The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
"The Herdmans were the worst kids in the whole history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars, even the girls, and talked dirty and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken down tool house."
That doesn't sound like the first lines of a play entitled The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Where are the Angels, the Wise Men, Mary and Joseph? Rest assured, they are all there, along with a first-time director, the local know-it-all, a less than enthusiastic husband/father, and, of course, the Herdmans. Mix everything together and you have the ingredients for a highly entertaining, if somewhat unconventional, Christmas program, which will be presented at First Baptist Church in Downers Grove.
Two performances of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be staged at the church, located on the corner of Maple and Washington Streets in downtown Downers Grove, on Saturday and Sunday, December 12th and 13th. Both performances will begin at 7:00 p.m., and the community is invited. Admission is free.
Author Barbara Robinson spins a tale of a traditional Christmas pageant put on by a local church. It is shaping up to be the same pageant as every other year when Leroy Herdman (played by Sam Arguello) once again steals the lunch of Charlie Bradley (Ryan Pleva). After Charlie informs Leroy that he gets all the treats he wants at Sunday School, Leroy rounds up the rest of his delinquent siblings and shows up at church the next Sunday, just in time to be cast in the Christmas pageant.
Leroy is joined by his older brother Ralph (played by Josiah Gulden), sister Imogene (Zoe Gulden), brothers Claude and Ollie (Logan Sanders and Garrett Sanders) and feisty little sister Gladys (Isabel Gulden). Despite never being in church before, and having never heard the Christmas story, the Herdmans snatch up several key roles in the pageant, including Mary, Joseph, and the Angel who announces the birth of Christ to a group of shepherds.
This puts fill-in director Grace Bradley (Krista Gulden) in the position of pulling together her first Christmas pageant with a pack of hooligans disrupting every attempt to practice. Imogene's habit of smoking cigars in the ladies room leads to the fire department putting an end to one practice, while another rehearsal ends in mayhem as the Herdmans suggest that the shepherds get together and wipe out King Herod. Gladys even suggests a new title for the production – Revenge at Bethlehem!
"It's really funny," says Ryan Pleva. "My favorite part is the scene where we are practicing for the pageant and then everything goes wrong as the Herdmans start beating up on everybody."
Despite the lack of preparation, the show must go on. As narrator Beth Bradley (Nicole Peterson) explains, the Herdmans bring some unusual plot twists to the traditional Christmas story. Gladys, as an angel, not only announces the birth of Jesus, but she uses force to get the shepherds headed to the proper manger in Bethlehem when they don't move quickly enough for her liking.
"My favorite part is when the shepherds stumble up on the stage and the angel shouts a message to them," said Joel Springer, one of the non-Herdman kids in the pageant. "The characters are funny and the church goes haywire when the Herdmans enter the Christmas pageant."
Imogene Herdman, playing Mary, puts down her cigar long enough to take the stage with Joseph and the baby Jesus. While the Angel Choir sings Away in a Manger, Imogene picks up the baby and burps it, much to the disgust of Alice (Lauren Phegley). Alice, who originally planned to play Mary until Imogene showed up and bullied her out of the part, certainly doesn't believe that baby Jesus would have had colic and needed burping.
"I like being in the play because I get to be a baby angel and I think it will be one of the most exciting plays people will see," said Taylor Elwood, who has a role as a member of the Angel Choir. "I think too that everybody needs to be reminded of what Christmas is really about. Come see for yourself!"
"I think the Christmas Pageant play would be good if a lot of people came because it is a nice thing to see at Christmas time and people will enjoy the true meaning of Christmas," added her sister and fellow Angel Choir member Caleigh Elwood.
Even the wise men make an appearance, although without the traditional gifts. Leroy feels that food would make a more practical present, and he brings a ham from the Herdman family's welfare basket to give to Mary and Joseph.
Despite the many non-traditional elements of the pageant, the performance comes off without a hitch. The Herdmans' involvement makes the pageant seem like an entirely new story, even for those in the church who have attended the pageant year after year. For Imogene, it turns out she discovers what Christmas is all about, and the Herdmans leave without destroying any property or stealing from the collection plate.
"I like the play because it's funny and because people who come and don't know Jesus will learn about him," said Erika Chagdes, who plays Doris, another of the children in the pageant.
Don't miss this opportunity to experience the Christmas story like never before. You'll be treated to a cigar-smoking Mary who feels the need to burp baby Jesus, a ham-toting wise man, and even an angel who gets her inspiration from comic books. Yet through all of the mayhem and craziness, the real message of Christmas can be found.
As Taylor Born, who plays Beverly, says, "It's a good idea to watch it because it's a funny story, but if you listen carefully you can also hear the true meaning of Christmas."
For more information, please
contact the church office or call 630-852-0800.