26 pages
1 m, 3 w, 1 flexible, 1 boy, extras
Goldie, Frank, and Myrna, three counselors at an emotional helpline, have devised a way to have Christmas Eve off this year. They have engaged Thomas Wellmore, a charming but self-centered Wall Street type, to man the phones. He willingly embraces the opportunity to “balance his karma” and “do something real at Christmas for those less fortunate.” As the evening wears on and no one calls, he becomes increasingly irritated and his true character is revealed. Then, at the stroke of midnight, a cleaning woman enters with her young son, Christopher. Though the ey...
15 pages
9 to 18 students
The Christmas Stockings, Sugarplums, Snowflakes, Rudolph, and Santa Claus have decided they are tired of hearing "I want, I want." Children just never give them a break. They are going to strike. But when a serious accident occurs, everybody does a complete about-face, and once again the real meaning of Christmas is accentuated. One act.
69 pages
4 m, 7 w, extras
Ever since tragedy befell Grandpa Howard on Christmas Eve 25 years earlier, he makes life miserable for everyone including himself. He won't let Mrs. Howard borrow his car for a fund-raising drive and won't listen to a plea from Mr. Howard and daughter Susan to borrow money for a very important business deal for Susan's boyfriend. Young Larry and the neighborhood pest, Betty, are constantly running afoul of Grandpa's temper. Pathos and fantasy come from Grandpa's dreamy reminiscing over the beautiful girl who was once his wife the humor arises from the hilari...
46 pages
7 m, 5 w, 11 teen girls, 3 teen boys.
The Davies’ house is a picture of confusion and complications this Christmas Day with the arrival of various extended family members and guests. No one can find Uncle John, there’s body glitter all over Kelly’s room, Sandy and her daughters have been doing something with feathers in the kitchen, and nobody knows what Nana Jane might do this year! But then a stranger appears who might be Sandy’s new boyfriend, Phil’s old friend from college, or (if we believe Grandpa) the mysterious Uncle Don from the Amazon. The stranger says nothing, and yet his soft smile i...
14 pages
2 m, 3 w
Time has passed. Della and Jim, the young couple from O. Henry's short story, are now elderly. At their yearly Christmas Eve visit to a simple coffee shop, they encounter a melancholy woman. Touched by her sadness, they tell their story in a flashback scene of their first Christmas together when they each sold their most precious possession to buy the other a present. That experience changed forever their idea of buying expensive Christmas gifts. Instead they exchange the most priceless of all, love.
63 pages
8 m, 7 w, 1 boy, 1 girl, extras
Jack Thompson's kids are fighting non-stop this Christmas. Yet the season holds wonderful memories for Jack. He relates the story of his family's magical Christmas back in 1965 when life could not be worse. The stage comes alive with Jack, now 13, with his dad about to lose his business. Mom is worried about the two girls they are sheltering from an abusive home. Grandma, newly widowed, has come to live with them while irresponsible Aunt Hilda and her over-pampered son, Little Claude, arrive for an extended visit. Jack's older sister, Corrie, has a boyfriend ...
52 pages
4 m, 5 w, 1 teen boy, 1 teen girl, 1 boy, 6 girls
It is Christmas time. The Rasmussen family is gathering at Grandma's country home for the holidays. Everyone will be there - except Grandpa, who died recently. All are concerned for Grandma in her first Christmas without Grandpa, but Danni McKenna, a sort of step-granddaughter, may be the solution. Danni is now living with her stepmom, Samantha, who is Grandma's daughter. Danni has problems. She doesn't want to fit in or maybe she's decided that she can't fit in. She feels unloved and unwanted. By solving Danni's problems Grandma eases the loss of her beloved...
13 pages
Flexible cast
Abigail Scrooge, the epitome of the school marm, doesn't care about Christmas or all the homework she's assigned over the holiday, UNTIL the ghost of Josephine Marley haunts her along with the spirits of assignments past, present and future. The play spoofs not only the original classic, but also schools and teachers. Easy to produce. One act.
47 pages
8 m, 7 w
Mrs. Chase is expecting high society guests and has hired a "butlah" and a maid to keep up appearances. She also hires a Santa Claus for a clever surprise. But everything goes haywire. Rich Uncle Gregory arrives incognito and is given a very cold reception, the refreshments go wrong, and the presents are distributed to unexpected but deserving relatives. Funny with lots of action. One setting. Runs an hour.
41 pages
18 flexible characters
The Breckenheimers are a colorful but loving family celebrating Christmas with a unique hillbilly flair all their own. As our story begins, we flashback to the day Poppa delivered some very exciting news to Mama, his parents and his children Bucky, Queazy, Myra Jean and Lindy. He has just been promoted to the Assistant to the Junior Assistant Manager at the pickled egg plant owned by Garver Goobler. Poppa even gets to help Goobler with a "special" project Christmas morning. But the family's happiness is tempered by Mama's uneasiness with the motives of Gooble...
62 pages
4 m, 5 w, extras
It's winter in a poor coal mining town in the early 1900s. When a foundling baby girl appears on the doorsteps of the company store, Annie, the possessive wife of the proprietor, takes a shine to her. But Arly, who works at the store and makes Christmas presents for all the kids in town, learns that Francine is the real mother. Francine loves the baby, but is too poor to raise her with her other daughter. A cave-in at the mine sows tragedy among the miners and their families and complicates matters further. Francine, who has lost her husband in the disaster, ...
48 pages
20 to 26 parts (doubling possible)
In this hour-long musical, Fido, the P.C. ("Pet of Ceremonies") introduces the show. As the story unfolds, young Timmy and Beth MacDonald fall asleep with visions of sugar plums and farm animals singing and dancing in their heads. From the bossy cow to the gruff goat to Santa Pig himself, the dialogue is amusing for both children and adults. And the frantic chases are hilarious. New, innovative lyrics are included for the seven traditional songs that are suggested, and the audience is even invited to sing along for one of them. You'll love our barnyard versio...
69 pages
Flexible cast, approx. 6 - 8 m, 6 - 8 w
"Dear Santa" is composed of a number of short scenes that range from the hilarious to the touching. Many views of Santa are seen - from the point of view of the child who alphabetizes her Christmas list and sends it out in August as well as that of children at various stages of belief - and disbelief! Santa and his helpers shed light on many of the mysteries surrounding him, including why you don't always get the gift you ask for, how Santa delivers all those gifts in one night, how he finds children spending Christmas away from home, and how his power transc...
64 pages
Lead roles for 7 m, 7 w, 1 boy and 2 girls.
It's December, 1944. K-M-A-S Radio station manager Arthur Kensington hopes a special show will raise the ratings and advertising dollars, but his staff is in disarray. There's a dyslexic sound man, a poetry/drama queen, and pompous crew of actors, including one who has written a new radio play retelling the Nativity as a hard-boiled detective story. On top of that, everyone's hopes are dashed when an anticipated visit from the famous singing Andrews Sisters turns out to be the not-so-famous Epstein Cousins. Oh, and did we mention the orphans, the rival radio ...
20 pages
2 m, 3 w, 1 boy, 1 girl
Ted and Jane are hosting Ted’s mother and sister for Christmas. As they share memories of their childhood home (acted out live) it becomes clear that their perspectives about the past are very different. An on-going “falling off the ladder” gag adds to the laughs. Finally, Mom presents them each with a DVD featuring their old home movies. As they watch it together, the realization that perhaps they each had things better than they remember brings a lump to the throat and an appreciation for the value of family. Performing groups can be as creative as desired ...