It's been forever since I posted anything to this blog, mainly because I keep forgetting I set it up, and because facebook is kind of a blog already.
The following is my puppetshow script converted to a blog post (Formatting might be funky). It occurred to me it's a Book of Mormon CHristmas program, so it fits this blog pretty well... The actual performance had a lot of issues. There were too many puppets in the Nephite Set, not to mention the young men were not experienced thespians (an understatement) so most of the meat of their conversations died like a... well... Still I think the message is a strong and fun. Hopefully I'll get a chance to redo it just some family night and we'll post a video of it someday. Either way it was a fun activity and I'm hoping folks had a good time. Happy (late) Holidays...
Keep your Christmas Eyes – By Ray Bingham
The following is my puppetshow script converted to a blog post (Formatting might be funky). It occurred to me it's a Book of Mormon CHristmas program, so it fits this blog pretty well... The actual performance had a lot of issues. There were too many puppets in the Nephite Set, not to mention the young men were not experienced thespians (an understatement) so most of the meat of their conversations died like a... well... Still I think the message is a strong and fun. Hopefully I'll get a chance to redo it just some family night and we'll post a video of it someday. Either way it was a fun activity and I'm hoping folks had a good time. Happy (late) Holidays...
Keep your Christmas Eyes – By Ray Bingham
Cast of Characters: (* means has speaking part...)
- GirlQ *
- DadQ *
- MomQ *
- Samuel the Lamanite *
- 3 Bow (one should be sparkly) and 3 Arrows
- Nephite Disbeliever1 (ND1) *
- Nephite Disbeliever2 (ND2) *
- Nephite Disbeliever3 (ND3) *
- Governor *
- Nephi *
- Believer 1 (B1) *
- Believer 2 (B2) *
- Believer 3 (B3) *
- Bystander *
- Curelom
- Cumom
- Mary
- Joseph
- Angels (multiple)
- Shepherds (multiple
- Sheep (multiple)
- Dog
- Cow
- Donkey
- The Sun
- Christmas Star
- Scriptures
Three Backdrops for Three differenent Puppet Stages –
- Modern Set
- Zarahemla Backdrop with a “Wall”.
- Bethlehem and a Stable
[Modern Set: MomQ,
DadQ]
Lighting Needs – A spotlight of some sort.
MomQ: Come help
me put up the Christmas tree!
GirlQ: I’m not doing Christmas this year!
DadQ: What?
GirlQ: I said,
I’m not doing Christmas!
MomQ: You don’t
have a choice, dear.
DadQ: Christmas comes each year whether you want it
to or not.
GirlQ: I just don’t see the point.
MomQ: And there were shepherds watching their flocks
by night. And Lo! The Angel of the Lord…
(Shepherds and Sheep start
popping up on Bethlehem set…)
GirlQ: NO! Not
that! Mom! Stop!
DadQ: Is this about a boy?
GirlQ: Nah.
It’s all just dumb.
DadQ: Missing
your Christmas Eyes, are ya?
GirlQ: My what?
DadQ: Your
Christmas Eyes. Sounds like the Gingerbread Goblin has stolen your Christmas
eyes.
GirlQ:
(exasperated) Dad!?
DadQ: Every year
around Christmas, the Gingerbread Goblin rises from the crumbs of uneaten
gingerbread houses—you know those houses that have all the candy picked off of
them?--with an insatiable appetite for Christmas eyes.
GirlQ: That’s so
wrong Dad.
DadQ: Yep. THe
Gingerbread Goblin is one wicked creature. Like the Elf on the Shelf, only not
so creepy.
GirlQ: See, Dad,
that’s what gets me. There’s so much to Christmas, I just don’t want to do it
this year. I don’t know what’s real, and what isn’t… all of it runs together…
it’s just not fun like it once was.
MomQ: Fine. I’ll
take back your presents.
GirlQ: There’s
Santa and his Elf on the Shelf, the naughty and nice list, gingerbread houses…
DadQ: Not to
mention the goblin!
