EXPERIENCE CHRIST (A Christmas Play) Summary Our Sunday school teachers were discussing how to have a nativity play which included the Wise Men given it is generally…
EXPERIENCE CHRIST
(A Christmas Play)
Summary
Our Sunday school teachers were discussing how to have a nativity play which included the Wise Men given it is generally assumed the magi weren't there at the actual birth. I piped up with the idea of "Where were you when it happened" style interviewing and the final result is this Special News Report script. Possibly there is something similar out there but I hadn't found this web site or anything similar until after the fact.
The play is introduced with an audio-visual component which highlights our own contemporary society and some of its ideas about Christmas. It then flows into on-stage interviews with the people who were actually there, encouraging us to think about what Christmas really is all about. There's not a heavy emphasis on the Christmas story details, rather a focus on those who participated and their perception of events, trying to get the audience to internalise and relate to the ideas. It finishes with a final simple audio-visual component challenging the audience to experience Christmas the way it was originally - all about Jesus. I used Windows Movie Maker to put the video bits together.
Inadvertently it was also a great way to incorporate the older kids who were getting too cool to participate in the "little kid's" play. They loved doing the "television" stuff. We also used songs at points I've marked in the script. I haven't included the music details. You could use anything you like in those spots.
Scripture references
Luke 1: 26 - 38 (re: Angels having a lot to say about what is happening)
Matthew 2: 1 - 12 (re: the Magi)
Isaiah 9: 6 - 7 (quoted by the Magi)
Luke 2: 7 (re: the inn-keeper)
Luke 2:8 (re: the Shepherds)
Setting
Newsroom
On location (open to interpretation)
Cast
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Audiovisual component |
Live Stage component |
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News Anchor |
Live Journalist |
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Journalist 1 |
Head Shepherd |
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Interviewee 1 |
Shepherds chorus (unscripted) |
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Journalist 2 |
Inn Keeper |
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Interviewee 2 |
Lead Wise Man |
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Journalist 3 |
Wise men chorus (unscripted) |
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Interviewee 3 |
Lead Angel |
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|
Angels chorus (unscripted) |
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|
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EXPERIENCE CHRIST
Script
AUDIO VISUAL COMPONENT
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Location: |
NEWSDESK |
|
News Anchor |
Welcome back. You're watching Channel 23 Batman News and I'm {name}. Now, on a happier note, we bring you a special report for this festive season. It appears that Christmas time can be many things for many people. But at a time when we wish for peace on earth and good will toward mankind, can we find some common ground? Here's our team of journalists in the field to discover more.... |
|
Location: |
New planting in gardens |
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Journalist 1 |
Thanks {news anchor}. I'm {Journalist 1} and I'm located in the gardens with {Interviewee 1}. [Turning to Interviewee] {Interviewee 1}, what is the Christmas experience for you? |
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Interviewee 1 |
Ad hoc answer centred on presents |
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Journo 1 |
And what's the most memorable present someone has ever given you? |
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Interv. 1 |
Own response |
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Journo 1 |
Thank you {Interviewee 1}. [Turning to camera] Now we'll cross to {Journalist 2} in the Car Park. |
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Location: |
Car Park |
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Journo 2 |
Hi {Journo 1}. I'm speaking today with {Interviewee 2}. [Turning to Interviewee 2] {Interv 2}, what is the Christmas experience for you? |
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Interv 2 |
Ad hoc answer centred on food |
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Journo 2 |
Is there one particular dish without which Christmas would be incomplete for you? |
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Interv 2 |
Own response |
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Journo 2 |
Thanks {Interv 2}. [Turning to camera]. {Journo 3}, who do you have with you today? |
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Location: |
Proposed portable site |
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Journo 3 |
Thanks {Journo 2}. I have with me here in the proposed portable site a lovely lady by the name of {Interv 3}. [Turning to Interviewee 3] {Interv 3}, can you tell me, what is the Christmas experience for you? |
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Interv 3 |
Ad hoc answer centred on making traditional pudding |
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Journo 3 |
So again, for you it's about the food? |
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Interv 3 |
Ad hoc answer clarifying it's not about the food but the people it's made for - the people who gather around it. "Friends & Family" or "the Kids" .... |
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Journo 3 |
Thank you for sharing that with us {Interv 3}. [Turning to camera] Finally we are crossing to {Live Journalist} who is investigating the Christmas experience in the Sanctuary. |
END AUDIO VISUAL
LIVE STAGE PERFORMANCE
|
Live Journo |
[Facing audience] Thank you {Journo 3}. We are preparing to celebrate Christmas here in 2010 and we've heard already that the season of festivities is experienced in many ways. But my question is... what was the ORIGINAL Christmas experience? Now, by some miracle, I've managed to track down a number of people from the first years of Christmas. [Turning to Head Shepherd] I'd like to start with you Shepherd. What was your Christmas experience? |
|
Head Shepherd |
It was terrifying!!! |
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Live Journo |
Terrifying?!? Really? |
