Check Your List of Christmas Scripts!
by Jeannette Jaquish and others
Unfinished Page: Please CONTACT Jeannette Jaquish for what you need.
Lots of All Kind of Scripts on this Page!
St. Patrick's and Thanksgiving scripts and links to other Christmas script sites are near the bottom of page.
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When Santa's Away -/- Reindeer #3 is Squeaking! -/- When Santa Returns
A raucous and witty play-within-a-play Christmas comedy with a song and a few GREAT lines for each actor.
CASTS: 18, 20, 21, 23 or 24 children plus 2 adults. Script variations have more or fewer characters, and actors can perform in one script or both.
-- "When Santa's Away": for 6, 8 or 9 ELVES, age 5 and older, plus 1 adult SANTA.
-- "Reindeer #3 is Squeaking!": for 12 or 15 ANGELS, ELVES and REINDEER, age 7 and older, plus 1 adult Music Director character.
You get ALL versions.
LENGTH: About 20 minutes.
by Zephyr and Jeannette Jaquish
"When Santa's Away. . . " — It's the day after Christmas and Santa bids his hardworking, tearful elves goodbye as he goes on vacation ...
and walks into your surprised audience to watch your production of
"Reindeer #3 is Squeaking!", in which a school Christmas rehearsal goes hilariously wrong. Afterwards, Santa compliments the show, reminds them all to be good and leaves.
"When Santa Returns" resumes the story with a wild party in Santa's workshop, until Santa's unexpected arrival.
PRICE: $15 first performance, $5 additional, $35 for 1 year.
Music Files: $10 includes US shipping.
*** You may order JUST "Reindeer #3 is Squeaking!"
or JUST "When Santa's Away" and wrap it around another play or song that Santa joins the audience in watching.
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, 1843
Charles Dickens was desperate. He walked the cold and filthy, dangerous neighborhoods of London, seeking inspiration to write a Christmas book to sell to support his family. Passing by the ragged, shivering residents of the hovels and alleys, he found the characters he needed and imagined a wealthy miser who came from poverty himself, and reviled others who could not work their way out as he had, and as Charles Dickens had.
Dickens’ father was always in debt and his wife and children suffered. Grown up Dickens’ own extended family was always pleading for money, and his father stole some of Dickens’ book-related things to sell as souvenirs.
But Charles Dickens found goodness as well, and wrote a story of hope and inspiration , asserting that helping really does help, and mankind can save itself. Charles Dickens probably changed the world.
Jeannette Jaquish’s stage adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” keeps as much of Dickens’work as a stage can present, and added more characters, humor , lines and action, especially for children and supporting characters.
Photos are from Fort Wayne, Indiana Firehouse Theater production.
127 CHARACTERS!
CAST: 44 actor minimum, from Tiny Tim age on up.
All except Scrooge play multiple roles.
18 children
8 teenagers, playing teenagers.
18 adults
Casting charts and Rehearsal Groups are in Tech Notes.
LENGTH: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
LENGTH: 2 hours 15 minutes
MUSIC: No music is provided with the script. The only songs are carols. The only dance music is in Fezziwig's scene. You should find plenty in the public domain for recordings or for live musicians.
TECH: Many set changes from Counting House to Scrooge's Bedroom to Cratchit's, Nephew Fred's, Scenes from his childhood, and so on. As Scrooge is taken to a new place, he could travel thru the audience. If you’d like additional lines to make entrances and exits and travel work, just ask.
The only sPECIAL EFFECTS might involve ghosts: All the bells ringing and other effects in Scrooge’s bedchamber, and the entrance of Marley, and the flying ghosts Scrooge sees outside his window.
Because most actors play multiple parts, good backstage discipline and organization is required.
Enhanced and adapted for stage by Jeannette Jaquish © 2006
OVERVIEW: This Christmas play is based on the original Dickens, plus many new short scenes and characters to give the supporting actors more action and lines. Ebenezer Scrooge has additional hilarious, meaningful, muttering lines and a Narrator telling the story, bridges staging transitions.
