Tis the season, Jingle Bells, Silent Night and yo ho ho and a
bottle of rum (that’s not just for Christmas though :D).
Basically..Christmas is heeeereee. My favourite season. The
season of my favourite colour (RED in case you’re wondering). The season of lights,
the decorated malls, the scary local black-as heck Santa, the Jacaranda flowers
(PURPLE J), holiday for once with
almost everyone (except for doctors, reporters, radio broadcasters, caterers,
photographers, waiters, waitresses, call centre people, event planners..ok
clearly holiday is still for just the teachers, and retired folks. So basically
it’s still just me and the parents >_<).
For us at work Christmas began ages ago, way before we closed
for the holidays. Lights were hung (not really), crafts made, presents wrapped
and candy eaten (which is all year round, really). Most important, preparations
for the end term Christmas play had been stressing us for the past coupla weeks
before we closed. Characters were chosen, lines memorized, costumes made and
songs rehearsed. Sounds so precious, doesn’t it?
It’s not.
Sidebar and on that note: I don’t get child stars. I don’t
know what they eat out there in Hollywood to make most of those kiddie actors
and actresses so magnificent.
Fine, there are those who have Will Smith’s genes in them, but
howsabout the rest of the normal folk?
See, rehearsals for our play had not been quite as smooth as they
could be.
So here’s the Nativity Story, for those who don’t know, and
what it actually turned into with our Christmas Play.
Intro: What is the meaning of Christmas? Narrator
asks.
WHAT IT
SHOULD BE:
Chorus answer:
Celebrating the birthday of Jesus!!!!
WHAT IT
IS:
One dull response. Yawns. Playing. Sleeping.
Scene One:
Narrator:
Mary is in the house when she gets a visit from the Angel Gabriel.
WHAT IT
SHOULD BE:
Angel: Greetings,
you who are the chosen one. Don’t be afraid for God has chosen you among many.
You shall have a baby.
Mary: How
shall this be?
Angel: He
shall be born of the Holy Spirit so the Holy Bible says.
<insert
song: Long Time Ago in Bethlehem>
WHAT IT
IS:
Angel Gabriel and Mary already on set before their time.
Angel: Greetings!
Angel looks at us. We cue her lines.
Angel: You will have a baby born of the Hory Spirit.
Mary laughs.
She then forgets her stage directions and loses concentration.
Other random characters pushing and pulling to get on stage.
The entire play begins, first off, with everyone pretty much in the manger
already, rolling around with the props, throwing around Baby Jesus and sitting
in Mary and Joseph’s chairs.
Scene
2:
Narrator:
Mary had been engaged to Joseph, and when he heard that she was to have a baby
he was afraid. Angel Gabriel appeared to him in his sleep.
WHAT IT
SHOULD BE:
Angel: Joseph,
don’t be afraid. Take Mary as your wife and the baby she has. You shall name
him Jesus Christ.
<insert
song: A Baby Will Be Born>
WHAT IT
IS:
Once during rehearsal, a little 2 year old felt the need to roll
onto Josephs ‘mattress’ and fall asleep beside him. It was very awkward
explaining that to Mary.
Scene
3:
Narrator: Joseph takes Mary to Bethlehem and there she had baby Jesus.
WHAT IT
SHOULD BE:
<insert
Oh Come All Ye Faithful>
Since
they had no house to live in, they sheltered in a manger. This is a place where
sheep, cows, goats and horses are kept!
<insert
Away In a Manger>
Three
wise men saw a star in the East that led them to the manger.
(enter
animals and Shepherds)
<insert
Following A Star and Twinkle Twinkle>
They
entered into the manger and saw the baby. They were so overjoyed they gave the
baby gifts.
<insert
We Three Kings>
(Enter
the entire cast, including the kiddie choir)
<insert
a couple more songs here>
END
WHAT IT
IS:
A mess.
END
How off would this play be if the Nativity story actually
happened the way the kids acted it? Lotsa infidelity and talking animals.
Another thing, our stage directions were met so literally that
one child even fell asleep when we said ‘pretend to be sleeping’. The other
kept flapping her arms as an angel until lunchtime-until we told her to stop.
Wonder what would have happened if we didn’t tell her to stop.
As for the little divas who ALL wanna solo. Or the little
animals that stand up and dance. Or the 3 Wise Men unwrapping Jesus’ gifts for
themselves. Or the black baby Jesus. Or the kid with the toy phone on set. Or
the line that says, “..and they were all overjoyed when they saw the baby” then
they all do somersaults and jumping jacks to express their joy. Or the stars
that ran away from stage. Or the angels that fight. Or the song lyrics: “Njeri
had a little baby”? Who’s Njeri? And why are we talking about her?
However, it’s that little touch that these kiddies put that
make this stuff blockbuster material.
In Kindergarten World.
P.S. on the day of the performance the kiddies killed it. Yeh they forgot their lines. And cues. Some burst
in to tears. Some literally froze on stage. Some forgot they were on stage, and
fought, or slept. But it was a magical performance. The best show I’ve ever seen.
Have a Magical Christmas y’all J
