-home decides it knows Christmas better than you do? Welcome to Beaconbrook—an upscale, ultra-automated neighborhood where the lights are programmable, the cocoa is AI-frothed, and even your nativity set needs app approval. At the center of it all is NOEL, a sassy home AI determined to optimize everyone’s joy... whether they like it or not. Ezra Decker, a brilliant software engineer for NEST Industries, helped build the system that runs it all. But this Christmas, his own creation turns on him—threatening his family’s traditions, sanity, and even Grandpa Bertram’s pacemaker.
Enter Grandma Irma and Grandpa Bertram, armed with Scripture, sarcasm, and an axe (yes, an actual axe). When a sudden blackout takes the neighborhood offline, Irma drags the family—and the dining chairs—outside to a campfire under the stars. With no devices, no digital noise, and one very cooked squirrel, the Deckers are about to experience the first real Christmas they’ve had in years.
Featuring malfunctioning tech, rogue garland, awkward HOA drama, and a heartfelt retelling of Christ’s birth, Off-Grid Christmas is a hilarious and moving holiday satire about faith, family, and finding light when the power goes out. Because Christmas can't be downloaded!
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Playwright Andrew M. Frodahl
What inspired you to write this play?
Technology is growing at a rapid rate as is our reliance on it. It's so easy to get caught up in the latest gadget, especially at Christmas, that we can lose focus on the real reason for it.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
This is a tough one. I don't think I can narrow it down to just one, however I love all of Irma's interactions with Fritz & NOEL.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
No one in particular, however I think all writers pull from their own experiences.
What did you try to achieve with this play?
No matter what tech they invent, none of it can save your immortal soul.