How the Grinch Stole Easter
How the Grinch Stole Easter
A play to be performed on the Third Sunday of Easter,
after the Gospel is proclaimed,
or anytime during the Easter season.
By Michael Kurtz
For the Sunday School Children and Confirmation Class
of First Lutheran Church, Winnipeg, 2011-12
Cast:
Grinch
Narrator One
Narrator Two
Narrator Three
Youth One
Youth Two
Youth Three
Youth Four
Kid One
Kid Two
Kid Three
Max
Pastor
Youth Minister Caroline (as herself)
As the play begins, the Children’s Choir could sing an Easter Song, possibly something associated with the Easter Vigil. The Grinch and his dog Max are in their lair. The Grinch must be able to look “down” or at First Lutheran Church, where the Youth and Kids are assembling. The Grinch speaks the lines given to him in the poem, seamlessly speaking with the narrator.
Narrator 1: Every Lu down in Lu-ville liked Easter a lot
But the Grinch who lived just north of Lu-ville did Not!
Narrator 2: The Grinch hated Easter! The whole Easter season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.
It could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight.
But the reason for sure if the truth might be told
May have been that his heart was too cold, far too cold.
Narrator 3: But whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes
He stood before Easter Day hating the Lus,
Staring down from his lair, from his faraway perch
At the warm stained glass windows of First Lutheran Church.
For he knew every Lu down in Lu-ville awake
Was busy now thinking of great Easter cake.
“And they’re hiding their eggies!” he snarled with a sneer.
“Tomorrow is Easter! It’s practically here!”
Cut to First Lutheran Church, where children and youth are getting ready for Easter morning.
They get the space ready for worship, setting out things that will be needed in the morning, candles, lilies, placing a Safeway Easter cake in the fridge, and hiding Easter eggs for an Easter Egg hunt for the little kids.
Youth One: I’m so excited that it’s Easter tomorrow!
Youth Two: I know! The vigil service tonight was great, but I love Easter morning with the sunlight streaming through our stained glass windows.
Youth Three: There’s so much to do, though. We have to help get everything ready.
Youth Four: Why do we have to do everything? Where’s Pastor Michael, anyway?
Youth One: Oh, man. He’s probably watching a Jets game. That’s all he talks about anymore. It’s a miracle he gets anything done.
Youth Two: Well, let’s get those kids to help us. (Addresses three slightly younger kids) Hey you little tykes! Wanna help us get everything ready for Easter Sunday worship?
Kid One: (Sarcastically) Yeah, because you guys are just so cool, we’d love to help you.
Youth Three: Aren’t they adorable!
Kid Two: Don’t push it, youth.
Kid Three: Yeah: we’re trying to be nice to you guys.
Youth Four: O-kaaaaaayyyy. We really do appreciate your help. C’mon. There’s lots to do.
Kid One: Like what?
Youth One: Well, we need to set up our worship space for tomorrow morning. Pastor Michael is very particular about everything.
Youth Two: Yeah: especially about his Safeway cake. We better get it into the fridge so it keeps.
Youth Three: And then there’s candles to be set out, Easter lilies to be arranged and . . . Easter Eggs to be hidden for the really little kids.
Youth Four: That’s great! The little kids love hunting for Easter eggs. Let’s get to work!
As the youth and kids get busy putting the Easter cake away and setting things up, the children’s choir sing an Easter song.
When they’re done and as the song comes to a close, the kids talk about having a sleepover in the church building.
Youth One: Oh, man! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted!
Youth Two: Yeah, me, too.
Youth Three: Me three.
Youth Four: Hey: I have a great idea! Let’s have a sleepover in the church building. We’ll call our parents and tell them we’re staying here.
Youth One: Awesome idea! Let’s ask Caroline if we can. (Addresses Caroline who is sitting somewhere in the congregation). Hey Caroline! Can we have a sleepover in the church building tonight?
Youth Two: Pretty please!
Youth Three: We did do all the work of getting everything ready for the morning.
Youth Four: Yeah: whaddya say?
Youth Minister Caroline: Well, okay, if you promise not to eat Pastor Michael’s Safeway Easter cake. We all know how much he likes his cake.
Youth One, Two, Three, and Four with Kids One, Two, and Three: Yaaaaaayyyyyyyy! (Youth One, Two, Three, and Four stop after “Yaying” for a short time and then just look at Kids One, Two, and Three who continue on “Yaying”)
Youth One: (Addressing Kids One, Two, and Three) Oh, no. There’s no way you guys are staying with us.
