The White Christmas and other Merry Christmas Plays | Page 2

is to be given. Arrange chairs to
represent entrances, doors, windows, etc., and have all properties on
hand, in order to impress on the children's minds the necessity of
learning the words and the action at the same time. At the third
rehearsal the play should be given in its entirety, music, gestures,
entrances, exits, groupings and crossing from one side of the stage to
another at a given cue, etc. In fact, everything as in the completed
production, except that the actors may use their copies of the play for
reading the lines.
DELAYS.
The director should make every effort to guard against stage waits and
delays of every sort. Have your stage hands, prompter, property
managers, scene painters and all your assistants on hand at every
rehearsal, if possible. Long waits between the acts, tardiness in
beginning the performance, and all delays do much to destroy an
otherwise happy impression. Every piece of scenery, every costume,
every bit of make-up and every property should be in its place--all
ready to make a smooth final performance. Dress rehearsals are
absolutely necessary. The last two rehearsals should be complete
performances of the play with lights, curtains, costumes, make-up,
scenery and all incidentals exactly as they are to be on the night of the
performance.
With such preparation, scarcely anything is impossible of attainment.
The pleasure of the work and the pride in a production well done will
amply repay an ungrudging lavishment of time and labor.
WALTER BEN HARE.
Drury College, Springfield, Mo.
* * * * *
STAGE DIRECTIONS.

Stage directions are purposely simplified and few abbreviations used. R.
means right of the stage: C., center; L., left, etc. The actor is supposed
to be facing the audience.
MUSIC.
Music is provided for a few of the songs in this book. The others are to
be sung to old airs that are presumably familiar to everyone. If any of
them should prove unfamiliar, the music of all except some of the
hymns will be found in Denison's "Songs Worth While," one of the best
arranged and most carefully edited collections of old favorites ever
published. This book is beautifully printed on non-glossy paper,
measuring 7 by 10-1/4 inches, and is well bound in a stout paper cover
done in colors. It may be obtained from the publishers for the price of
$1.00, postpaid.
For all the hymns not included in "Songs Worth While," see any
standard church hymnal.

CONTENTS
The White Christmas (8 Male, 7 Female Adults) 13
Anita's Secret or Christmas in the Steerage (1 Male Adult, 9 Boys, 7
Girls) 49
Christmas With the Mulligan's (2 Female Adults, 5 Boys, 5 Girls) 93
The Wishing Man (4 Male Adults, 13 Boys, 7 Girls) 131
A Christmas Carol or the Miser's Yuletide Dream (10 Male, 5 Female
Adults, 4 Boys, 4 Girls) 167
Her Christmas Hat (4 Male, 5 Female Adults) 203

THE WHITE CHRISTMAS

[Illustration:
JOSEPH MARY SIMEON
TIMOTHY ISAAC ANNA THOMAS
RUTH RACHEL DEBORAH PRISCILLA
MELCHOIR GASPAR BALTASAR PROLOGUE]

THE WHITE CHRISTMAS
A CHRISTMAS MORALITY PLAY IN ONE ACT.
Originally produced by the Quadrangle Club of the University of
Missouri, Christmas Eve, 1909.
CHARACTERS.
MARY The Maiden Mother JOSEPH Of the House of David SIMEON
An Old Shepherd TIMOTHY A Shepherd, the Husband of Anna
ISAAC A Young Shepherd ANNA The Wife of Timothy, the Shepherd
THOMAS Her Little Son RUTH Her Little Daughter DEBORAH
Hostess of an Inn at Bethlehem RACHEL A Maiden of Bethlehem
PRISCILLA Her Cousin MELCHOIR } GASPAR } The Wise Men
from the East. BALTASAR }
A Concealed Choir. The Prologue.
For description of costumes, arrangement of the scene, etc., see
"Remarks on the Production" at the end of the play.
TIME OF PLAYING--About One Hour.
* * * * *
SCENE I: Before the play begins the PROLOGUE steps in front of the
curtains and addresses the congregation.

PROLOGUE.
The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it
always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, And its
soul, full of music, bursts forth on the air, When the song of the angels
is sung.
It is coming, Old Earth, it is coming tonight! On the snowflakes which
cover thy sod The feet of the Christ Child fall gentle and white, And
the voice of the Christ Child tells out with delight, That mankind are
the children of God.
On the sad and the lonely, the wretched and poor, The voice of the
Christ Child shall fall; And to every blind wanderer open the door Of
hope that he dared not to dream of before, With a sunshine of welcome
for all.
--Phillips Brooks.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from
Cæsar Augustus,