Description
Dealing with cancer and dysfunctional family at Christmas.
A different kind of a Christmas drama. Grandfather dealing with cancer, all the family, (varying degrees of dysfunctional), are invited back home for Christmas. The focus of this drama is not so much on the birth of Jesus but on the reason he came to earth, lived a human life and died on a cross as the required sacrifice for our sins.
Useful at all times of the year as a regular or Dinner theatre.
Cast: 10
- Grampa Roy, (60’s)
- Grams Elizabeth (Liz or Lizzie 60’s)
- Tasha (daughter 40’s)
- Dominic (Tasha’s husband 40’s)
- Joshua (Tasha & Dominic’s son (early 20’s)
- Jacob (son, single 38)
- Kate (daughter, single 37)
- Mya (Kate’s daughter 20)
- Phillip (Kate’s son 19)
- Morgan (Kate’s friend male or female. 30/40’s) NOTE a friendship not romantic
Bible Reference: 1Timothy 1:15
Set: Bare with table
- there is a main stage for the main action and a small side stage where Mya performs, these can be created solely by spotlights
- Main stage has chairs, table, sofa
- The main stage may have backdrops to indicate location, more likely blank
Sound: wireless mic
Song: “Lord I’m Coming Home” many locations on the internet including https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvbzFPWz954
Lighting: as available
SFX: none
Props: newspapers, tea cups, kettle, Christmas cards, phones, mail
Costumes: likely traditional
Special Instructions:
Time: 50
Sample of script:
lights come up on main stage, Roy & Elizabeth are seated, reading newspaper
Mya comes to side stage, watches silently from the shadows
Roy: No idea why I read this thing! Same stories we see on TV every night .. . . war, floods, hurricanes, murders, death and crooked politicians.
Liz: Roy, you talk nonsense! . . . There is plenty of good news, you just have to look for it! . . It’s just that good news doesn’t make it to page one of the newspaper or gets reported on CNN. . . But good news is there Roy, we just need to seek it out.
Roy, waves newspaper:
Lizzie Washington, where’s your mind? . . . Go ahead and show me one iota of good news in this here rag.
Liz: How long we’ve been together, man and wife, Roy Albert Washington?
Roy: Long enough to know that when you call me out with my full name . . . I better be bang on!
Liz: How long? . . . Stalling’s not gonna help you none!
Roy: Let’s see . . . We was married on . . . 23rd March . . .
Liz: 18th November try!
Roy: I knew that . . . was testing you Lizzie.
Liz: Yeh right! . . . Go on then, how long we been married?
Roy: Gotta remember the old mind’s gettin’ foggy a bit . . .
Liz: Stalling! . . . Stalling!
Roy: Listen here Lizzie my love, you know full well I don’t do my best rememberin’ til I get me a big cup of your fine Jasmine tea!
Liz, smiles, moves to Roy, kisses his head, moves to table:
Oh you always was the charmer Roy Albert Washington! . . . I’ll get your cup of tea but you best be thinking of the answer . . or be prepared to sleep on the chesterfield tonight!
lights lower on main stage where Roy continues to read newspaper, Liz silently makes tea
lights up on side stage where Mya moves a step, smiles, points at Roy & Liz
Mya: That there’s Roy and Elizabeth Washington, proud to say they are my grandparents. . . . They been married like 46 years, never saw a couple more in love, more committed to each other. . .
Committed to Jesus Christ too! . . . And they work hard to keep their kids and grandkids believers as well.
Me, I am Mya Washington . . . My Mom Kate is Roy and Elizabeth’s youngest daughter.
(pauses, thinks)
Guess you have noticed, my Mom kept her maiden name.
Actually all she kept from my Dad was me and my younger brother Phillip.
They tell me Dad left Mom and us kids to go to play football in college.
Dad was a running back, kinda good but not great.
Anyhow, my Dad the running back, he ran right out of our lives and never came back.
Story of Mom’s life seems like. She had what you might call relationship issues. . . .still has!
Don’t know what I would have done without the influence and prayers of my Grampa Roy and Grams Elizabeth!
lights lowered on side stage, up on main stage where Liz brings tea to Roy
Liz: There ya go staller! . . . You got your tea . . . Now, answer!