Kid One: (Smiling) Aw, c’mon. (Mimicking Youth Two) Pretty please.
Kid Two: (Mimicking Youth Three) We did do all the work of getting everything ready for the morning.
Kid Three: (Mimicking Youth Four) Yeah: whaddya say?
Youth Two: Alright, alright.
Youth Three: It’ll be fun, right?
Youth Four: And you guys are kind of adorable.
Kid One: Don’t push it, youth.
Youth One: Well, I’m tired. Let’s hit the sack.
They all settle into sleeping bags.
Youth Two: I hope everyone has good dreams.
Youth Three: Yeah: God’s Easter dreams of peace and justice.
Youth Four: And love and sharing.
Kid One: And mercy.
Kid Two: And love.
Kid Three: And no war.
Youth One: Good night everyone.
Youth Two, Three, Four and Kids One, Two, and Three: Good night.
As they drift off to sleep, they begin to snore and hold up “dream signs,” each with a different “dream word” on it: No War, Love, Justice, Peace, Sharing, Mercy, and Care.
Cut back to the Grinch.
N1: The Grinch growled with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find some way to stop Easter from coming!”
For tomorrow he knew all the Lu girls and boys
Would wake bright and early and make lots of noise.
They’d sing “Alleluia!” They’d shout “Christ is risen!
He’s burst from the bonds of the dark 3-day prison!”
N2: Then the Lus, young and old, would sit down to a feast.
And they’d feast! And they’d feast!
And they’d Feast! Feast! Feast! Feast!
They would feast on fresh bread and on home-made port wine
Which was something the Grinch thought was quite out of line.
And then after that they would give him an ache
By sharing together a white Safeway cake.
N3: And then they’d do something he liked least of all!
Every Lu down in Lu-ville, the tall and the small,
Would stand close together, with Easter bells ringing.
They’d stand right together and then they’d start singing.
They’d sing! And they’d sing!
And they’d Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!
And the more the Grinch thought of this Lu-Easter-Sing,
The more the Grinch thought, “I must stop this whole thing!
Why, for two thousand years I’ve put up with it now!
I must stop this Easter from coming – but how?”
N1: Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
The Grinch got a wonderful awful idea!
“I know just what to do!” the Grinch laughed with three cheers.
And he sewed bunny fur and tall Eastery ears.
And he chuckled and clucked, “Now this truly is funny!
With this get-up I look just like old Easter Bunny!”
While the Grinch puts on the Easter Bunny costume, the children’s choir sings a verse or two of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”
Once the song finishes, the poem continues.
N2: “All I need are some helpers.” The Grinch looked around.
But, since helpers were not in his lair to be found
He thought and he thought and he then thought some more
And thought his dog Max would be up to the chore.
N3: Then he loaded some bags and some old empty sacks
On a ramshackle wagon and hitched up old Max.
Then the Grinch said, “Giddup!” and the sleigh started down
T’ward the church where the Lus would soon worship in town.
N1: It was still dark yet spring dew filled the air.
All the Lus were still dreaming sweet dreams without care.
He came to the church where on Saturday night
The Lus had all waited in dark for the light.
N2: Those Lus were asleep. Now they’d all hit the sack.
But on Easter morning for sure they’d be back.
The Grinch came to wreck all the work they had done
To make the church nice and to worship the Son.
N3: He took all their eggs and he took all their lilies,
To think of it now simply gives me the willies.
He entered their sleep and he took even more,
He took their great hopes and their dreams for no war.
N1: He took all their love and their mercy and care,
He took all that’s lovely and all that is fair.
He took their desire for justice and caring
He took their desire for peace and for sharing.
N3: In exchange then he filled up the kids with some junk
A whole lot of hunger for what was just bunk
He gave them depression, he gave them despair
He gave them exhaustion, he gave them no care.
N1: He gave them the worst thing: the need for more need:
The seed that is need that grows into great greed.
While the Grinch goes about his work of taking the lilies and candles and eggs, the children’s choir sings another verse or two of “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.” Max follows, looking worried.
N2: When he had taken the good that he could
And placed in its place all the bad where they’d stood,
He slunk to the fridge (the Grinch slinks to the fridge) and without the least ache
He took their beloved Safeway Easter cake! (The Grinch takes the cake)
He hid in the building to watch their dismay (The Grinch and Max hide in the building)
When they came to the service on that Easter day.
