One-Act Christmas Plays
Yes, it’s 90 degrees where I am, but I also know theaters are planning holiday shows already! So check out my list of memorable and unique One-Act Christmas Plays, all of which are straight plays—no musicals. The plays range from children’s theater with a 16+ ensemble cast in a Grinching 101 class to an existential 2-person play about Christmas Trees for teens and adults. Enjoy!
ONE-ACT CHRISTMAS PLAYS
by Tara Meddaugh
TWO CHRISTMAS TREES ON THEIR WAY TO THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA
Click for free excerpt
*Small cast (2), while family-friendly, this is geared toward adults, not children.
SUMMARY:
Dear Tree and Darling Tree have lived the past 8 years side-by-side on the Christmas Tree Farm. But as the family with matching Santa hats and an axe keeps checking them out, they realize: one of them is going to be chopped down. Now. Will they live on together as stumps in the ground, or will they be separated to live for a time as a Christmas Tree in people’s homes? And is there any way they can escape this impending fate? This is a thoughtful piece about our brief time on this earth, what we leave behind, and what we do with the time and loved ones we have. In the voice of two Douglas Firs.
DETAILS: 2 actors (1 male/1 female, but flexible), running time 10-15 minutes, drama/comedy, age range: upper teens through mature/senior adults
In this drama/comedy for 2 actors running about 10 minutes, Dear Tree and Darling Tree have lived the past 8 years side-by-side on the Christmas Tree Farm. But as the family with matching Santa hats and an axe keeps checking them out, they realize: one of them is going to be chopped down. Now. Will they live on together as stumps in the ground, or will they be separated to live for a time as a Christmas Tree in people’s homes? And is there any way they can escape this impending fate? This is a thoughtful piece about our brief time on this earth, what we leave behind, and what we do with the time and loved ones we have. In the voice of two Douglas Firs.
Click for free excerpt
*Medium cast (5-8), children’s theater
Take a snowy walk through the child-like magic of Christmas, where reindeer talk, Santa is real, and…does someone want super powers? To four children, Christmas is no simple sleigh ride. Annie’s new best friend is a talking reindeer, and she’s not sure if that’s really okay. Sam is experiencing the pressure of being the Lead Shepherd in the church pageant. Dylan has a very secretive wish he hopes Santa can deliver. And Lauren needs to make sure someone is giving her little brother a very special Christmas. Experience the joys and challenges of Christmas through the eyes of these children in this monologue-driven one-act comedy.
DETAILS: cast: 5-8. With doubling 5 total: 3 male, 2 female (male and female parts can be interchangeable, if needed); without doubling 8 total: 3 male, 2 female, 3 male/female/neutral/flexible casting. Around 30 minutes, comedy, family friendly, children’s theater, child actors, teen actors, adult actors
To four young children, Christmas is no simple sleigh ride. Annie’s new best friend is a talking reindeer, and she’s not sure if that’s really okay... Sam is experiencing the pressure of being the Lead Shepherd in the church pageant. Dylan has a very secretive wish he hopes Santa can deliver. And Lauren needs to make sure someone is giving her little brother a very special Christmas. Experience the joys and challenges of Christmas through the eyes of these children in this monologue-driven one-act comedy.
-This is a one-act Christmas-themed comedic play filled with great monologues. Running time is approximately 25 minutes.
-Cast: With doubling there is a cast off 5 actors: 3 male, 2 female - even with this breakdown, all roles are fairly gender flexible. Without doubling, the 1 adult character role may be split into 3 roles, so cast would be 7 actors: 3 male, 2 female, 2 male/female/neutral/flexible
Minimal set.
Click for free excerpt
*Large cast (16+), children’s theater
SUMMARY:
Grinch professors, Sourpuss Fuddy Duddy and Killjoy Cactus Snarl, are pleased to find their Grinching 101 classroom filled with eager elf-students desiring to learn the art of becoming a grinch. However, the class of bright-eyed cheerful students are blatantly failing. Every. Single. Lesson. Can these grinching professors get the class of chipper elves to learn anything about becoming a good grinch? And perhaps along the way, can the grinching professors can learn something from the elves?