GirlQ: Frosty the
Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Jack Frost, Candy canes, Christmas
Trees, Sugar Plum Fairies, Nutcrackers, Toylands, Penguins and every show has a
Christmas Special…
DadQ: My favorite
was the Star Wars Christmas Special.
GirlQ: There’s
Channuka and Qwanzaa and New Years and Mary, Joseph, Angels, Shepherds, Baby
Jesus, Wreaths and Lights, Snow and Mistletoe….
DadQ: Another
personal favorite.
GirlQ: Eggnog,
Christmas Dances and parties, White Elephants, Stockings, New Pajamas, Yule Logs,
Decorations, Poinsettas, Fruit Cake, Silver Bells, Stars, Mangers, Pageants,
Carols, and even Christmas Breakfast. It’s all one big confusing mess.
DadQ: I tell you,
you’ve lost your Christmas Eyes. You just don’t see the point, but this has
always been the problem with Christmas.
GirlQ: C’mon Dad.
MomQ: Your Dad
probably has a point. It won’t kill you to listen to him.
DadQ: Though if you did, I might die of shock.
GirlQ: Fine.
What’s your point?
DadQ: Ever since
the first Christmas people all over the world have been trying to figure it
out. They try to picture it in their minds.
GirlQ: Well, if I
had been there, I wouldn’t have trouble picturing it.
DadQ: You would
if you lived in that time. People didn’t expect Christmas to happen the way it
did. The Greatest event in all the history of the world was pretty sneaky—if
you ask me. It’s easy to disbelieve it, or embellish it, if you aren’t careful.
MomQ: I think I
get what your dad’s saying. Consider the Nephites.
DadQ: The perfect
example!
GirlQ: Now wait a
sec. The Nephites lived in America. They didn’t see the first Christmas!
DadQ: Precisely!
The Nephites were looking for the sign of Christmas.
MomQ: And God provided special witnesses to come and
tell the people. These special witnesses are called Prophets. And this prophet
was Samuel the Lamanite.
Doodley-doodley-doodley
– Transition to Nephite Set…
Samuel the Lamanite: (on Nephite City Wall) – “And as a Sign
of his birth there shall be a day and a night and a day without darkness”.
Nephite Disbeliever
1: Yeah Right! And then I’ll blow my
nose and the magic Curelom will come out smelling like the lilies and rainbows!
[Other Nephites
Disbelievers start laughing. ]
MomQ: But most of
the Nephites refused to believe the wonders predicted by Samuel. He was a
lamanite, and the wicked Nephites believed they were better than the Lamanites
because they were born Nephites...
Nephite Disbeliever 2: (shouts): “We were born Nephites, so we’re better
than you!”
Nephite Disbeliever
1: “I know! Let’s do with him what we should do to all Lamanites! Kill him!”
Nephite Disbeliever
3: I bet I can hit him with my bow!
[One puppet Arrows shoot, but he misses him. All the
other disbelievers start laughing.]
ND2: Give me that
bow! You couldn’t hit the fat side of a cumom!
[ND2’s takes bow and
arrow and shoots, but misses.]
ND1: Bah! The
problem is his bow is made of wood. Look at this bow! It’s made of ziff! Not
only does it shoot further, it’s been blessed by the jaguar god, and it never
misses! [ND1 pulls out a sparkly bow.] Time to get my sparkle on!
ND3: You can’t miss
with a bow that’s THAT Sparkly!
ND2: Sparkle!
Sparkle!
ND1: Let’s see him
prophesy with arrows sticking out of him!
[He shoots a sparkly arrow and
misses.] What!? I never miss. Did you mess with my bow?
ND3: I know!
Let’s all shoot him at the same time!
[ND2 and ND3, join ND1
all start shooting their bows. And they
all miss.]
Bystander: It’s a miracle! That guy really is a prophet!
That means God’s Son, Christ, is coming to live on earth! I’d better get
baptized.
ND1: No! That’s what they want you to believe.
ND2: Yeah, I was just having a bad day. Um. Don’t
believe that Lamanite.