Jeannette Jaquish has produced this play thrice, and in the process of writing and performing has tweaked and smoothed Dickens' lines to make them easier to memorize and roll off the tongue. Stage directions have been worked out for the many movements of actors and Scrooge in the ever changing locations. Remember, this story was written as a novel, not a play, and its constantly changing locations (Counting House - the Exchange - Scrooge's Home - Cratchit's House - Old Joe's - Street - Nephew Fred's...) are tricky to stage. This is a well-worked script.
Jeannette has given the supporting characters additional small scenes and great lines for all. Expanded roles: shivering street urchins, shopkeeper, beggars, serving wench, cook, children from Scrooge's childhood and Fred's guests.
In addition, the author is available to re-write scenes or give technical or production advice, by phone or email.
COST: $30 for first performance,
$15 each additional performance;
$90 for a year,
$70 each additional year.
SNAFU in Santa’s Workshop
or The Almost Awful Terrible Toy Disaster in Santa’s Workshop
In a terrible mishap, all the toys the elves have worked on for a year are destroyed! Can Quigley's new invention save the day, even after it is short circuited by hot cocoa?
CAST of 11 to 12 or More:
SANTA
4 ELVES
4 or more REINDEER
NARRATOR
SLEEPY KID
EXCITED KID
(Sleepy & Excited can be played by 2 Reindeer or Dooplicator Ops.)
1 or 2 FX: Dooplicator Operators
VOICES of MOTHER & FATHER, can be voiced by SANTA & NARRATOR.
(Set changes can be done by Dooplicator Operators, Reindeer & Santa.)
by Jeannette Jaquish
EXCERPTS
EASY TO LEARN This play is reasonably easy to memorize. Lines rhyme and each line prompts the next. Santa can carry a clipboard in the first scene. The Narrator reads from the script and can prompt actors, for example: "Snicker gave a big smile and said, "Santa! The kids . . .” until the actor catches on and finishes the line, “loved the toys!”
TECH: Cardboard box "Dooplicator" machine", toys, table, Christmas tree, fake presents, small table, tools.
SETS: Santa's Workshop & a Christmas tree with presents at a home.
LENGTH: About 18 minutes with plenty of physical comedy. Songs could be added.
PRICE: $15 for the first performance, $5 for additional;
$35 for a year, $20 for additional years.
The Twelve Days of Christmas - A Merry Parody
An absurd, hilarious, romping dose of reality laid onto this Christmas Classic, as the daily gifts cascade around the overwhelmed recipient.
CAST: 14 to 75 actors
Gift Girl
Narrator/Singer
Musician playing the music
12 to 72 Gift Characters, costumed or with puppets (We let one actor represent each set of gifts with a number hanging on them.)
by Rhiannon Burch
EXCERPTS ORDER
COST: $5 first performance, $2 additional, or $10/year.
LENGTH: About 5 minutes.
TECH, PROPS & COSTUMES: Quite a bit of it but it just gets funnier the worse the costumes and props are. Make them out of odd clothes, cardboard, poster paint, poster board, sock puppets, and feathers - you will need feathers!
Hansel and Gretel and the Falling Christmas Elves
by Jeannette Jaquish
THE DOPEY DUO of Hansel and Gretel bungle their way into the hungry Witch's clutches and boiling pot again. When Santa's elves fall off the reindeer and into the Witch's kitchen, is rescue in sight? NOT LIKELY!
LENGTH: 25 minutes
ONE SONG for Forest Creatures - Music file included.
~*~
CAST: 15 to 20 actors
Hansel & Gretel
Father and Stepmother
Witch
7 to 12 Elves
3 or more Forest Creatures who sing and creep (can be Elfs or Dog & Frog Fairies)
Fairy Dog and Fairy Frog
Reader
EXCERPTS ORDER
TECH NEEDS: The Witch's large cook pot can be a large gray storage tub spritzed with black spray paint & fake fire. Simple, easily removed exterior of family's house - can make from cardboard. Whatever scenery or furniture you want for Witch's house. Forest Creatures sing & menace; can change costumes to be Elves or Fairy Frog or Dog, or hang around as Witch pets.
