The plot of this creative and different pageant involves a modern child (boy or girl) who is called upon by St. Francis of Assisi to visit Bethlehem on the night of the original Christmas Eve. There he (or she) meets St. Nicholas, the Three Kings, Shepherds and Sheep, as well as some surprising cast members – aliens arriving from outer space – for the birth of Jesus. Other figures such as the Italian gift-bearer La Befana are introduced, and the modern child is called upon to play a key role in sending the Holy Family to safety in Egypt. The original Holy Family is not part of this play, remaining offstage until the finale. The final scene is a tableau of a Sunday School Christmas Pageant finale, with all of the previously introduced characters, as well as additional children to make up the nativity scene.
One of the concepts in the script is that God may send Angels in any form necessary. As Signora La Befana learns, our Christmas present to Jesus does not have to be perfect, but it should be the best we have.
