Description

A very easily staged comedy with a message using the stars of TV’s “The Cosby Show”.
This is a story of a real father with real issues and much love for his children.
It is Christmas Eve and Theo and Martin are leaving for Afghanistan to serve in the military. The family plus a guest get together to celebrate Christmas, and find that there are earthly parallels to the heavenly example of God sending his son to earth.
Includes some music and a Human Video, (mime to music).
Cast: 17

Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable (father) likely in 50’s
Claire Huxtable (Heathcliff’s wife) likely in 50’sRussell Huxtable (Heathcliff’s father) likely in 70’s
Anna Huxtable (Heathcliff’s mother) likely in 70’s
Sondra Tibedeaux (Heathcliff’s daughter) likely in 20’s – 30’s
Elvin Tibedeaux (Sondra’s husband) likely in 20’s – 30’s
Winnie Tibedeaux (Sondra’s daughter) child
Nelson Tibedeaux (Sondra’s son) child
Denise Kendall (Heathcliff’s daughter) likely in 20’s – 30’s
Lt. Martin Kendall (Denise’s husband) likely in 20’s – 30’s
Olivia Kendall (Martin’s daughter) child
Vanessa Huxtable (Heathcliff’s daughter) late teens to 20’s
Theo Huxtable (Heathcliff’s son) late teens to 20’s
Walter “Cockroach” Bradley (Theo’s friend) late teens to 20’s
Rudy Huxtable (Heathcliff’s daughter) teen
Kenny (Rudy’s friend) teen
Deanna (a soldier going to Afghanistan) likely in 20’s – 30’s

Set: family living room

Songs:
Big Bad John, written by Jimmy Dean and Roy Acuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMqcZZt_4_U
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, written by Don Gardner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPo3Getmd-Y&feature=fvw
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch, (Dr. Seuss)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPBS7dVrE1U
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) written by Mel Torme and Bob Wells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cubgWvBfs24
Silent Night (traditional carol)
Mary Did You Know written by Mark Lowry
http://www.huggunu.com/mary.html

Costumes: likely all regular clothing although Martin and Deanna could be military

Props: chairs, tables, duster, punch bowl and glasses, records and record player, Santa hat, trombone, saxophone

Samle of script:

Clair is on stage arranging flowers, dusting, stands back admires, pleased

Clair: Oh yes Clair Olivia Hanks Huxtable, if I do say so myself, you have done very, very well at preparing your fine home for Christmas!

Clair works around more, making minor adjustments, very self-satisfied

Clair: I want this Christmas to be so perfect! . . . All of the children home . . Grandchildren here! . . . Heathcliff’s parents . . .
(smiles happily)
All of us, together again. . .
(becomes sad)
Who knows . . . Perhaps together for the last time . .
After all, Denise and Martin are preparing to be deployed . . who knows where. I will miss them . . and Olivia of course.
And Theodore . . graduated college now . . a life ahead of him . . .
And our parents . . aren’t getting any younger.
(stern look on her face)
Clair Huxtable! . . . You just stop that right now!
It is Christmas . . a happy time of year! . . . I refuse to think any unhappy thoughts!
Heathcliff will be home from the hospital soon . . .
Heathcliff will come walkin’ in here . . .
(low voice, moving Heathcliff style)
“The man . . is home from delivering seventy-six very healthy and gorgeous babies! . .
“Home to the Brooklyn Heights residence which I . . Doctor Heathcliff Huxtable, have built with my very own hands, and the sweat of my brow!”

Heathcliff comes on stage, moves to kiss Clair, she holds him off, wags finger at him

Clair, angry: Just exactly what do you mean, you built this house with your very own hands and the sweat of your brow?

Heathcliff, looks around confused:
Did I maybe just by accident come in the wrong house, to a house seemingly identical to mine, wherein lives a beautiful woman who looks strangely like my Clair, the love of my life, but a person who at this moment is saying things I have no idea what they might mean at all!

Clair: Don’t you go telling me about the sweat of your brow . . I have lived with you . . Heathcliff Huxtable . . for going on 38 years and never once have I seen sweat on your brow!

