A Holmes Family Christmas [Excerpt]

Deanna Holmes wants to celebrate her first Christmas married with both sides of the family packed into their tiny Chicago townhome. Elliot’s not so sure. Is it possible they’ll survive the holiday?

Laugh along as Elliot and Deanna experience the inevitable, sometimes hilarious complications that arise when seating white-collar, blue-collar, teenage angst, and certifiably crazy at the same holiday table and discover the “something else” they’ve been missing from Christmas all along.

A pdf download of this play including the master script, director’s notes (with character backstories, setting and staging notes, and a scene-by-scene breakdown), presentation, and promotional graphics can be purchased HERE (also available in Kindle and paperback on Amazon). An excerpt of the play is included below for review. No part of this post may be copied, storied in a retrieval system, or presented to any audience without the purchase of the full script.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Cast of Characters

Sample Character Backstories

Present Day 2002

Full character backstories for the entire cast are included in the PDF, Kindle, and print copies of this script.

ELLIOT AND DEANNA HOLMES

Elliot is twenty-six years old and works as a contractor in Chicago. Deanna is twenty-four and doubles as a wedding planner and interior decorator. They were married June 24, 2002.

Elliot started going to church when he was in junior high, shortly after his dad got saved. Deanna has always considered her family religious. Both know the ways of the Lord but have yet to discover a real, personal relationship with Him.

Both Elliot and Deanna’s families are from out of state. They’ve chosen to have their first Christmas at their small townhome with everyone in attendance. This is the first time both sides of the family will be together since the wedding.

They want their first Christmas to be special and hope to blend both families’ holiday traditions to form memories of their own.

Setting

A Holmes Family Christmas takes place in the Chicagoland area during the holiday season of 2002. Stage area and floor space is arranged to create four main sets – Elliot and Deanna’s townhome, a Christmas tree lot, a music studio, and a space for the Narrator.

Sample Stage Design

• “X” denotes a door
• Triangles denote Evergreen or Christmas trees
• Dashed lines give general boundaries for the stage and floor space (but do not necessarily indicate partitions or ways).
• “Backstage Area” should be used for movement of actors from scene to scene and costume/prop changes.

Scene Breakdown

Sample Scenes

Excerpt from Act I, Scene 5: Meet the Parents

Scene begins with a conversation between ELLIOT and DEANNA.

(DEANNA exits to upstairs. ELLIOT tries to engage RACHEL in conversation as he works.)

ELLIOT: Hey, Rachel!

(RACHEL ignores ELLIOT.)

ELLIOT: I just wanted to tell you that I’m glad you came over for Christmas. I know it probably wasn’t the most exciting thing you could have done over break, but I’m glad you’re here.

(RACHEL shrugs her shoulders. ELLIOT continues awkwardly.)

ELLIOT: Well, I’m heading into the kitchen if you need anything, ok?

(RACHEL nods and rolls her eyes. ELLIOT goes to the kitchen to keep working. He continues to try to engage RACHEL in conversation.)

ELLIOT: You know, dinner’s going to be awesome. We’re having ham, and turkey, and all the trimmings. You like ham, Rach?

RACHEL: Don’t call me Rach.

ELLIOT: (to himself) Ah, she speaks. (with emphasis) Rachel, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the turkey if not the ham.

(RACHEL picks up a TV remote as if to increase the volume. Focus shifts to CLARICE and STANLEY as they walk up to the outside porch/patio.)

CLARICE: Here we are. Forty-three Calbray Drive. This is it.

STANLEY: It’s little.

CLARICE: What do you expect, dear? It’s their first house.

STANLEY: It’s not a house. It’s a cracker-jack box! (Pause) Why, when I was their age…

CLARICE: Stanley. I know who you were when you were their age, but we’re not talking about you. Please. Be nice.

STANLEY: I was just expecting something bigger.

(STANLEY knocks on the door. RACHEL ignores the knock.)

ELLIOT: Hey Rachel, could you get that?

(RACHEL exits to upstairs.)

STANLEY: They’re a little slow.

CLARICE: Try knocking again. Maybe they didn’t hear.

(STANLEY knocks again.)

ELLIOT: Um, Rachel. Could you get the door? It should be open.

