Cast

• REBECCA: 30s-50s, Widowed, loving, religious mother of three afflicted children.
• GABE: Male or female, an angel in human form.
• DEBORAH: 10-17 years old. Rebecca’s blind daughter. Intelligent, loving, perceptive.
• JOAN: 8-10 years old. Rebecca’s deaf daughter. Intelligent and loving. She is deaf, but she reads lips. She merely grunts out noises excitedly and expressively but roughly has her own sign language.
• LUKE: 5-7 years old. Rebecca’s son. He has a cleft pallet including a speech impediment. Very brave.
• GATE KEEPER: Mature male. Gruff, average, with heart.
• NIC: a.k.a., Nicodemus (the devil); male.
• TWO THIEVES: Mature males. Gruff, not bright, with warped hearts of gold.
• JUDE: A teenage beggar; bright, friendly, afflicted with rickets (crutch.)
• SHEPHERD: Any age, male or female; small role.
• MARY: Devout Mother of Jesus; teen, religious, loving, gracious.
• JOSEPH: Devout, early 20s, Husband of Mary.
• CHRIST CHILD: A doll in swaddling clothes and crib.

Playwright Suggestion: Use young people in character roles to develop acting skills.
Angel/flex: change the name: Gabe to Gabrielle and pronouns to be gender-flex.
The angels, shepherds, are number/gender flexible.
You might use a chorale to open/close the performance with “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” and or other carols, depending on resources or audio/time.

Plot Summary

Angel Gabe visits Rebecca, the recent widow of one of the finest Bakers of Bethlehem, to inform her it is God’s wish that she and her three children pay homage to the Christ child. Guided by the Star of Bethlehem, they travel forth, greeted by many surprises along the way—all of which keep up the spirits of this devout (and feisty) family.

Rebecca is a resilient Mom who loves her two daughters and son dearly. Each of her children are afflicted with disabilities, but she teaches them that by helping one another, they will succeed, as well as showing others to be thankful for what they have.

Once at the manger, they visit with the Holy Family and prayed to ease the pain and suffering in the world (though they do not pray to change their lives personally at all). And by (not) doing so, God knew the unselfish sacrifice they had all made and blesses them with healing.

This pageant-like piece is meant to be presented in a seamless (or “scene-less”) fashion. Lighting is used to help with the journey. It is recommended that the Holy Family be on stage from the start.

The Setting

In the days of King Herod, on the day of Christ’s birth, the action takes place in Bethlehem of Judea. It is possible to not use any set pieces just a few props. If chosen, though the set should be a simple single-unit set with a small flat, symbolizing the façade of a humble, brightly colored home (single doorway), a symbolized gate (perhaps demonstrated with a saw horse), and a simple flat indicating the stable, in darkness. Active lighting brings it to life.

$4.50/individual copy

$TBD/package +
$30/performance royalty

Have you read Conti's Wenceslas,  The Little Drummer Boy, The Mystery of the House of the Seven Gables, Taming of a Bull-(Y) or Shades of Sylvia!