Starship Emmanuel
VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP EMMANUEL: THE CHRISTMAS SAGA
SPEAKING PARTS
NARRATOR
CAPTAIN NICHOLAS JEANLU
PAT CROFT (Helmsman)
SUE LOU (Navigator)
LUCY (Capt.'s daughter)
MS. CHRISTOPHER (teacher)
SANTA CLAUS
NON-SPEAKING PARTS
MARY
JOSEPH
BABY JESUS
SHEPHERDS
ANGEL
THREE WISE MEN
ACT 1
Starship Emmanuel's Bridge
NARRATOR: These are the voyages of the Starship Emmanuel. Under the command of Captain Nicholas Jeanlu, its continuing mission— to fulfill the Great Commission: "Go out to all the worlds and spread the Good News to all of Creation." As we join our crew, Lt. Pat Croft is at the helm, and Ensign Sue Lou is navigator. It is December 18, in the year 3000. They have just left Space Dock Earth, headed for a star that has just been discovered. Star Fleet has named that star Noel.' Little do they know that they are about to go on a journey that will change the life of someone closest to them— and of someone you would least expect.
CAPTAIN: Lt. Croft, what is our speed?
PAT CROFT: I don't know, Captain Nick, Hey Sue, how fast are we going?
(SUE LOU is playing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on a keyboard and does not hear PAT CROFT.)
PAT CROFT: Ensign Sue Lou, knock off that playing, and tell Capt. Nick how fast we're going.
SUE LOU: Excuse me, sir. Captain, we are currently going pretty fast.
(LUCY runs onto the Bridge.)
LUCY: Capt. Daddy, Capt. Daddy, turn this ship around and head back to Earth immediately!!!
(CAPTAIN hits the communications button on his shirt.)
CAPTAIN: Ms. Christopher, report to the Bridge, immediately!
(MS. CHRISTOPHER arrives while LUCY is talking.)
LUCY: I want to go back to Earth right now! I want to be home for Christmas!
MS. CHRISTOPHER: Yes, Captain Jeanlu?
CAPTAIN: Why is my daughter not in class?!
MS. CHRISTOPHER: Captain, I am sorry for this interruption, but your daughter, Lucy, is out of control.
CAPTAIN: Yes, she is. Lucy, what is your problem? You know we celebrate Christmas here on the Starship Emmanuel.
LUCY: I know! But I want Santa Claus to come visit me and bring me lots of presents. And he lives on Earth, he won't come here!
CAPTAIN: Who is Santa Claus? Ms. Christopher, what kind of ideas are you putting in my kid's head?
MS. CHRISTOPHER: Sir, she found this book in the library. It's the story "The Night Before Christmas."
(MS. CHRISTOPHER hands CAPTAIN the book. He turns the pages.)
LUCY: See Daddy, (points) that's Santa Claus!
CAPTAIN: But Lucy you know what Christmas is truly about. It is about Jesus Christ's birth. This is where you should read about the true meaning of Christmas.
(CAPTAIN shows LUCY the Bible.)
LUCY: I don't care, I want lots of presents for Christmas.
CAPTAIN: I don't know anything about this char
SANTA CLAUS: I guess we should find out more about him. Pat Croft, go into time warp, date December 18, 1995, destination Earth.
LUCY: Yeah!
PAT CROFT: Yes, Captain. Sue, set coordinates.
SUE LOU: Ready! Set coordinates. Go!
(Crew starts singing "Here Comes Santa Claus.")
ACT 2
The Starship Emmanuel's Bridge: over North Pole— Present
NARRATOR: The Star Ship Emmanuel has a special feature in its warp drive which allows it to do time travel. Sue Lou presses a button and the ship arrives in a polar orbit over earth. It is just a few days before Christmas, 1995.
(The crew continues singing "Here comes Santa Claus.")
LUCY: (In a whining voice.) Daaad-deeee . . . are we there, yet?