DETAILS: running time around 30-40 minutes, cast: 16+ actors (16 character roles and unlimited ensemble elf roles with unison lines), comedy, children’s theater, child actors, teens, adults, family friendly
In this 30-40 minute Christmas comedy for 16+ actors of any gender, Grinching 101 professors, Sourpuss Fuddy Duddy and Killjoy Cactus Snarl, are pleased to find their classroom filled with eager elf-students desiring to learn the art of becoming a grinchy elf. However, the class of bright-eyed cheerful students are blatantly failing. Every. Single. Lesson. Can these professors get the class of chipper elves to learn anything about becoming a good Christmas grinch? And perhaps along the way, can the Grinching professors can learn something from the elves?
Click for free excerpt
*Large cast 11+, children’s theater
SUMMARY:
When the Christmas Snow Globe gang gets bored with their same routine, Santa uses Christmas Magic to bring them a bit of excitement. But no one expects this excitement to arrive in the form of a Halloween jack-o-lantern inside their snow globe! Can Jack-o-Lantern convince the Christmas friends that it truly belongs with them, or will it be booted back to the dusty shelf?
DETAILS: running time around 20 minutes. Cast: 11 speaking roles and unlimited nonspeaking reindeer. Children’s theater, family-friendly, any age cast, child actors, teen actors, adult actors
When the Christmas Snow Globe gang gets bored with their same routine, Santa uses Christmas Magic to bring them a bit of excitement. But no one expects this excitement to arrive in the form of a Halloween jack-o-lantern inside their snow globe! Can Jack-o-Lantern convince the Christmas friends that it truly belongs with them, or will it be booted back to the dusty shelf? Enjoy this family-friendly one-act play about acceptance and appreciation.
DETAILS
Genre: Children’s/Tween/Teen/Comedy/Christmas
Cast: 11+ (1 male, 1 female, 9+ gender neutral/inclusive). There are 11 speaking roles, but there are unlimited non-speaking roles as reindeer.)
Running time: Approximately 15-20 minutes
Setting: A Christmas snow globe inside Stella’s bedroom. This may be as detailed or representative as desired.
WHY THAT WALKING SNOWMAN DIDN’T LIKE ME
*Small cast 1 speaking, 2 optional non-speaking, teen
Click for free excerpt.
SUMMARY:
Madison, a popular IG (Instagram) model, sees a snowman come to life in front of her very eyes on Christmas Eve. And sure, of course, Madison knows this is all pretty insane, but it’s also a pretty amazing opportunity for her social media presence. However, as much as she would like, the silent snowman doesn’t seem to be cooperating for her selfie. Is it intimidated? Worried about collabs? She isn’t sure, but she is shocked when the snowman leaves before she can even get a video. It makes no sense why it wouldn’t want to hang out with her and her adorable rescue doggie, Bailey, especially when they both look so cute in their winter outfits. Luckily, Madison has Bailey to help her figure out a reasonable explanation for this disappointment.
Details: Around 5 minutes, female, comedy (optional 2 additional non-speaking roles/gender inclusive), teen-adult
Madison, a popular IG model, sees a snowman come to life in front of her very eyes. This is an amazing opportunity to boost her social media presence, so why is the snowman not cooperating?
This is a comedic monologue for a female actor, teen-young adult and can stand alone for 1 actor. However, there are 2 optional non-speaking roles of Bailey, the dog (who has notated “murmurs”) and the Snowman.
You can read a free excerpt here.
If you’re looking for something more bite-sized, CLICK HERE FOR OVER 20 CHRISTMAS MONOLOGUES! These monologues range in length from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, great for video/zoom or in person, comedic or dramatic, kids, male, female.