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Head Shepherd |
Well, to start with anyway! It was a still night, the sheep were quiet and a few of us were chatting idly... when suddenly the night sky lit up light with an almost blinding light! And someone was up there in the sky! I'd heard of angels, but what would they want with us? We were petrified! |
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Live Journo |
What DID they want with you? |
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Head Shepherd |
They wanted us to meet Christ Jesus. Apparently he'd just been born. |
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Live Journo |
And who is Christ Jesus? |
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Head Shepherd |
He's our Saviour. Our Lord. That's what the angels talked about and that's what I believe. |
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Live Journo |
So did you meet this Christ Jesus? |
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Head Shepherd |
How could we not go? After all that light and angels and singing... and they'd given us directions too. A little stable of all places. Here - listen to this... [Head Shepherd joins Shepherd Chorus centre stage] |
Cue Shepherd's song
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Live Journo |
Wow. Thanks for that shepherds. [Turning to Inn Keeper] Inn Keeper, I'd like to turn to your experience of Christmas. The Shepherd mentioned a stable. I believe you might be able to tell me more about that? |
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Inn Keeper |
Yes. It was our stable. Out the back of our Inn. In Bethlehem. |
Cue overhead nativity scene
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Live Journo |
And why would the shepherd's have been sent there? |
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Inn Keeper |
Well I can't say much about this saviour business, but there WAS a baby born there that night. And the people... there was something special about them. |
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Live Journo |
What were they doing in your stable in the first place? |
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Inn Keeper |
It was a really busy time what with the Census going on and all. The whole town was crazy. Every Inn was booked out. The woman was heavily pregnant and when they asked for a room we knew they weren't going to have any luck that night. It wasn't much, but we offered them to stay in the stable. Better than turning that poor woman away. And a good thing too! The baby was born that night. In my stable! Not a fancy start in life, but I checked in on them and there was the little fella all snuggled up on some fresh hay in an animal feed trough. He looked beautiful. Something about his face.... |
End overhead image
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Live Journo |
Well it's at this point I'd like to move on to someone else who saw this Christ Jesus person... [Inn Keeper moves off to side and Lead Wise Man steps up next to Live Journo] Wise man, let's discuss your experience of Christmas. You sought out the Christ didn't you? |
|
Lead Wise Man |
Yes. There were a few of us and we travelled a long way. |
|
Live Journo |
Just to see this "Saviour"? |
|
Lead Wise Man |
Yes. |
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Live Journo |
How did you hear about him? |
|
Lead Wise Man |
People had been talking and writing about this person long before he was born. One man called Isaiah, around 700 years beforehand wrote: "To us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government will be upon his shoulders: and he will be called Wonderful, Councellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." |
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Live Journo |
But, finding him? I mean how could you know that you found the same child Isaiah talked about? |
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Lead Wise Man |
Oh, that was the easy bit. We followed his star! [exit to join other wise men centre stage] |
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Live Journo |
His star?!? |
Cue Wise men song
[At end of song all characters gather centre stage while final interview with Lead Angel is conducted.]
|
Live Journo |
[Facing audience] Well. How about that. The experience of Christmas in those first years really was quite extraordinary. But was it really all about stars, angels and bright lights? [Turning to Head Angel] Angel, you had an important hand in all of this. Can you tell us what all this REALLY is about? |
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Head Angel |
It's quite simply all about Jesus. |
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Live Journo |
But WHAT about him? |
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Head Angel |
It's like I told the shepherds: "a saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!" |
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Live Journo |
But what did you mean by that? |
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Head Angel |
I mean, not only was Christ Jesus born for you, and not only did he die for you, but he rose again for you, and will take into his eternal family whoever is willing to follow. |
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Live Journo |
[Turning to audience] Well there you have it folks. It seems there really is something to celebrate this Christmas. This is {Live Journalist} signing off for Channel 23 Batman News and wishing you all the joy of Christmas. |
[Live Journo & Head Angel to join entire cast centre stage]
Cue visual
End visual
Cue cast to sing final song
THE END
Notes:
Channel 23 Batman News is our church address: Number 23, Batman Avenue. Feel free to change!
People queried the News Anchor's line: "On a happier note...." This is in reference to all the bad news that would often be reported on a regular broadcast. Feel free to amend.
After copies of the Windows Movie Maker files to get you started? Email me. I won't send any of the material with the kids on it but I can send the introduction/end message in workable MSWMM files.
There's loads of free music loops, themes and sound tracks online. I sourced the theme music for our "news broadcast" from here:
HYPERLINK "http://www.templateswise.com/Free_Music_Loops/detail/link-12.html"http://www.templateswise.com/Free_Music_Loops/detail/link-12.html
Written by K C Colebatch for Eltham Presbyterian Church in 2010
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