Roy: Not too likely I will ever forget the best day in my life, the day you became my bride! . . . The Christmas comin’ up will be our 42nd Christmas together!
And they been amazin’ good Christmases Lizzie, every one!
And this Christmas will be special Lizzie . . .
Liz cries, Roy moves to her, holds her
Mya silently reacts in shock over the next few lines
Liz: How can you say that Roy? . . .
Your doctor told you plain . . . This will be the last . . !
Roy: Doc Samborn, he’s a good enough doctor, but doctors they make mistakes.
Don’t go and count me out until the proper time comes Lizzie darlin’!
Liz: It’s Stage 4 cancer Roy! . . . You know full well what that means!
Roy: Yep, I do Lizzie . .. It means it is one stage up from the Stage 3 cancer Doc Samborn told me would kill me within 6 months. . . . . And that was two years ago as I recall!
Liz: But Stage 3 meant your cancer had spread in the affected area. . . . Stage 4 means your cancer is spread throughout your entire body!
Roy: That simply means it’s gonna bring greater glory to God when our prayers for healing are answered Lizzie.
But the reason I am super excited about this Christmas is we are gonna maybe have every child, every grandchild . . . right here . . . home for Christmas!
Home for Christmas Lizzie!
lights down on main stage, Lizzie & Roy move offstage, Tasha & Dominic in dark move onstage
Lizzie, in dark:
Well for sure Tasha she will be here, I mean she and Dominic live just down the street. . . . We can always count on them coming.
lights up on side stage
Mya: Auntie Tasha is the oldest in the family. She was OK kinda, but always kinda, . . . I dunno, . . . kinda sad, talked kinda arrogant but seemed to me was sad.
Uncle Dominic, Tasha’s husband, is a very well known doctor. He was always good with me, but seemed like Auntie Tasha wasn’t real nice to him, way I saw it.
lights lower on Mya, up on main stage where Tasha & Dominic sit,
Dominic holding TV remote, Tasha holding a Christmas card
Tasha: So anyhow we received the demand from my parents to appear at a gathering of the clan again this Christmas!
Just once I would like to be somewhere, anywhere but at my parents for Christmas!
Dominic: Being with your parents has been a Christmas tradition for as long as I have known you Tash, back even before we were married.
Tasha: Yes it has Dominic and I am sick of it! . . Why can’t we be like my friends and spend Christmas in Hawaii or the South Pacific . . . anywhere but stuck here with my parents.
Dominic: I have always enjoyed being with Roy and Elizabeth, they are good people Tash.
Tasha: Good people are they? . . Maybe you oughta go live with my parents, you love them so much! . . . You, Dominic, the famous surgeon, head of the medical community, can’t even give your wife a decent holiday!
Dominic: May I remind you I did take you to Hawaii and on a cruise to the Virgin Islands in the last year?
Tasha: One week in Hawaii and a lousy 5 day cruise! . . . Big deal big spender! And I sit around in this ancient old house in this outdated old neighborhood, the least you could do is get us a decent house in the suburbs like all my friends!
Dominic: We have discussed this Tasha, you know I live here because it’s close to the office, close to the hospital.
Tasha: So Mr. Big Shot doctor, it’s not possible for you to drive to work but its OK for me to drive half way across the state to my club at the lake to see my friends! . . And in that cheap pile of junk you bought me for a car!
Dominic: I didn’t realize that a new top of the line Cadillac is a pile of junk.
Tasha: Your employee, Dr. Richards, just bought his wife a Jaguar. If your employee can afford a Jaguar why are you so cheap?
Dominic: Vance Richards happens to come from one of the richest families in the state, buying Jaguars to a Richards is pocket change.
Tasha: OK famous Doctor Dominic . . . Listen up! . . . Christmas is a-coming! . . . And Santa Claus . . . aka my husband . . . better have my stocking full of goodies . . . as in a better car plus a gorgeous home at the lake! . . . Or the good doctor will be served with divorce papers in his Christmas stocking!
Dominic: Tasha, you aren’t being fair. We can talk about a car; I am open to that. But I have a practice to run, employees to manage. I can’t do that from the lake.
Tasha: You seem to think I’m offering choices. I said what I expect. . . Take it or leave it!
