The Stable Story
How can an angel do an important job when he can’t fly? This heartwarming and delightful story, told by narrators and shown with puppets, takes us back to the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem. Complete with a donkey seller, innkeepers, an innkeeper’s wife, shepherds, and a wise guy, the angel must deliver important messages, often after crashing from the sky! Ultimately the angel and the visitors come to worship the baby, the king, and someday, the Savior of the world. With gentle humor, “The Stable Story” shows us that Christmas is filled with miracles. Easily produced with a widely flexible cast from 7 to 21 actors and an optional children’s choir, it is appropriate for youngsters of all ages, as well as the parents who bring them. With songs, about 30 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
LARRY DAMICO TALKS ABOUT HIS PLAY
The STABLE STORY
1. What inspired you to write this play?
I'm not so sure writing this was as much an inspiration as a challenge from my daughter, who, at the time, was a music director at a church in South Minneapolis. She wanted a vehicle in which the teen youth group could do some theater, her elementary choir could perform, and the great collection of puppets the church owned could be used...and all to celebrate the Christmas season.
2. What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
I sort of like the scene where Mary and Joseph move from inn to inn, being told by all the innkeepers there is no room, until they meet Herald, who excitedly claims that yes, he has a perfect room available. Of course, the innkeeper's motive is to give this nice young couple the room, as opposed to keeping it for his mother-in-law. He loses this battle to his wife; however, he does give Mary and Joseph the stable. Just think how different the Christmas story would be if the Innkeeper had stood his ground? It certainly would have provided a more comfortable place for the birth of Christ, but what we would have lost!
3. Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
Really, the characters come from the Nativity Story itself, albeit with (hopefully) humorous takes on some usually somber characters. Some specific character traits came straight from the looks of the puppets.
4. What did you try to achieve with this play?
This little play was written firstly to accommodate the wishes of my daughter and her needs for a Christmas story, secondly to use the wonderful set of puppets available at her church, and finally to take a bit of a humorous and fresh (yet still reverent) look at the nativity story.
5. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
I hope you and your cast can enjoy this light-hearted take as much as we did!