A popular activity for religious groups in the lead up to Christmas is to put on a Christmas play. Usually this takes the form of a nativity play with a script that tells the traditional Biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
The primary scene for a Christmas play is the stable where Christ was born. The characters for the play include Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds and the Three Wise Men. Sometimes the animals of the stable are also featured. This story is especially popular with children, and often children make up most of the cast for Christmas plays.
The Christmas story does have a wider context, including the role of King Herod and his search for the foretold birth of a competing king. The political intrigue that surrounds the story of the Three Wise Men, the census and the slaughter of the innocents is not always included in a Christmas play. Although there may be a token Roman soldier to represent the political context, most producers prefer to keep the story line in the script a lot more simple. Usually they focus on the lead up to the birth of Christ, Mary's visit from an angel, the Star of Bethlehem, the birth in the stable and the arrival of the Three Wise Men.
A popular approach is to use a well spoken narrator to tell the Christmas story while the cast plays out their various roles in front of the audience. The narrator may either stand to the side or remain completely in the background. This has the advantage of limiting the spoken parts that have to be learned by amateur actors. It also ensures that the story is thoroughly told with the desired religious messages.
A high emphasis is usually given to the musical side of the Christmas story. It is an opportunity to encourage audience participation in carol singing, which can be a very popular part of a Christmas play's performance. Interspersing music with the narrations is a popular way to present a Christmas play.
Preparing the sets for the play, especially the stable, and making the Biblical costumes for the cast, can be a large project. Probably the most difficult costumes to prepare at those for the Angel Gabriel and the richly dressed Three Wise Men. Their arrival in their respective scenes should be among the highlights of the play. Once that work is done, of course, the resources will be available again for your Christmas play next year.
Get A Complete Nativity Play Script And Ready Made Costumes: Why not simplify the effort required to plan and set up your Christmas play? With a pre-prepared and well tested nativity play script, with everything you need to produce the play, including music scores, much of the foundation work is already done for you. You can also buy in quality nativity play Biblical costumes for adults and children at modest prices, and reuse them again next year.
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