Characters:
Angel
Joseph
Mary
1st Motel Clerk
2nd Motel Clerk
3rd Motel Clerk
Person/Wiseman #1
Person/Wiseman #2
Person/Wisemam #3
Townspeople
Our scene opens with the Angel sitting up high off to one side singing - "Oh Holy Night" (1st verse)
ANGEL: The time is early evening, the year is 1995. Mary, who is very pregnant, and her husband Joseph are on their way to Jerusalem, Ohio to spend the holidays with family. As they are traveling in their car just outside of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
(Mary & Joseph enter through the side door in their car and drive to the center aisle turn and drive down the center in a cardboard cutout of a car, each carrying one of them making it look like they are riding in it) (someone makes car sound, then the car dies) (Mary & Joseph should be in the middle aisle about 4 rows down. They drop the car when it dies.)
JOSEPH: Oh great!!! Car trouble. This is just what we needed.
MARY: Oh Joseph, what are we going to do?
JOSEPH: I see a town up ahead, we'll have to walk and get a room for the night and fix the car tomorrow.
(Mary & Joseph walk down the center aisle to the back of the church, turn left, then walk up the side aisle to the front) (From the back of the church, Mary speaks)
MARY: How much further Joseph, I don't think I'll make it.
JOSEPH: Hold on Mary, we are all most there. (He puts his arm around Mary to support her.
(Almost to the front of the church)
JOSEPH: Here's a motel, I'll get us a room. (enter motel - your clerk is standing in the front corner of the church)(To the clerk Joseph says) We'd like a room for the night.
1ST MOTEL CLERK: I'm sorry - I don't have any vacancies.
JOSEPH: Okay - Thank you.
(He and Mary leave and go to the next motel.) (The 2nd clerk is standing in the front center of the church)
JOSEPH: We'd like a room for the night.
2ND MOTEL CLERK: I'm sorry, I don't have any rooms left. There is a big Christmas celebration in our little town of Bethlehem, you will probably have a hard time finding a room.
JOSEPH: Thank you. (He & Mary go on to the 3rd motel) (the 3rd clerk is standing on the left side of the front of the church)
(As they go into the 3rd motel, Mary who is tired & worn and beginning to have pains, holds her stomach and says)
MARY: Joseph, I think the baby will be born tonight, we must find a hospital.
(Joseph now speaking to the 3rd motel clerk)
JOSEPH: Where is the nearest hospital, my wife is going to have her baby.
3RD MOTEL CLERK: Our nearest hospital is over 70 miles away and she doesn't look like she'd make it that far. We have someone in town who delivers babies in our homes.
JOSEPH: Then I need a room, and could you call this person.
3RD MOTEL CLERK: I'm sorry, I don't have any vacancies. (Joseph looks frantic & Mary begins to faint)
(The clerk realizing the situation is desperate says)
3RD MOTEL CLERK: I have a room out back in my barn you may use. Here are some blankets & I'll call the nurse to come and check on your wife.
(Mary & Joseph who are grateful take the blankets)
MARY & JOSEPH: Thank you.
(Mary & Joseph exit carrying their blankets. Walk up on stage to the center, open blanket & settle down on it.)
(Curtain is closed to cover Mary & Joseph. They quietly get into their costumes to play the roll of Biblical Mary & Joseph.)
ANGEL: While Mary & Joseph are in the process of becoming parents, the townspeople & visitors are gathering around the town tree to celebrate the Christmas season.
(Piano plays softly while Townspeople walk up to the corner of the stage where the tree is, but Person #1 stops to talk to Clerk #3, while they aren't talking out loud we will soon see what they were talking about. Clerk #3 heads toward the town tree with the rest of the townspeople. Person #1 looks at the townspeople and sees 2 friends whom Person #1 motions to them to come here. They come back down off stage to see what he/she wants. Piano should be playing very softly while the townspeople are beginning to feel the mood of Christmas.)
PERSON #1: Guess what? A baby was just born in the barn behind Bethlehem Inn.
PERSON #2: Really?? There was no room for them at the inn? (Person #1 shakes head no) Let's go see.
PERSON #3: Maybe they are hungry, let's take some food for them as a gift and we can see the baby.
PERSON #1 & #2: (in unison) Yea! (They each grab food and run toward the barn.)(have a basket of fruit sitting nearby, a bottle of drink, and some cookies) ( The 3 persons put on their wise men costumes behind the curtain and gather their gifts wrapped in silver and gold)
Towns people sing song - "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem"
Nursery class recites pieces (young children reciting very small parts that they have memorized... such as the youngest saying just "Merry Christmas")
(if we need more time to get dressed townspeople will sing - "Away in the Manager") then the Angel speaks:
ANGEL: While the townspeople celebrate, Mary who is exhausted falls into a deep sleep and begins to dream about the Christ child. This . . . . is her dream.
Curtain opens.
(3 wise men walk toward Mary & Joseph with presents in their hands.)
WISEMAN #1: We are the wise men.
WISEMAN #2: We have traveled far to see the Christ child.
WISEMAN #3: We have come to worship our Savior and have brought him gifts.
WISEMAN #1: I have brought him a gift of gold (wiseman kneels)
WISEMAN #2: I have brought a gift of silver for him. (wiseman kneels)
WISEMAN #3: I bring to him the gift of frankincense & myrrh. (wiseman kneels)
(Mary & Joseph look at them and smile their thanks and bow their heads)
Curtain closes.
(Mary, Joseph, & wise men remove their costumes to go back to 1995)
Townspeople sing song - (ask audience to join in singing) "We Three Kings"
Primary class recites pieces (ages 6 & 7 saying small parts that they have memorized. may be one line or whole verse depending on capabilities of each child)
Curtain opens
(Mary is asleep - 3 towns people are walking towards them with gifts of food)
JOSEPH: Mary... Mary, honey - wake up - we have visitors.
(Mary awakens - looking a little bewildered, sits up)
PERSON #1: Hi - we were celebrating with the townspeople down by the town tree when we heard about a baby being born in a barn.
PERSON #2: We thought maybe you would be hungry and we brought you some gifts of food.
PERSON #3: This is just like the birth of our Savior so many years ago...
(All the Persons smile and hand them the gifts of food and look at the baby.)(Mary looks out at the audience & says)
MARY: It wasn't a dream. . . . (Spoken in a kind of "awed" "wow" sounding voice)
Remember.... I only have one rule for taking my play
Please email me and tell me you are using the play. 
Please tell me where you are from i.e. town, state and country.
written for Arnot Presbyterian Church, Arnot Pennsylvania
by: Cheryl Roan - 1995
10 years later and I still get emails EVERY day in the holiday season. I have had so many emails thanking me for my play from all over the world. It is amazing when I hear from all the different places in the world. I appreciate sincerely all the wonderful compliments that I have had. And that is all I require for use of my play is that you email me to tell me you are using it or considering using it. It is a great honor for me to hear from you!
I've also had a few people who have told me they have written their own play. I would love to have a copy to read and maybe even place here for others if you wish.
Copyright© 1995
all rights reserved.
