Summary: Shortly before Christmas last year, my husband told me that that day’s portion of Our Daily Bread said the word translated “inn” in the second chapter of Luke in many older versions of scripture might better be translated as “guest room,” and that Mary and Joseph were hoping to stay at a relative’s house. Instead, they got to stay in a relative’s stable, with the animals, one hopes, turned out for the occasion.
A few days later, I was looking at our nativity scene and realized that many of the figures in it, while traditional, probably aren’t accurate. I doubt the shepherds brought their sheep with them, but there might have been some belonging to the household, together with an ox or two and perhaps some goats. We don’t know. As for the donkey, scripture never mentions it. I’d like to think heavily pregnant Mary had a ride, but we know she and Joseph were poor, so she may have had to walk all the way. Another thing unmentioned is whether Mary had any help going through labour. Surely so! This is how I imagine it might have played out.
Note: The song verses can be left out or changed for others. I’ve chosen ones in the public domain.
Style: Light-hearted, humor Duration: 15 minutes
Actors: 8F
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9:2 (All scripture is taken from the New International Version, 2011 edition.)
Characters in order of speaking
Chorus (optional. Can be the women themselves. Audience can join in, if desired)
Narrator (This can be doubled by Hannah.)
Joanna (Hannah’s mother)
Sarah (a neighbour)
Abigail (the midwife)
Rachel (an older woman, Joanna’s aunt, a bit hard of hearing when it’s convenient)
Hannah (Joanna’s daughter, a young girl—anywhere between eight and twelve)
Esther
MaryAs many more women and girls as you want to use
Script
Chorus:
In the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind made moan.
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter, long ago.
(Lyrics by Christina Rossetti, music by Gustav Holst)
Narrator (in front of curtain, reading from a scroll): This was written by a Greek man named Luke who was here last year. It’s a strange story, but I was there for part of it. Listen.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. … And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2: 1-7)
(Lowers scroll and looks at audience.)
I hadn’t thought about those days in years. But like I said, we had a stranger in town, a gentile named Luke, asking questions of everyone old enough to remember. And I do remember, though I was just a young girl. Back before the killing of the babies. I remember it was a cold night, a night full of stars. And singing. Somewhere far off, I heard singing.
(Exits stage right. Curtain rises.)
Scene
(A square or rectangular room (depending on the stage) with terracotta-coloured walls. A curtained doorway in the middle of the right wall with a lantern hanging on a nail beside it. Odd bits of harness, a bucket, a pitchfork…hang on the walls. Straw is scattered here and there on the floor, also terracotta-coloured. Mary lies on a straw pallet upstage left, all the women except Joanna and Sarah surrounding her. We may catch occasional glimpses of her. Esther, a tall woman, holds a lantern up and keeps shifting it and herself around. Hannah is on the outside of the huddle and moves around, trying to get a glimpse of the proceedings.)
(Enter Joanna carrying a basket of folded cloth, and Sarah carrying a pitcher. They come through the curtain and stop.)
Joanna: The trouble I had getting these few rags for the baby. An old linen tunic, stained and torn, but Jude’s blessed mother was sure it could be used for one of the grandchildren.
Sarah (sympathetically): She’s still staying with you? I thought it was just supposed to be a short visit.
Joanna: There’s her definition of short and mine. Lying there in state in the guest room like the Queen of Sheba, just her and her maid. And me with a houseful of my relatives in town for the census. Wouldn’t even budge for a woman in labour. (Makes a coin-pinching movement with her fingers.) If it wasn’t that she’d promised all four of our daughters a good dowry.
(Shakes her head and continues across the stage, Sarah accompanying her. They put down their burdens and join the huddle of women. She catches sight of Hannah.)
Hannah, back to bed! (Points at doorway.)
(Hannah heads in that direction, gets halfway, glances back and sees her mother isn’t watching. Comes back over to the group.)
Joanna: I brought the swaddling cloths. Anything yet?
Abigail: It’s only been a few hours. I know the midwives back in Moses’ day claimed we gave birth quickly, but that was to protect the babies from the Egyptians. Anyway, the firstborn’s often slow in coming.
Rachel: That’s true. I was in labour for three days with Jacob. And pain! You could have heard me in Jerusalem.
Joanna: Hush, Auntie, you’ll scare her.
Rachel: That should encourage her, that things could be so much worse. And another thing. She keeps saying her son, but I know it’s a girl. Plain as plain. A boy would make a much bigger bump. When I was pregnant with Reuben…
Sarah (interrupting): Hah! You told me my last one was a boy, but it was a girl. And undersized, at that.
Rachel (ignoring her): …I was so big. Fourteen pounds, he was. There’s no way that’s a boy. A little thing like her produce a boy? Just like you, Joanna, a breeder of girls. Not like my Salome. Five boys.
(Joanna, irritated, looks around and spots Hannah.)
Joanna: I told you to go to bed, young lady!
