The White Christmas and other Merry Christmas Plays | Page 2

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 C?sar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife....
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that