  |
 |
  |
61097 THE GIFT
by Stephen Tedeschi
GENRE: Comedy
TIME: 7–10 minutes
CAST BREAKDOWN: 2F, 4M, 4 either gender
THEME: God's Provision; Our Imperfection; Traditions
CHURCH YEAR SEASON: Christmas
SUGGESTED USE: Christmas Service
CHARACTERS:
DIRECTOR, MARY, JOSEPH, SHEEP, ANGEL, SHEPHERD, 2 WISE MEN, STAR PERSON, PROPS PERSON
SYNOPSIS: A theatre team struggles to mount a production of the traditional Christmas story, with humorous consequences. At the last moment, however, they pull themselves together and recount the tale with reverence and poise.
PROPS: Sheep, manger items, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, any other items appropriate to specific characters. (NOTE: Items can be mimed or indicated if preferred).
COSTUMES: Specific to traditional characters, if available. Otherwise, clothing items to suggest characters (scarf for Mary, crowns for the wise men, etc.)
SOUND: Cordless mics for all speaking characters
LIGHTING: General stage
SETTING: Backstage rehearsing the story of the manger
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: Luke 2:1–20
DIRECTOR'S TIP:
This piece is a lot of fun, reminiscent of the scene in the Peanuts Christmas special where Charlie Brown couldn't get his cast to cooperate. Keep in mind that, like Linus telling the Christmas story in that cartoon, when the Director in this drama starts reading the Christmas story, the attitude of the piece goes from comical to serious. Experiment doing different lighting effects for this dramatic change to emphasize to the congregation that the piece is taking an emotional turn. Also consider having cast members freeze while the Director speaks and act out the story as each one's part comes in.
PROPS PERSON pushes rolling stage to center with MARY, JOSEPH and SHEEP frozen in a scene depicting the manger. DIRECTOR enters. PROPS PERSON comes to a sudden stop.ALL: Whoa!
DIRECTOR: Okay guys, we only have three more days until the pageant, which means we do not have a lot of time to whip this thing into shape.
MARY: You know, it would help if I could at least get a baby doll to hold. I hate to be a bother, but it's kind of hard to get into the "Mary" frame of mind when all you have as the Holy Child is a rolled up blanket. (Glares at Sheep).
SHEEP: Hey, I said I was sorry about that. It's just my mom got really mad when she realized I had taken my sister's favorite Cabbage Patch Doll.
JOSEPH: Well, I still think the blanket is better than the watermelon we used last week that thing was heavy.
DIRECTOR: Props!
PROPS PERSON: Yeah boss?
DIRECTOR: Where is the baby?
PROPS PERSON: We're working on that one. Jennifer Brown is in the hospital right now giving birth to baby Jesus. We'll give you updates as they come in.
DIRECTOR: Great. Okay look, we are trying to have real props ready for the next rehearsal. Until then let's try and work with what we have. Now, let's start from where we left off last week right before the angel and shepherds come in.
MARY: Shepherd.
DIRECTOR: Excuse me?
MARY: You said shepherds, but we only have one now, because John Pearcy's mom said he couldn't be in it anymore.
DIRECTOR: Since when? Why?
SHEPHERD: Well, it turned out he was allergic to hay.
DIRECTOR: A shepherd, allergic to hay?
JOSEPH: Yeah, it was pretty funny his face swelled up like a balloon, and he got that rash all over his eye.
DIRECTOR: Great! Well it's too late to recast now; we're just going to have to have one shepherd this year. Okay, let's start from where the angel and the shepherd come out. (Yelling offstage) Hey! You guys ready back there?
ANGEL and SHEPHERD: Yeah.
DIRECTOR: Action!
SHEPHERD walks onto stage and acts as if he is tending his flock. ANGEL walks in directly behind him and takes an angelic-like pose. All cast members begin laughing at SHEPHERD.
JOSEPH: Hey Bo Peep, you lose a sheep?
SHEPHERD: No!
DIRECTOR: Props!
PROPS PERSON: Yeah boss?
DIRECTOR: What's with the Bo Peep staff?
PROPS PERSON: It's all we have. We're working on that too.
DIRECTOR: Great. Okay. They're working on it. Now take it from the angel and try not to have any more interruptions.