CAPTAIN: Helmsman, er -woman, have we arrived yet?
PAT CROFT: (Hand to ear.) Huh?
CAPTAIN: (Louder.) Are we . . . Oh. (Very loud) Crew! Hush!
(The crew stops singing "Here comes Santa Claus.")
CREW: Oops!
CAPTAIN: Lt. Pat Croft, have we arrived?
PAT CROFT: Oh, so sorry Captain Nick. Yes, I think we have arrived. Sue, set the coordinates for Earth.
SUE LOU: I already have, and we're already there.
PAT CROFT: Oh!
CAPTAIN: Lt. Croft, go to the beam up thingie and beam up Santa Claus.
PAT CROFT: Yes, Sir. What are his coordinates, Sir?
CAPTAIN: I don't know, what does the book say?
LUCY: He lives at the North Pole.
CAPTAIN: O.K. Then set coordinates for the North Pole, Lt., and beam him up.
PAT CROFT: Yes Sir!
(PAT CROFT exits. The crew chatters while she is gone. She returns almost immediately dragging SANTA by the arm. SANTA is rather confused.)
PAT CROFT: Come on old man! The Captain wants to have a talk with you.
LUCY: Santa Claus!
SANTA CLAUS: Someone help me, I've been kidnapped by space aliens! Where am I?!
CAPTAIN: You are on the Starship Emmanuel. We are a United Federation of Planets space vessel, built by Star Fleet in the year 3000. Welcome aboard. How do you like her?
SANTA CLAUS: It's weird. Why am I here? I have to get ready for Christmas. If I don't get back home, the children won't have Christmas this year.
CAPTAIN: Why is that?
SANTA CLAUS: Because I have to deliver all the toys to every boy and girl around the world. If I don't, there won't be any Christmas and they'll be devastated.
CAPTAIN: But isn't Jesus what Christmas is all about?
SANTA CLAUS: No, I am what Christmas is all about?
(LUCY jumps between them.)
LUCY: Yes, you are! And here is my list of all the toys I want.
(LUCY unrolls a long list of the presents she wants. The end rolls across the deck.)
CAPTAIN: Lucy, let me talk to this gentleman. Now, Mr. Claus, why are YOU what Christmas is all about?
SANTA CLAUS: Because I bring everybody presents. It's time for all boys' and girls' parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to spend, spend, spend their money to buy them presents for Christmas.
CAPTAIN: But what about the true meaning of Christmas? The coming of Jesus Christ.
SANTA CLAUS: Jesus? Get real, this is the 90's! Jesus, lived 2000 years ago. Why should we celebrate his birthday? Besides, all that old fashioned foolishness doesn't sell toys. And all the stores count on the Christmas rush to keep them in the black.
LUCY: (Waving list.) And I'll help.
CAPTAIN: I think it's time for both of you to learn the true meaning of Christmas. Pat Croft, go into time warp, the year 0, destination Bethlehem, in Israel.
PAT CROFT: Yes, Sir, Captain Nick. Sue, set coordinates.
SUE LOU: Ready! Set coordinates. Go!
CAPTAIN: Have we arrived yet? (Pause) Lt. Pat Croft, have we arrived yet?
PAT CROFT: Yes, I think we have arrived, Captain Nick. Sue, set the coordinates for Bethlehem.
SUE LOU: I already have, and we're already there.
PAT CROFT: Oh!
CAPTAIN: Lets go to the beam down thingie and beam down to Bethlehem.
ACT 3
Bethlehem: Time of Christ's Birth
NARRATOR: The Starship Emmanuel goes into time warp again and arrives at the year zero, when our calendar says Jesus was born. We beam down to Bethlehem, to a stable. Well, it's more like a cave than what we would think of as a stable . . .
(Lights flash and the crew assembles at the manger.)
SANTA: Hey, this looks like the stable where I keep the reindeer. It smells like it, too. (Holds his nose.)
