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| Christmas Carnivals » Christmas Plays » Charlie Brown Christmas Play |
Charlie Brown Christmas Play |
Ever since it first appeared on television in 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas has been a staple of the holiday season in America. In fact, the show has appeared every year since it aired on either CBS or ABC, and has even spawned stage productions in local communities. Thanks to its timelessness, the Charlie Brown Christmas play will continue to be a part of celebrations for years to come. It’s funny how a simple premise can resonate through the generations, but it is and will remain symbolic of how the quest for the best gifts or prettiest tree often distracts us from the important things during the festive period.
The production opens with Charlie and his friends skating on a frozen pond, during which he confides to Linus that he’s having trouble getting in the Christmas spirit. There are all sorts of big displays around town, everyone is sending cards (though he hasn’t received any), and the lights twinkle on every corner. Something is missing, though, and he can’t quite put his finger on it.
As the story unfolds, Charlie turns to Lucy’s psychiatric booth for ideas on how to clear the fog of depression. Helpful as always, she recommends he direct the annual Nativity play being hosted at school. Charlie agrees, then sets off to the auditorium – but is interrupted by the creeping influence of commercialism and competition. Even Snoopy, his trusty dog, has become Christmas-crazed and is frantically decorating his doghouse to claim victory in the neighborhood contest.
When he arrives at school, Charlie finds a disorganized and unfocused group of classmates. Being thoroughly uncooperative, they loudly voice their wish to modernize the story with singing and dancing. Frustrated, Charlie leaves the production in Lucy’s capable hands and sets out in the hopes of finding a Christmas tree to use as a unifying force for tradition.
When he arrives at the lot, the only natural tree he finds is a tired little specimen with just a few branches. The weight of one ornament makes the humble tree’s branches bow and bend, causing all Charlie’s friends to laugh when he returns to the auditorium. Tired of all the nitpicking and desperate to find the meaning of the holiday, he shouts “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
In the show’s most memorable scene, Linus answers, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” He steps to center stage as the spotlight shines down and recites Luke 2:8-14 from the King James Bible, telling of the angels sharing the joy of Jesus’ birth with shepherds in the field. Inspired, Charlie takes his little tree home to decorate it and, with a little help from his friends, gets his heart in the right place to enjoy the season.
Though the special led to three sequels beginning 27 years later, none were quite able to recapture the magic of the original. If you are looking for a wholesome way to gather with your family during a time of year when everything seems to pull you in different directions, pop some popcorn and sit on the couch together for this when it airs. You’ll be glad you did.
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