source: www.youthwork-practice.com | 2000 Games, Devotions, Themes, Ideas and more for Youth Work
only for private using
Christmas plays
Players:
Child, mother, father, Mary and Joseph
1. Scene
(In the living room mother is decorating the Christmas tree and father is reading the newspaper)
| Mother: | It is cold in here. |
| Father: | Ach rubbish. |
| Mother: | It really is cold. |
| Father: | Why do you say such things? |
| Mother: | Because I’m freezing. I’ve already got 2 pullovers on. |
| Father: | But it’s warm. |
| Mother: | Why am I freezing cold then? |
| Father: | Because – doesn’t matter (throws his newspaper onto the table and goes to the fire). Then I’ll put the fire on again. |
| (In the meantime, mother fetches some peppers and starts to chop) (Father comes back, sits back down in his seat and carries on reading the newspaper) |
|
| Father: | (Looks up from his newspaper annoyed) Man, will you quit that?! |
| Mother: | Quit what? |
| Father: | Quit the racket. How am I supposed to read my newspaper in peace? |
| Mother: | Racket? I am only cutting peppers. You were moaning about being hungry before. |
| Father: | What? You call that moaning? I only asked when dinner will be ready. That was only a question. |
| Mother: | Don’t get annoyed now. You could ... stop, wait a minute. |
| Father: | What? |
| Mother: | Quiet! |
| Father: | What is wrong? |
| Mother: | Outside... |
| Father: | Are you hearing voices as well now? No wonder with this racket... |
| Mother: | Will you please be quiet! |
| Father: | I’m not saying anything. Not a peep. I am a quiet as a mouse. You’re the only one picking and talking rubbish. What is it then? |
| Mother: | Probably nothing. (Goes back to work) |
| Father: | Aha. |
| Mother: | The bottle of oil is empty. I’ll pop over to the Schneider’s and fetch some. (Takes off her apron and leaves the room.) |
2. Scene(Living room – the child comes in) |
|
| Father: | It is 7 o’clock. |
| Child: | Quarter to. |
| Father: | We agreed on half past six. |
| Child: | Have I missed anything? |
| Father: | I through you could help us a bit today. |
| Child: | Crisps and cake will do me. |
| Father: | Now act decently for once. We wanted to make it nice today. |
| Child: | If you think that we should be singing: „Away in manger“and stuff, you can forget it. I am too old for that. (Sits on the sofa and switches the television on – we hear a report on homelessness) |
| Father: | What do we men want in the kitchen anyway? (Sits down in a seat and reads the newspaper). |
3. Scene(Living – mother comes in) |
|
| Mother: | What is going on in the garage, there is a light on! |
| Child: | Oh yeah, the light is on? You mean the street lamp in front of the garage door. |
| Mother: | Come on, I am not stupid. I heard some voices as well. (Turns to father) Should we call the police? |
| Child: | Stop. Slow down. There is a very simple explanation. |
| Mother: | Oh yes and that would be? |
| Child: | Yes, well. Well that was...how should I explain it to you? |
| Father: | Come on, spit it out. Or is our Christmas a massive electricity bill? |
| Child: | OK, OK. This afternoon, two guys starting talking to me. There was a woman. She had a bundle in her arms, it might have been a baby or something ...it doesn’t matter. Anyway, they couldn’t travel any further. They didn’t have any money for a ticket and I believe them from the way they looked. |
| Father: | But you haven’t... |
| Child: | Yes, I put them up in our garage. I thought it’d be OK just for a couple of nights... |
| Mother: | But... |
| Father: | (demanding) Go down there at once and explain... |
| Child: | we can’t. It’s Christmas today. |
| Mother: | Forget it, it was 2000 years ago. |
| Father: | And everything is different nowadays. |
| Child: | OK, I’ll go down. But I am not getting involved in anything else today! (Goes) |
4. Scene(In the garage, Joseph and Mary are talking) |
|
| Mary: | It’s a bit chilly. |
| Joseph: | There aren’t any heaters here. But there’s some wood over there. |
| Mary: | There really is! There are 3 canisters of petrol as well. That would make a great camp fire. |