Hannah: But, Momma, I want to see the baby being born. My sisters were there when I was born.
Joanna: Back to bed, I said. This is no place for a young girl.
Hannah (pouting): The baby’s younger than I am.
Esther (turning to face Joanna): Let her stay. The sooner she learns that every joy is bought with pain, the better for her.
Joanna: A fine thing to tell a young girl.
Esther (lowering lantern and putting other hand on her hip): You know it’s true.
Joanna (tossing her hands in the air): Fine! She can stay. Probably be up all night with bad dreams. You want to sit up with her?
Abigail: Hold that lantern still, Esther. I need light to bring this baby into the world.
Esther (raising lantern): Is that better?
Mary: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. (Isaiah 9:2)
Rachel: What did she say?
Abigail: She’s rambling. Give her a sip of wine and wipe her forehead with that wet sponge.
Hannah: It’s from the prophet Isaiah. They read it in synagogue last Sabbath.
Sarah: The bit about the Prince of Peace. I always liked that. Wish he’d hurry up and get here. Not much of a world to be bringing a child into.
Rachel: Hah! When I was pregnant with the twins, we had a Roman legion camped in our vineyard. All the time I was in labour, and I was in agony, let me tell you, there was clashing of arms and blowing of trumpets. Couldn’t get a wink of sleep between contractions.
Joanna: Hush, Auntie. Small ears.
Rachel: And on top of that, I had to keep going to the window to make sure those soldiers weren’t stealing my chickens. Bad times, I tell you. And getting worse.
Chorus:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
(traditional)
Esther: When haven’t we had bad times? It all went wrong with Adam and Eve. Egypt, Babylon, and now the Romans. When will it end?
Sarah: Better the Romans than our so-called king Herod.
All: Hush! Someone might hear you.
(Sarah goes to the doorway and peers out, then comes back.)
Sarah: There’s no one to hear, unless you’re worried about the goats. Or the baby’s father. He’s out there pacing.
Esther: We need a proper king from David’s line to throw out Herod and the Romans. Then things would be different.
Chorus:
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
(Bishop Phillips Brooks)
Abigail: After all, this is David’s city. Every time I help at a birth I wonder, could this be the one? The one to save us from our oppressors?
Mary: To save us from our sins.
Abigail: She’s wandering in her wits again. More wine! I think I’ll have a little myself, it’s been a long day. Almost there, dearie. You’ll be done soon.
Rachel: Hah! When I was pregnant with Isaac—now there was a surprise. I was carrying at the same time as my youngest granddaughter.
Joanna: Your oldest daughter, you mean, Auntie.
Rachel: Who’s telling this story, you or me? He was in such a hurry to be born, I had time to give birth and still get to my granddaughter’s side for her delivery.
Sarah (sarcastically): A comfort to both of you, I’m sure.
(Sound of a baby crying)
Abigail: A fine boy.
Rachel: Just as I predicted.
Joanna: Hah!
Abigail: Pass me that wet sponge. I’ll just clean him up a little and then you can see him.
(The women draw back, allowing us to see Mary, propped up against the wall, with a bundle in her arms.)
Chorus:
Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
(Cecil Frances Alexander)
Hannah: Can I hold him, Momma?
Joanna: Not now. Go and fetch your cousin Joseph. He’s been pacing in the courtyard all night.
(Hannah leaves.)
Esther (holding up lantern): The darling! Look, he’s smiling.
Rachel (doubtfully): He doesn’t look much like his father.
Mary: Just wait ‘til he grows up.
Chorus:
Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains.
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
(Traditional)
(Hannah re-enters and comes up to the women.)
Hannah: He’s coming, Momma, he’s just stopped to pray. And you should see, Momma, the sky’s so bright! And there’s singing, so beautiful!
Joanna: Not now, Hannah. I’m busy.
(Hannah goes back out through the curtain, then comes back in.)
Hannah: Momma!
Joanna: What now?
Hannah: There’s a bunch of shepherds at the front gate that want to come in and see the baby. They say an angel sent them. Oh, Momma, do you think it was the angel I heard singing?
Joanna: (raises arms and looks skyward) Dirty shepherds in my nice clean courtyard? What will the neighbours think?
Hannah: And Grandma said she’s got a sick headache and could we please keep the noise down?
Joanna: (lowers arms, straightens up and looks defiant) Oh, she did, did she. Let the shepherds in. I hope they brought all of their sheep with them. Keep the noise down, indeed.
Abigail: Shepherds? To see a baby? (Shakes her head.) This is the strangest birthing I’ve ever been at. And I’ve seen a lot of babies born. Maybe he really is the one.
(Curtain falls. Narrator walks out to front.)
Narrator: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Chorus:
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him,
Born the king of angels.
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
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Copyright 2025 Kate Tompkins. All rights reserved. Free for performance by churches and other Christian groups as long as admission is not being charged. Otherwise we can negotiate.
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