Spacemen Visit Christmas

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Spacemen Visit Christmas is a humourous and entertaining play that provides opportunity for every student in the school to participate. Each class contributes to the plot, making the story into a variety show that includes even the audience. Comedy, dancing, singing, choral speaking, and the Nativity Scene contribute to the enjoyment of the program. Approximately midway through the production, the audience gets to stretch their legs when they are asked to stand and join in the singing of Christmas songs, eliminating the need for an intermission. In the final scene, Santa and his reindeer enter from the back of the auditorium and make their way up the aisle to join the players on the stage.

The play requires only one stage setting, and the curtain only closes at the end of the play. A minimum number of props are on the stage.

There is a great deal of flexibility within the play for teachers to "do their own thing", rather than sticking to a pre-determined script. The storyline is approximately 25 minutes in length, and the total length of the production depends on how long each class takes to perform their component. The teacher may choose to use the suggestions provdided, or take the opportunity to create his/her class's contribution within the parameters of the plot, thus enabling the show to be part of the classroom curriculum if desired. This also enables the teacher to capitalize on the special abilities and talents of the children - and the teacher - in the class. Suggestions are included for two extra components if you wish to include other classes. Additional script, following the storyline, would be needed in order to fit the extra components into the plot. Any one class should take on more than one component, since the number of students participating in any given way is established by the teacher.

Students can also create posters for advertising and the programs for the performance, linking the production to many requirements of the school curriculum.

THE STORY

This is a humorous and entertaining story about a spaceship from the planet Zork, far off in another galaxy, visiting Earth to gather data. It has been in orbit for two or three months when the Zorks begin to realize that there are some extraordinary activities occuring on the planet below them.  On December 24th, Earth time, Donkus (the inept and bumbling leader of the scout craft) and Quark (his first mate) receive permission from the Mothership to investigate these activities more closely.

Donkus tries to unsuccessfully stay out of the way of a small craft that is frantically flying around the Earth. It is pulled by some kind of primitive furry creatures and driven by a man in a red suit, identified by the computer as Santa Claus. This not-so-jolly man makes an unexpected visit aboard the spaceship to complain about their interference with his task.

Althought the transporter on the spaceship is not functioning properly, the Zork crew manages to beam aboard a number of Earthlings who, in turn, explain to them just what Christmas is all about. The Zorks learn about the Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, keeping in touch with friends and family, carols and Christmas songs, feasting, the mall "Santa-clones", and finally, in a Nativity scene, the true meaning of Christmas.

A labour dispute at the North Pole Workshop flashes its way into the story as the transporter malfunctions.

Finally, Commander Chonk arrives from the Mothership in a timely rescue by Santa and his reindeer. The story ends with the recommendation that this special holiday be taken back to the planet Zork and adopted into their culture, too!