ND3: Stop! Come
back! Don’t wimp out! Baptism is for
losers!
Bystander: I
think I know a loser when I see one.
[ND1,2,3 are all
fuming mad, shaking with crazy rage.]
[Back to Modern Stage]
MomQ: And so it
was that the stage was set. Samuel had prophecied that within six years the
Redeemer of the World would come and signs unlike nothing they had ever seen
would accompany his birth.
DadQ: But the
disbelievers they didn’t give up. They tried everything to keep the Nephites
from believing.
MomQ: After five
years of Samuel the Lamanite coming, like many nonbelievers who should have
known better, they could not simply let it go. They made it their mission to
destroy anyone that believed in what had embarrassed them that day.
DadQ: But the true
believers, they held on. They waited for the signs and wonders foretold by the
prophets of God.
MomQ: And foremost of those prophets was a man
named Nephi.
[Back to Nephite Stage,
Nephi stands by himself, just outside of the Zarahemla set, Then the three believers
Believer1, Believer 2 and Believer3 run up to Nephi.]
Believer1 - “Nephi!
Nephi! They’re doing it again.”
Believer2 – They hate
us just because we believe in the Christ.
Believer3 – They
remember Samuel, and say the signs will never happen.
Believer2 – They
have a plan.
Believer1 –
They’ve been talking with the new Governor.
Believer3 –
They’ve been spending a lot of money. They’re going to announce something big.
Nephi – Be not
afraid, only believe. The whole meaning of Christ is Salvation. Surely he will
save us if we believe. Let’s go see what
they’re planning.
Believer 1 – This
way!
[They Run to
Zarahemla, where the newly appointed Governor (Use same puppet as Non-Believer
3) is on the same wall as Samuel the Lamanite was standing. This time he’s
announcing to the people gathered below. (Have an assortment of believers,
including Bystander) The Believer puppets and Nephi join to listen…]
Governor – And so in conclusion, I am but one man who
cares for all of you. I care for your children. Do you want them growing up
thinking such nonsense? It is for the good of all that we put them out of their
misery. Clearly the time that hater of our country, Samuel the Lamanite, spoke
of has passed, and yet have we seen a single day and a night and a day with no
night? I think not. That is because he is a liar and has used the foolish
traditions of our fathers to fool those
in our land with weak minds. So for your good and to keep our society safe from
weak minds, I propose this anti-Christ movement as a way to purify our fair
nation. They’ve had their time. It’s our time now. Come tomorrow those who will
not deny their beliefs in Christ will be put to death!
ND2 – Let’s see
if our Arrows miss them then!
ND3 – Plenty of
Target Practice!
ND1- Yeah! I’ve
been practicing. I can hit a Cumom at fifty paces.
Believer1 –
Nephi! They’re going to kill us.
Believer2- We
should fight.
Believer3 – But
the governor commands the Nephite Armies. We’d be slain.
Believer 1- Maybe
we could pretend not to believe. We could meet in secret.
Believer2- Like a
Gadianton Robber!? They are the scourge of this land. Surely that would only
give the Governor and the people more reason to hate us.
Believer3 – Maybe
we can work something out, like maybe just deny Samuel’s words. He’s a lamanite
and they might be appeased if we just deny those words which made them mad.
Nephi – Brother
Samuel was inspired of God. His words are the words of truth. You cannot just
choose to believe a part of the words of God, while rejecting other parts.
That’s the path of apostasy. A bit like chopping off your own head and hoping
to stay alive.
Believer1 – But,
if we remain true, we will be put to death.
Nephi – Be at
peace. Go to your homes and pray. We must I will inquire of the Lord as to what
we should do.
Nephite Disbeliever 1
[in a sweet voice]– Hi. We’re part of
the Council of Concerned Citizens
against Christ.
ND3 - We’d like
you to sign this petition, renouncing your belief in Christ.
ND2 - It will
save your life.
[ND1, ND2 and ND3
start laughing, evilly. ]
[Nephi climbs to the top of the wall and starts to
cry out to god.]