The children’s choir could sing another verse or two of “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.”
N3: The sun rose up shining. The people rose too.
They came to the church and they sat in their pew.
The Youth and the Kids get up, stretch, roll up their sleeping bags, and make their way to stand around the altar.
Youth One: Wow. I had the weirdest dreams.
Youth Two: Yeah. Me too.
Youth Three: I went to bed feeling really great. But then I started to feel awful, like all the life had been sucked out of me.
Youth Four: I feel that way, too. So hopeless for some reason. But isn’t Pastor Michael always telling us that the risen hope-filled life of Christ is a gift from God? And it’s given to us again and again in worship?
Youth One: Yeah, and that other “g” word.
Youth Two: Grace!
Youth Three: Yeah! That’s it! And that nothing is stronger than God’s love for us!
Youth Four: Right: even violence and death couldn’t stop God from raising Jesus to life. So he could keep giving the gifts of life and love to his people.
Kid One: (Addressing the youth after a short pause and as all three Kids look knowingly at the Youth) Ever heard of a thing called Easter, Einstein?
Kid Two: As the 16th century mystic Teresa of Avila says, we are now the risen body of Christ on earth. His eyes to see, his feet to run, his hands to care. The risen Christ lives in us. That’s a gift no one can take away from us.
Youth One: Aren’t they adorable?
Kid Three: Don’t push it, youth.
As the next line is read, Pastor comes in with bread and wine, places them on the altar, stands behind the altar but within the circle of children, perhaps dressed in Zsa Zsa, and says the line given to him in the poem.
N1: Pastor came in. He intoned with great speed,
Pastor: “Jesus is risen! He’s risen indeed!”
N1: The people broke forth into song loud and long.
They broke into song and their voices were strong.
Though their cake and their eggs and their dreams had all vanished,
Yet Easter for them: it could never be banished.
N2: For Easter would come and they all would be fine
For all they did need was some bread and some wine.
For to tell you the truth that small bit was enough.
You would think the old Grinch would set off in a huff.
But he looked and saw people who were not so sad.
No indeed! for the sounds they were making were glad!
N3: They sang “Alleluia!” They sang “Christ is risen!
He’s burst from the bonds of the dark 3-day prison!”
They had one another and that was enough.
They didn’t need eggs and they didn’t need stuff.
Their dreams and their hopes and their lives were now given
To them by the one who from death had now risen.
N1: He gave them his love for he was their physician.
He gave them new hope and he gave them a mission:
To take these great gifts of new hope and new life
And share them with all and so end this world’s strife.
And bring to this whole world and each person in it
such faith hope and love and such grace to begin it.
N2: Then they did share the great gift of God’s peace
Taking each hand until peace did increase (Youth and Kids and Pastor share the peace)
And increase and increase till they knew with one mind
That the Christ stood among them no longer confined.
No longer confined by the prison of death.
And neither were they for they’d felt his warm breath,
His Spirit, blow through them, the best gift of all:
His love that can never be killed or made small.
(Once they are finished sharing the peace they return to the circle around the altar)
N3: Love’s given, love lives, love shines forth in these people
At work or at school or when under a steeple.
Love never dies and love cannot be killed.
Death cannot hold it for love wants to build
A people together where Christ can still live,
A people who share and who care and forgive.
N1: The truth is that where this live Christ is now living
All good things now live! So we shout great thanksgiving!
So hope lived that day in the people of grace
Assembled together in that time and place.
They turned to the Grinch and invited him too
To share with them bread wine and life in Christ new.
The Youth and Kids open up a place in the circle, and motion for the Grinch and Max to join them. The Grinch smiles a huge smile. As the rest of the poem is read, the Grinch and Max return the sack of Easter Eggs and replace the lilies. Max cavorts with joy. As they join the circle, the Grinch brings the cake and places it on the altar. At the very end, Pastor gives him a knife to cut it with.
N2: And what happened then? Well in Lu-ville they say
That the Grinch’s cold heart was warmed up in a way
And turned to the God of all mercy and grace
Whose Spirit lives still in the midst of this place.
N3: He returned all their eggs and returned all their lilies,
To think of it now it still gives me the willies.
He returned all their gifts and did it for Christ’s sake,
And then he, the Grinch, served the Safeway Easter cake.
Max: (Turns to the congregation with a huge grin): Woof!
The children’s choir now sings an alleluia Easter song, with the youth and kids around the altar joining in the singing while holding hands.