COST: $10 for the first performance, $5 for additional; $30 for a year, $20 for additional years.
Seeking St. Nick!
A St. Nicholas Day theatrical adventure, by Jeannette Jaquish © 2012
St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 5 or 6 in Western Christian countries, and on December 19 in Eastern Christian countries. St. Nicholas is the inspiration for Santa Claus and his gift-giving traditions during Christmas celebrations.
SYNOPSIS
Santa is missing and St. Nicholas Day is tomorrow! Elves are panicking. They find a clue and follow it to one place after another, each time encountering exciting characters who tell the elves their problems.
The Elves figure out how these people can solve their problems themselves. When the Elves get back to the workshop Santa is there with a final gift solution.
Countries Observing St. Nicholas Day
Western Christian Countries: Many Western Christian nations, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Germany, celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6. In these countries, it often involves gift-giving and festive activities.
Eastern Christian Countries: In Eastern Orthodox traditions, such as in Ukraine, Serbia, and parts of Russia, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 19, according to the Julian calendar.
Religious Context
St. Nicholas is venerated in both Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions, recognized for his generosity and kindness, particularly towards children and the needy.
EXCERPTS ORDER
NOTE: This was written for for 4 experienced actors playing the 4 Elves, and one of them plays 4 other roles. changing costume with each scene. AND they would pull 16 volunteers from the audience prior and divide them into 4 groups , one for each of the 4 towns they visit. These audience actors have very few lines.
CAST OPTIONS for 24 CHARACTERS
CAST
ELF 1 – TOFFEE – LOLEK
ELF 2 – HAZEL – BOLEK
ELF 3 –KOLACKY - KITE
ELF 4 – ZINGER can also play MAYOR, BOSS, DICTATOR, and SANTA
16 LOCATION ACTORS or 16 AUDIENCE VOLUNTEERS with few lines.
ELVES 1, 2 & 3 visit 4 locations.
ZINGER, the 4th ELF plays 4 other roles including Krampus and Santa, so you could get actors for 1 to 4 of those roles instead of Zinger.
———————————————————
LENGTH: 30 minutes
TECH: Simple. Sets can be simple or complex. Just a few easy to get or make hand props. No furniture necessary.
COST: $15 first, $5 additional=performance royalty; $20= Music CD
Miracle On Elf Street
Audience children get invited onstage to be Helper Elves!
SMALL CAST
3 Elves
Mrs. Claus
LENGTH: About 30 minutes.
TECH NEEDS: 2 Tables, lots of soft toys, tennis balls, balls and balloons, cardboard boxes.
by Scott F. Rouseau
EXCERPTS ORDER
DESCRIPTION: Santa's Elves are in a pickle when Santa gets sick and can't deliver the presents! Oh! And Mrs. Claus reminds them: They have new toy orders to fill: PRONTO! They need help fast! And who is available and sitting right there?
PRICE: $10 per performance
$35 for a one year run.
Elfin Antics in Santa’s Workshop
It's pandemonium when the elves take flying lessons and the reindeer try to make toys!
Lines are in rhyme to help children with memorization and to add charm!
CAST: 14 actors, age 7 through adult, plus optional sled dogs.
Costumes: Elves, Reindeer, Polar Bears, Santa and Mrs. Claus
a musical by Rosemary Snow
LENGTH: About 30 minutes.
TECH NEEDS: 2 Tables, lots of soft toys, tennis balls, balls and balloons, cardboard boxes.
PRICE: $10 per performance, $5 for additional, $30/year.
EXCERPTS ORDER
SONGS available on included sheet music, or
$23 Music CD:
Elves Workshop Song
Reindeer Song
Polar Bears Song
Yodeling Elf Song
Aurora Borealis
Beautiful original music on sheet music or professionally recorded music CD.