ANGEL: (Overly dramatic) "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sing to you:"
DIRECTOR: Sign.
ANGEL: (Gives a confused look and begins to sign rest of line.) "And this will be a sing to you: you will…"
DIRECTOR: No. No, the word is sign, not sing.
ANGEL: Do you want me to start over?
DIRECTOR: Please no. Take it from where you left off.
ANGEL: (Mouths words leading up to line where she left off) "…find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."
ANGEL curtsies and exits, other cast members just look at her in silence.
MARY: Does she have to say it that way? It sounds weird.
ANGEL: If you were a real actress you would know good acting when you saw it. My monologue only adds to the…
MARY: It adds nothing. It makes you look crazy.
ANGEL: Well, I never.
DIRECTOR: Girls, please, can we move on and discuss later what does and doesn't look crazy? (Both girls give a look of "fine" or "whatever".) Now go ahead and pick it up from where we left off.
STAR PERSON: How 'bout me? Am I doing okay?
DIRECTOR: You're holding a star.
STAR PERSON: But am I doing okay? 'Cause I can change the way I'm doing…
DIRECTOR: Great! You're doing just great. Like I said, go ahead and pick it up from where we left off.
SHEPHERD: I'm confused. Is that me? 'Cause if it is, just tell me.
ALL: It's you!
SHEPHERD: Well, all right then. (As if talking to someone else) Let us now go to Bethlehem and see the thing which….
DIRECTOR: Who are you talking to?
SHEPHERD: John.
DIRECTOR: Okay, John is not here anymore, so why don't we just go ahead and scratch that line.
SHEPHERD: But it's my only line…
DIRECTOR: It makes no sense with you up there by yourself.
JOSEPH: He could say it to himself.
SHEPHERD: Or to the audience…
MARY: Or what about to us…he could say it to us…we're just sitting here.
SHEPHERD: Hey that's great. I like it.
DIRECTOR: Who's the director here? I said cut the line. Let's bring in the wise men.
We still have three of those, don't we?JOSEPH: Well, we have two.
DIRECTOR: Two? Why doesn't anyone bother to tell me these things?
MARY: Well, you just seemed so stressed this year. The guy who played it last year never returned his costume or his myrrh, so it was just easier to cut one of them out than try and come up with another costume.
DIRECTOR: They're wearing bathrobes. Surely we could have come up with another bathrobe. Just get the wise men in here. (WISE MEN enter.) What are you carrying?
WISE MAN 1: (Sheepishly) Frankincense?
DIRECTOR: Props!
PROPS PERSON: Yeah, boss?
DIRECTOR: A pail?
PROPS PERSON: Well we're work…
DIRECTOR: Yeah, I know, you're working on it.
PROPS PERSON: You got it.
DIRECTOR: (To the Wise Men) Just go ahead.
WISE MAN 2: Well, the wise men really didn't travel to the manger. They went to Jesus' house when he was a little older.
DIRECTOR: I realize that, but we had to condense the entire story into one evening. So please, just say what's in the script.
WISE MAN 2: Well, we really don't say anything. We just come in.
DIRECTOR: Then just do it.
WISE MAN 2: Well, we're here.
WISE MAN 1: So we did it?
DIRECTOR: (Deep breath) Where's the narrator?
PROPS PERSON: (Runs out from backstage) She would be giving birth to baby Jesus.
DIRECTOR: Fine. Let's take it from the top. And I'll read it.
The final run-through is done very seriously.
"And it came to pass in those days that a decree was sent out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Joseph also went from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds, keeping watch over their flock by night, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them…"ANGEL: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
DIRECTOR: The shepherds came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger. And there were wise men from the East, and when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they came in to the stable they saw the young child with Mary and fell down and worshipped Him.
MARY: We are filled with hope, and our hearts rejoice. The star that shone on a manger stall revealed the gift given once, for all.
Lights out.
Performance and photocopying rights:
Your purchase of this script grants your church unlimited use of these sketches within your programs and worship services. You may photocopy the script for each cast member in your church. Scripts and performance rights are not transferable between churches and cannot be resold. You may not use the sketches for any commercial or fundraising purpose, and usage rights do not extend to video, radio, television or film.Copyright © 2002 by Stephen Tedeschi