(The room is dark with only dim lighting.)
The Star: (She blinks her wooden eyes and yawns as if awakening from a long nap.)Did I just dream it? It seemed like such a long time ago…Bright lights; glowing colors all flowing together. Silver and gold and china and crystal and games and toys…And the food! The wonderful food…which I can’t even smell. Because, you see, I am only an ornament. Just a simple, uninteresting, but pretty, gold star and I was way up in this tree; right at the very top. I sat up on a tree and I came from a tree. And I am very old.
The Wiseman: (a voice booms out of the darkness.) Who is talking so much?
The Star: Who are you? Are you an ornament too?
Wiseman: A What?
Star: An ornament like me who sits on a tree. You know, those things with the spiky, green stuff coming out of them. I think they call them branches.
Wiseman: An ornament? Are you kidding? I would never be one of those things hanging around all day long and flirting with everyone. It’s like being cheap, dime store jewelry. No, I’m part of the Manger Scene. I’m a Wiseman.
Star: (excited) Really? Wow! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wiseman! I’m a star. I hang over everything and light your way. But, wasn’t this your first one? You must be a new ornament.
Wiseman: (angry) Hey, listen, lady! I’m not an ornament. My first what?
Star: You’re first Christmas, of course.
Wiseman: Yeah, of course. Christmas. Guess I’ll never see that again.
Star: (annoyed) You will see Christmas again! I promise! I’ve been through many of them.
Wiseman: You have, eh? Listen, Star, I need proof. It could have all been a dream.”
Star: (shocked) What do you mean, proof? And what do you mean a dream?
Wiseman: Do you honestly think Christmas will ever come again?
Star: Yes, of course it will!
Wiseman: Come on, face it! It’s over. There will never be another one. We spent a long time sitting on this shelf and we will sit here a long time.
(Other ornaments now join in with the Star in protest.)
Star: That’s not true! You don’t believe, do you?
Wiseman: No, I don’t. Only fools believe in something that you can’t see. Its not real. Reality is humans are through with us forever. Reality is we will never glow, shine or glitter ever again. Reality is we will sit on this shelf forgotten and forsaken forever!
Star: (shocked) I don’t believe you!
Wiseman: Why?
Star: Because it’s a cycle.
Wiseman: A cycle?
Star: Yeah! See that doorknob?
Wiseman: That dark round thing hanging down there?
Star: Yeah, that thing.
Wiseman: So, what about it?
Star: See all the furry things around it?
Wiseman: Yeah, so what?
Star: Well, when we are all taken down and packed up here on this shelf, behind this door, the humans hang those furry things under us. I think they’re called “coats”. Once and awhile, the door is opened and the coats are removed and then returned. As time goes on, the door is opened less and less. Have you noticed that?
Wiseman: Yeah, I’ve noticed that.
Star: Soon it won’t be opened again for a long, long time. But, you know what?
Wiseman: What? They take us back out?
Star: No, not right away. They’ll start opening and closing the door again and it gets more and more frequent.
Wiseman: So….???
Star: (excitedly) One day they take us back out and then it’s Christmas again!
Wiseman: You are so naïve. I hate to burst your little bubble of joy, but you just wait. It will never be: I know, I just know.
Star: (sighing) No, it will happen! You have to believe…I’ve never met anyone who didn’t believe. Oh, my, there’s something wet on my cheek. I hope its just sap.
Wiseman: (jeering) Ha, ha, ha, ha!!!
Narrator: A long time went by. The door stopped opening. And, day after day, the Wiseman never failed to make a negative comment. And many times, the moist liquid would trickle down the star’s face in shame. She almost lost hope; she almost waivered, but then… then the door began to open and close and the humans started to take out the coats again and then return them. They could hear human voices again, too: voices talking, laughing, crying and yelling. The ornaments grew silent; listening carefully. Could it really be coming again? Could the Wiseman be wrong? But then, it was quiet for a long time and the door didn’t open.
Wiseman: See, I told you! You were wrong! We’re all doomed! Its over!
Star: No, no, no, I still believe! I still believe!
Narrator: Now, she closed her eyes and didn’t cry any more, but was very sad. She entered a season of hibernation and sorrow. Time passed by. All the ornaments went into deep sleep and didn’t realize that the door began to open and close again. And the coats were being taken out again.
Suddenly, the door burst open one day and everything was pushed aside. The ornaments started to wake up. (Star opens her eyes and rubs them.) The Star was startled to see the faces of humans smiling at her.
Man: (booming loudly) Come, children, I need some help here! Another year has passed and its time to put up the tree! Here, take these boxes!”
(People begin to remove the boxes from around the ornaments and start decorating a tree.)
Star: (very happy) Wiseman, where are you? Wiseman where are you? Its Christmas time again! Its Christmas time again!
Wiseman: (kneeling in front of a manger scene, bowing very low with his head hung down.)
Star: (to the audience) Merry Christmas we sing; glad tidings we bring! You should never, ever, doubt the King of Kings!
The End
