Worship

The Journey of Mary, Mother of Jesus
Deb Brewer
Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, Middlebury, VT

In this original Christmas play, Mary is portrayed as a typical teenager, joking with friends and doing chores, when two angels appear to tell her the "good news." Mary is confused and skeptical while Gabriel gives his regular speech. The other angel, Sam, an excitable, talkative character, helps Mary to see the importance of her task by describing to her some of the amazing effects the life of her son will have on the planet.

In a fun and evocative way, this play teaches the significance of the life of Jesus and the changes he brought to the world of rules and intolerance that existed during his time. Mary portrays a young woman's inner struggles upon learning she has such a powerful gift inside her. Joseph questions his decision to accept Mary and the burden of traveling with her to a distant town. Even the shepherds and royalty are skeptical about the authenticity of the star that guides them and the possibility of a child of supposed importance beginning life in such lowly circumstances. With playful and poetic dialogue, the characters confront their own doubts along the way and finally converge in the stable where the discussions continue. Finally Mary quiets the visitors with a lullaby while the angels sing about the new world this baby sees in his dreams. The play ends with the entire cast rising in colorful tie-dyed costumes and singing joyfully about the new dawn. We even placed confetti on the overhead fans and let it shower down during the finale. This pageant was an unforgettable experience for the kids as well as the congregation.

The play consists of seven scenes connected by musical numbers and one dance performance. It opens with the end of a modern-day traditional pageant rehearsal. Jennifer, the sassy girl who plays the role of Mary, is annoyed and disenchanted. The engaging angel, Sam, appears and sets the stage for the telling of the "real" story. This initial scene is included here as a sample of the script. The script calls for approximately twenty speaking parts, which can be combined for smaller casts. The number of non-speaking parts is flexible. Our version involved twenty children in roles such as extra angels, stable animals and the night sky around the star (played by a tall youth.) For music, we used traditional tunes taken from hymnals, except for one song, performed by Mary and the angels, that was written by the author specifically for the final scene.

We have not included the entire script here, but ask that you contact the author and request a copy. The CVUUS (Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society) asks for a donation of $10.00 to cover the cost of copying and mailing, or $20.00 if you would like us to include a videotape of our performance. The script comes with notes about sets and costumes with ideas for involving the children in many aspects of the production. If you are interested please write to:

Deb Brewer
12 Colonial Dr.
Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-8427
Please make your check payable to: CVUUS

The Journey of Mary, Mother of Jesus
Copyright 2001 by Deb Brewer

Opening music: Flutes play "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"

(Pageant Players (4-6) have taken places on the stable set. Freeze until "Silent Night" begins.)

Chalice Lighting: We light this chalice in honor of the spark of wisdom within each of us, for the spark of hope in each of our children and youth, and for the spark of truth in all stories told in the name of compassion.

Scene one: Pageant Players hum the last few measures of "Silent Night."

Director: O.K. Great job! Everybody get a good night's sleep. (players disperse noisily, talking to each other and moving down the aisles, at various rates of speed, to the back doors. Jennifer begins to leave but returns for part of her costume)

Director: Please put your costumes on the right hangers. (pause.) Hey Mary, your dad called. He's going to be late.

Jen (angrily): I'm not Mary.

(Jennifer throws her costume down angrily. Sam enters from behind set and approaches J. quietly. Jen looks up calmly.)

Jen: Hey, lose the costume, Angel, practice is over.

Sam: Mary. Don't be afraid

Jen: I'm not Mary!

Sam: Oh, sorry. You remind me so much of Mary.

Jen: Well, I'm not. I didn't even want to be Mary. I wanted to do lighting.

Sam: Jennifer, I have good things to tell you.

Jen: Glad tidings?

Sam: Yes!

Jen: Look I can't go shopping with my friends. I couldn't go to Joey's party. I have to stand around in a make believe barn and listen to Bible verses all night that don't make any sense. I mean, what the heck is frankincense, anyway?

Sam: Well-

Jen: And what's with the sheep?

Sam: Well they-

Jen: And I'm supposed to be the mother of Jesus! My dad's a Buddhist and my mother's a pagan. Who cares about Jesus?

Sam: (offended.) Well, now-

Jen: And what's the deal with Mary? Was she happy giving birth in a barn? What's my motivation?

Sam: Well-

Jen: And-

Sam: Jennifer! (pause) Mary had many of the same questions.

Jen: How do you know?

Sam: Oh, I was there. We angels live a long time.

Jen: You mean... you're Gabriel?

Sam: That Gabriel. He gets all the publicity. (Pause) No, my name is Sam.

Jen: There are no angels named Sam in the Bible.

Sam: Don't remind me. (pause) Jennifer, Mary was confused and upset, too. She was a girl, like you, with friends, like you. She even had a friend named Joey, like you.

Jen: So?

Sam: And she had to miss more than one party .

Jen: She had a good excuse. She was the mother of Jesus.

Sam: And?

Jen: And he's...like...related to God. He's famous. Like the Beatles.

Sam: Then he must be important.

Jen: I didn't say he was important. I just said he was famous. It's just a story about a guy who gets born in a stable and everybody brings him gifts cause he's going to save the world or something.

Sam: What if I told you the story differently?

Jen: You can't do that.

Sam: Even the writers of the Bible each told it differently.

Jen: How can there be more than one story?

Sam: There are as many stories as there are people.

Jen: Great. Then which one is right?

Sam: (pause) Inside every apple is a seed, Jennifer. Which apple is right?

Jen: (pause) Huh?

Sam: All apples feed us, but each one has a different flavor. That's how stories are.

Jen: So if my whole family likes MacIntosh and I like Golden Delicious...

Sam: Exactly. Luke's version is the MacIntosh baby Jesus story. People like it. People have liked it for centuries. Not because it's right and the others are wrong. Because it tastes good. And Luke wasn't even there.

Jen: And you were?

Sam: Actually I was. Sam: That's what Mary said. Now have a seat with the other listeners and I'll show you the golden delicious version of the baby Jesus story.

(Jennifer notices the congregation and looks for a place to sit. Mary stands up and motions for Jennifer to take her seat. They look into each other's eyes as they trade places. Angels remove stable scene to reveal daytime set. Sam stays behind set as Mary enters. Angels walk across stage bearing sign: About 9 months B.C.)