Heathcliff: Dear, . . I . . I . . sweat . . . Don’t you remember just last week when I was working in the backyard and . . .

Clair, arms around Heathcliff, kisses his cheek: Oh Heathcliff, I am sorry! . . It’s just I was thinking about everyone here for Christmas and my emotions just got the best of me . .

Heathcliff: Well Clair dear, if you think perhaps these overwhelming emotions, welling up from deep inside you, might be another effect of that time in a woman’s life and all, well, just a reminder, I am a highly skilled physician, trained in medicine and having practiced successfully for many years dear . . .

Clair, annoyed: Heathcliff Huxtable, you listen to me and listen good! . . I am not . . let me repeat . . am not . . at that time of my life . . And furthermore . . if and when I arrive at that point of my life . . I shall handle it in stride, shall deal with it in a forthright and completely resolute manner . . do I, sir, make myself clear, dear Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, eminent physician that you are?

Heathcliff, smiles: Yes, light of my life, loud and clear . . however . . . (kisses Clair’s hand) . . I stand at the ready as your personal physician-in-waiting, gorgeous potential patient that you are.

Clair: Oh Heathcliff, you are such a clown! . . . But I do love you!

Heathcliff: Well, see, thing is, how could you possibly resist loving me, dear lady?

Clair: All I am saying is . . will this Christmas be the last time we have all the kids home, and our children and parents together?

Heathcliff: Dear, you are forgetting . . our children are . . children. . . Coming home is what children do. . . Children were created by God to come home. . . It is recorded in one of the books of the Bible . . The book of . . Acts . . . I think it was . . Yes indeed, the book of Acts of the Children. . . And in the book of Acts of the Children it is written: . . “And your children shall forever cometh home to upseteth your life and to borroweth from your bank account”.It is all there I tell you! . . In Acts of Children.

Clair: Heathcliff whatever are you talking about? . .

Heathcliff: It is true dear, just look it up . . in Acts of the Children . . it is there I tell you.

Clair: Now you are just talking foolishness Heathcliff . . You know very well that our older children are married with husbands and homes of their own and their own children . . So don’t you go on telling me about it’s in the Bible . . and you know very well, Heathcliff Huxtable, that there is no book in the Bible called The Book of Acts of the Children!

Heathcliff: It is like a more recent edition of the Bible I think, and Acts of the Children is like included as an addendum or something as I am given to understand.

Clair: I will not hear one more word about this silliness, do you hear me, Doctor Heathcliff Huxtable? . . . Now you just go on and give me a hand getting everything ready . . . Sondra and Elvin and the twins will be here shortly and I do want to be ready for them.

Heathcliff, upset look: Let me get this straight dear . . . Do you mean that when Sondra and Elvin and Winnie and Nelson come here, (points down), to my house . . . that Elvin will be, like, . . . here? . . . As . . in . . in person?

Clair: Heathcliff what are you going on about now . . . First it’s the foolishness about the Book of Acts of the Children and now it’s whether Elvin will be here when he is here . . You know very well that you look forward to having Sondra and her family come to visit.

Heathcliff: Well, Sondra, yes, well she is like my daughter and I love her . . And of course Winnie and Nelson . . I mean, they are like . . my grandbabies! . . . (pauses, smiles smug) . . . You maybe noticed the grandbabies, both of them, (turns to show profile, holds his chin), they have the Huxtable chin.

Clair: The Huxtable chin?

Heathcliff: Yes dear, the very distinguished Huxtable chin . . The very same chin that so intrigued you when we were fellow students at Hillman College, those many years ago.

Clair: Heathcliff Huxtable . . You are saying that I was intrigued by your chin when we went to college together?

Heathcliff: Drove you wild as I recall, . . just had to meet me . . get your hands on my intriguing chin!

Clair: Whatever are you talking about Heathcliff? . .

The complete script, plus all 1,600+ other DramaShare scripts, are available at no charge to DramaShare members, non-members may purchase the individual script.