(STANLEY moves to look in the window.)

STANLEY: Where are they?

CLARICE: Please be patient dear!

STANLEY: I’m cold!

CLARICE: They’ll come.

ELLIOT: Rachel! Could you just get up and get the door? I’m up to my elbows in potatoes!

STANLEY: I can hear someone talking!

CLARICE: (leans in to listen) I don’t hear anything.

ELLIOT: Come ON!

(STANLEY and CLARICE both hear ELLIOT. They exchange a look.)

CLARICE: (Suddenly whispering) Alright, but what are we supposed to do?

STANLEY: (Bangs on the door) I know you’re in there! Open this door!

ELLIOT: (on the way into the living room) Rachel! This is ridiculous! Why can’t you just open a door? I know you don’t want to be here, but please don’t ruin Christmas for everyone. (realizes RACHEL is gone) Great. Talking to myself.

CLARICE: Stanley. Surely there is no need…

STANLEY: Step aside, Clarice!

(STANLEY begins backing up and angling his shoulder toward the door as if he will force it in.)

CLARICE: What are you doing?

STANLEY: Someone is in there, and they could be hurting my daughter! I won’t stand for it, Clarice! I won’t!

ELLIOT: With my luck it’ll be my in-laws.

CLARICE: Dear Lord, help us!

STANLEY: On the count of three…

Scene continues with a “crashing” entrance.

Excerpt from Act II, Scene 5: Christmas Day

(LIGHTS go full on the townhouse. ELLIOT gently wakes DEANNA.)

ELLIOT: Deanna…

DEANNA: What time is it?

ELLIOT: Early…but I figured it out.

DEANNA: Figured what out, hon?

ELLIOT: Remember what we were talking about last night?

DEANNA: Vaguely.

ELLIOT: I know what’s missing from Christmas.

(JARED snores loudly.)

DEANNA: (quietly) A Santa Clause to go along with the elf on our living room floor?

ELLIOT: (Looks at JARED, smiles) Cute. But definitely not.

DEANNA: (Fully waking) Have you been up all night?

ELLIOT: Yeah.

DEANNA: Why? What were you doing?

ELLIOT: Reading my mom’s Bible. She used to read to us from it every Christmas.

DEANNA: Where did you find it?

ELLIOT: In that old box of Christmas decorations from the closet. We must have taken it from Pop’s house before we got married.

DEANNA: It’s a big book Elliot. Did you finish it?

ELLIOT: No, I read the Christmas story last night for the first time on my own, probably since my mom passed away.

DEANNA: That’s so sweet Elliot. I’m sure that would have made her so happy.

ELLIOT: No. It’s more than that, Deanna. You said we were missing something, and we are. We got so caught up in the celebration that we forgot to remember why.

DEANNA: Elliot, everyone knows Christmas is the birth of Jesus.

ELLIOT: But that doesn’t mean we still can’t miss him. Read what my mom wrote in the margin…

DEANNA: (Taking the Bible from ELLIOT and reading) Never get so caught up with Christmas, that you let Jesus slip past you to the stable. (pause) Wow.

ELLIOT: Deanna, we can know what Christmas is about and still not take it to heart. By the time Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem it was so crowded they couldn’t find a place to stay. They walked past people all the way to the stable where Mary gave birth to Jesus. People everywhere were so busy they missed out on the most amazing event in all history. A lot of people missed him. (pause) I almost missed him.

DEANNA: But we’re celebrating. We’ve got the tree, and presents, and family. (pause) I don’t understand.

(PATRICK enters from upstairs and listens unnoticed.)

ELLIOT: Even with all of that…we can still miss HIm. We can get caught up in all the stuff of Christmas and leave Jesus out of it. All I’ve been worried about is Christmas being over because it’s been such a hassle.

(JARED makes a noise from the floor. ELLIOT and DEANNA try to be quieter.)

ELLIOT: I haven’t been thinking at all about why we’re celebrating.

DEANNA: I guess you’re right.

PATRICK: (Enters into sight) I know he’s right.

ELLIOT: Pops…

Scene continues.

Like what you see?

Check out the rest of the script in the online shop HERE.

Terms of Use