Christmas drama

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Use this drama as part of a youth session or Christmas service. 

 

 

SETTING 

Four friends (any mix of male and female) meet on Christmas Eve. 

 

 

CAST 

A: a typical teen, going through life 

B: up for a good time and loves parties

C: a real eco vegan 

D: thinks some deep thoughts at times but can venture a little off topic 

 

A enters, drinking cola with a plastic straw. 

B, C and D enter from the other direction. 

C: What do you think you’re doing? 

A: Me? Being me! 

C: I mean, why are you drinking that? 

A: It’s only cola. 

C: No, that! How could you? 

A: Nope, still not getting it. It’s even reduced sugar. I don’t want to ruin this gorgeous smile. 

B: I think I know where this conversation is heading. 

D: I’m glad someone does. 

C: What’s the point of having a gorgeous smile if the world doesn’t exist any more? 

D: That’s a bit extreme. Cola isn’t normally that destructive. Although I did see some- thing on the Discovery Channel where they used cola to strip the paint off a toy car. 

C: No, the straw. It’s plastic. Single-use plastic! Don’t you care about the  planet? 

A: It’s just one straw. One straw for one cola for one me. 

C: Exactly, and that’s the problem: everyone saying “It isn’t my problem” and doing nothing. 

B: Changing the subject. Are you going to Harry’s party later? It’s going to be a wild one. His parents are away, the house is all his and he has plenty of time to clean up afterwards. 

A: Er, well, I… 

B, C and D: Party, party, party! 

A: Well… 

B, C and D: Party, party, party! 

A: Perhaps… 

B: You’re not going are you? 

D: More like you’re not allowed to go! 

C: Ah. What are your parents making you do tonight? 

A: Nothing! I can do whatever I want to do. 

B: What could be better than Harry’s party, single-use straw person? 

A: Well, it’s Christmas Eve… 

B: Yes, Christmas Eve. Party at Harry’s! 

C and D cheer. 

A: Well, my family goes to the midnight service at church. We celebrate what Christmas is all about. 

C and D fall silent. They look at A in shock. 

C: What?! 

B: But why? 

A: We go every year. It’s Christmas, so we go to church to remember what Christmas is all about. 

D: Presents! 

C: Food! 

B: Harry’s party! 

A: No, it’s about Jesus. 

B: Jesus? 

A: Where do you think the ‘Christ’ in ‘Christmas’ comes from? Jesus was also called Christ. He is the whole point of Christmas. It’s a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So once a year we go to church to do that. We say thank you to God and welcome Jesus: the light of the world who brings peace and joy to all men. 

D: What about women? 

A: Yes, and women too, of course. It’s just that sometimes religious talk is a bit old-fashioned. In fact, our church is a bit 

old-fashioned. It should be peace and joy to everyone; to the whole world. 

C: What about orangutans? 

A: What? 

C: Orangutans. Does Jesus bring peace and joy to them? 

A: I…don’t know. 

C: You see, being the single-use  plastic king of this town, you’re actually part of the problem with the world and the destruction of the rainforests. And that, my eco-challenged friend, is where the orangutans come in. They’re endangered through rainforest destruction. Does Jesus bring peace and joy to the orangutans, too? 

A: I think…actually, I don’t know. I suppose the way to find out would be to ask the vicar at church, or to find out a bit more about Jesus and God to see if the orangutan is on their help list. 

C: And polar bears? 

A: What? Er, yes. The same thing. 

D: And the bees? The bees are important, you know. No bees, no pollination. No plants to eat, or to feed the animals, or to produce oxygen and trap carbon. It’s a vicious circle. 

B: Bees are vicious. They’re always buzzing around when you’re just trying to enjoy a sunny day. 

D: You’re thinking about wasps. Bees are friendly and furry and cuddly. 

B: You’re one messed-up animal lover. 

C: And even though some wasps sting and annoy you on a hot summer’s day they are still important in the ecosystem. So what does— 

D: Hold on. I think I heard that God is the creator of everything there is. And that before anything existed, like the earth, the stars, the animals, the insects and even plastic straws, there was God. And God just imagined and spoke everything into being. 

They all look at D in surprise. 

D: But I could be wrong, I might be thinking of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. 

C: If Jesus is so great, why do you only go to church once a year? 

B: Yeah. You know your problem? You have a bad case of non-environmentally friendly religion! 

A: What are you talking about? 

D: You know. You just go to church once a year. 

C: So you have a single-use Jesus! Just like your single-use plastic straw. 

D: If everyone has a single-use Jesus the world will become polluted. If you only use Jesus at Christmas the light is only for one day, or one moment. And the peace will only be for one day or one moment, and the joy, too. 

C: Yes. The world would become a polluted, dark and hateful place if Jesus is only used once. 

A: I think you’ve got things mixed up a little, but I suppose you could be onto something. A single-use Jesus is pointless and potentially damaging, like a single-use straw. 

B: So are you going to forget about church and come along to Harry’s party after all? 

A: No. Perhaps this Christmas I’ll continue with Jesus into Boxing Day, and then into  the new year as well. Bringing peace and light and joy to the world needs to be ongoing, not just a one-off, single-use thing.