MS. CHRISTOPHER: I don't think it's the kind of place someone might want to have a baby.
LUCY: It doesn't look like I could find a new boy friend here, either.
CAPTAIN: Come on, guys! Let's get serious. Around the time when Jesus was born, Caesar, who was the king, passed a law. Everyone had to leave their homes and go to the city where they were born, so he could make them pay more taxes. Joseph was from Bethlehem, so they had to go there, even though Mary was about ready to have her Baby. By the time they got there, all the rooms were full. The only place left for them to get out of the weather was this stable.
(All sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Joseph and Mary enter, carrying Baby Jesus.)
LUCY: What a cute baby!
CAPTAIN: This is the Baby Jesus. Here is Mary, His mother. And this is Joseph, His foster father. Since Jesus is the Son of God, He needed a good man to take care of Him while He was growing up.
PAT CROFT: I thought Jesus was a king, or something.
CAPTAIN: He is— the King of the universe. He is God who created everything out of nothing. But God chose a poor carpenter to have the special job of Jesus' earthly father. Just imagine all that God had to give up to become a helpless baby, born into a poor family. He must love us very much. He went on to prove His love even more by dying on a horrible cross for our sins.
(Shepherds come in across the room. An angel appears. All sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing!")
CAPTAIN: The first people to hear the Good News, that the Savior was born, were some poor shepherds who were watching their sheep out in the field. In the middle of the night, an angel suddenly appeared.
LUCY: Boy, I bet they were surprised!
CAPTAIN: They were, but the angel soon told them all they needed to know. A whole choir of angels joined the angel to sing "Glory to God in the highest! And peace to His people on earth." The shepherds set out to find the Baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, like the angel told them. When they found Him, They told everyone they met that the Savior was born.
LUCY: If I had such Good News, I'd tell everyone, too.
MS. CHRISTOPHER: You do have that Good News. The rest of the story is even better. It could change your life if you really take the time to think about it. God loves you so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, as a man. He wants you to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him here on earth. Then He wants you to live with Him forever in heaven. Once you really understand that, I'm sure you will want to tell everyone.
(The shepherds go to the Holy Family and kneel down.)
("We Three Kings" begins to play. The three kings enter with their gifts. They lay the gifts on the floor in front of the Holy Family, then kneel down.)
LUCY: Whoa! Who are these dudes?
SANTA: They sure don't look like anyone else we've seen here.
CAPTAIN: You are right about that. These men have traveled a long way. Their holy books told about a King that would be born in Israel. A star would tell his coming. When they saw that star, they set out to honor the newborn King. They brought three gifts with them which told what they knew about the King. (Picks up first gift.) Gold showed that He is a powerful King. (Picks up second gift.) Frankincense was used in worship of God and in other cultures to worship their gods. These men knew Jesus is holy. (Picks up third gift.) Myrrh foretells the Savior's cruel death. Myrrh was used in burial ceremonies.
(SANTA pulls LUCY aside, but near to the Holy Family "Silent Night" begins to play quietly in the background.)
SANTA: I'm afraid I owe you and all children a big "I'm sorry."
LUCY: And I'm sorry, too.
SANTA: For too many years, I have been part of the 'gimme, gimme' part of Christmas. It gives everyone the idea that Christmas is all about piling up a lot of stuff. But Christmas is really about something totally different. God has given us the Best Present Ever— His only Son, so we can be saved. When we accept this Present, it will give new meaning to our lives. Then, when we give presents to other people, it will be as if we are giving to Him. Jesus told us that whatever we do for even the littlest ones, we do for Him. When we realize how much God loves us, we will want to be with Him all the time. So, let's change our Christmas chant from: buy, buy, buy!' Instead we want to see Christmas as a time to: pray, pray, pray!'
(Both kneel together before Baby Jesus. They fold their hands and bow their heads in prayer. One by one, the rest of the crew gather with them and kneel.)