| Joseph: | Yes and because it’s Christmas the Firemen would squirt us with Champagne. |
| Mary: | We could use that to get warm. (Nods at the radio) |
| Joseph: | A radio. |
| Mary: | Put it on. I want to dance. |
| Joseph: | Wait two or three days. It’s too soon after the birth... |
| Mary: | But I want to. Come on! (Joseph puts the radio on. They dance to some radio song) |
| Joseph: | Wait! |
| Mary: | What’s wrong? |
| Joseph: | Be quiet! I thought I heard something. Should we take a look? |
| Mary: | (Goes to the baby who is wrapped up in an old blanket) I think he’s sleeping. |
| Joseph: | Are you hungry? |
| Mary: | A little. |
| Joseph: | We haven’t got anything. I left the bread behind. |
| Mary: | It doesn’t matter. I’ll manage to make it till tomorrow. Then we’ll raise some funds. |
| Joseph: | I’ll take a look at the little one. (Goes to the baby, Mary follows him and both look at the sleeping child) |
5. Scene(Garage, child comes) |
|
| Child: | You can’t stay here. I’m really sorry, it’s the olds... |
| Mary: | No? |
| Child: | You can spend the night here. |
| Joseph: | At least that’s something, even if it’s just for one night... |
| Mary: | Merry Christmas! |
| Child: | Exactly, I have to go now. Here is something for the evening. (Gives them 2 blankets and something to eat.) No hard feelings but the presents are waiting. See you tomorrow! (Child leaves the garage) |
| Joseph: | (Unpacks the food package) |
| Mary: | What’s in there? |
| Joseph: | Oh, super! Cheese, bread, apples and juice...that’ll last longer than just tonight. |
6. Scene(Living room – the child comes in) (Mother and father are singing Christmas songs; the child is sitting on the sofa twiddling his thumbs) |
|
| Father: | (Stops singing) we’ll leave it there then. It’s no fun with two. |
| Child: | Time for presents? |
| Mother: | Calm down. We have to make a toast first. (Pours out 3 glasses) |
| Father: | (Lifts his glass) to a wonderful Christmas eve. (Everyone clinks glasses) |
| Child: | (Downs his drink quickly) But now? |
| Mother: | You can hardly wait, can you? Then start unwrapping. (Child goes under the tree and starts unwrapping his presents) |
| Child: | (Obviously disappointed but still hopes that gift number 2 will be better) Aha, an atlas. (Places it to one side.) |
| Father: | We thought you could use it for school. |
| Child: | (Unwraps his 2nd gift) A model kit? Is that for dad? |
| Father: | No, no it’s for you. |
| Child: | (Rips open his last present and holds up a pullover and socks) what is that supposed to be. I wanted a Playstation and new football boots! You are total stupid! (Throws the present down and storms out) |
| Father: | You see. A boy cannot get excited about a jumper and underwear. |
| Mother: | Oh yes? Your super model kit wasn’t exactly a hit either. |
| Father: | Merry Christmas. (Turns on the TV) (Mother leaves the room) |
7. Scene(Garage – child comes in) |
|
| Child: | Hey there, how are you? |
| Joseph: | You said “see you tomorrow? |
| Mary: | Aren’t you at the present giving? |
| Child: | Forget it! My parents are totally stupid! |
| Mary: | Child, why are you saying such things about your parents? |
| Joseph: | You haven’t got what you wanted, have you? |
| Child: | (A little embarrassed) yes. |
| Joseph: | You know what? Life hasn’t quite worked out like we wanted either. If it had, we would be sitting in a warm sitting room and be celebrating Christmas. But our Father takes care of us, so that... |
| Child: | Your Father? |
| Mary: | Yes, we mean God. He found us a place for the night and provided us with food. He will guide us on our way. |
| Child: | Now I feel really bad. You have nothing and you are still happy. Do you know what? Let us celebrate Christmas inside all together. I’ll manage it somehow. Even if there wasn’t a place for you 2000 years ago, it will be different today. |
| (Mary and Joseph look at each other questioningly) | |
(Sent in by Thomas Baberowski in Dec.2003)
Further Christmas ideas
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