Nephi - “OH Great
Father! Heal this people of their blindness.”
ND2 – C’mon!
Let’s go sharpen our arrows. We’re going to need lots of em.
ND1 – Yeah! Let
them pray! Pray to your imaginary god.
ND3 – Crazy old
man. Pray away!
[ND1 and ND2 and ND3
run away laughing. Nephi stays on the
wall praying… He stays up there during the whole next part of the story…]
DadQ – So Nephi
prayed. In fact, it says he raised his voice and cried to the Lord all day
long.
GirlQ – All day!?
That must’ve been some prayer.
MomQ - And that’s when the Lord spoke to
Nephi. [MomQ lifts scriptures, then
reads the case. In Zarahemla map, have Nephi standing alone, and a light
shines. The sun should be visible in the sky.]
DadQ – The very
day they asked, the day they had to know, the day it mattered most, God
answered. Imagine. Even though Christ
was ready to be born into the world the very next day, he did not forget his believers
on the other side of the world.
GirlQ – Cool!
DadQ – In fact it
says, “on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto
the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.”
GirlQ – The Lord supports his prophets, too.
MomQ – So Nephi
spread the word of the Lord. And the believers held their breath for the very
first Christmas, hoping with their very lives that they had put their faith in
something more than a story made up by parents with overactive imaginations.
DadQ – [Sun
puppet goes up in Zarahemla, then down and the light should stay] So that
night, the sun went down and the people were amazed. For the night was full of
light.
MomQ – For the
Lord of Light was born.
DadQ – [The Three Nephite Disbelievers and the
Governor All pop up now… ] The evil disbelievers suddenly knew, like all
the rest of the nation that those who had believed were right! They were so
astonished that they fainted.
ND1, ND2, ND3 and
Governor [cry out] - “Aaaaaa!” and faint dramatically.
KidQ –They faint
a lot in the Book of Mormon.
DadQ - For they
knew that all the things they despised and fought against their whole lives
were true. They knew that There was a God. And that God had been born in the
flesh. Imagine! Faith became knowledge.
[In Bethlehem: As they
talk… Set up the Nativity Scene in Bethlehem – Quietly, (no noise) Reenact the
Angels appearing to the Shepherds and the shepherds going to Joseph and Mary in
Jerusalem]
DadQ - They might
not have known that in Bethlehem Angels were singing to Shepherds, or that
Jesus was being born in a stable, but they knew the Savior of the World had
been born.
MomQ –This
Christmas, if you feel overwhelmed by the Gingerbread Goblin, or Santa,
Mistletoe, or the Christmas Trees, don’t worry about it. You simply don’ t have
to do that part. The Nephites had none of that. Focus on the Savior, Jesus
Christ. Choose the traditions that make your heart happy.
DadQ – The
Traditions that open your Christmas Eyes, because it isn’t a magical monster
that steals your ability to see the beauty of the Savior’s birth, it is the
choices we make and the traditions we choose to follow.
MomQ - Just like
the Nephites, you can always trust in God’s prophets. Like President Monson said just this year, “Let us make Christmas a time of rejoicing and
celebration, a time to share the marvelous truth that Almighty God sent His
Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world! May the joy of that knowledge be with
each of us this Christmas season and throughout the coming year.”
GirlQ – Thanks
Mom and Dad! I get it now… I don’t have to worry about boys or your stupid
Gingerbread Goblin… This will be a great Christmas because I remember Christ… It will be my Nephite Christmas…
[Big puppet finale - All
Puppets UP, INCLUDING THE EVIL ONES…- everyone sings primary song:
1 1- Said Samuel,
"Within five years
A night will be as
day,
And Baby Jesus will be
born
In a land far, far
away."
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Oh, let us gladly
sing.
How blessed that our
Lord was born;
Let earth receive her
King!
2- Across the sea, in
Bethlehem,
Lord Jesus came to
earth
As Samuel had
prophesied,
And angels sang His
birth.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Oh, let us gladly
sing.
How blessed that our
Lord was born;
Let earth receive her
King!