Nativity play nerves

Nativity plays. Everybody has either been in one or watched one. Sr ROSE POWER of Groblersdal reminisces about nativity plays and the children who act so earnestly in them.

Parents love to see their children perform on stage and they are never disappointed. Children love to act in nativity plays, especially the five- to seven-year-olds, who are unaware of how funny they can be.

Things are even funnier behind the scenes, where frustrations, panic and last minute problems are hopefully not seen by the audience.

The last term is a flurry of preparation as Elsie, Sylverius and Patricia work with the children and cast parts. The costumes used last year are unearthed from the back of a cupboard and sorted out. Mary’s blue gown and white veil are intact and can be used again. The dark purple smock looks good and with a little tweak should fit the boy playing Joseph he’s smaller than last year’s actor. Costumes for the three kings, the four shepherds and the angel will need some alterations. Elsie lists the new crowns, shepherds crooks and stout walking stick for Joseph that will need to be found. Patricia will buy cardboard, paint and colourful crepe paper to make the angels wings. Sylverius prepares the songs and begins teaching the children the words. He will play the recorder to keep the tune going should the cast all get stage fright.

Rehearsals begin in earnest as Patricia explains to Mary how important her role is. The crowd-shy Joseph is shown pictures of the nativity so that he knows what to do. Mary enters into the spirit of things, bending almost double in pain, while Joseph tries to control the boy playing the donkey. The cast falls about laughing as the teachers try to restore order and rein in their own amusement.

The play is watched eagerly by proud parents. The stable scene is set with a crib and a doll wrapped in swaddling cloths. The gaudily dressed angels are ushered onto the stage as Sylverius plays The First Noel.

The shepherds are not dressed but are chasing a ball around outside in the playground. Patricia goes out to round them up, pulls ponchos over their heads and puts crooks in their hands; one has a bottle of milk for the baby and another a woolly toy lamb. Sylverius starts the carol While shepherds watched their flocks by night and the parents don’t even notice the delay.

The kings come trooping in, dressed in green, red and gold. One has misplaced his crown but Elsie quickly folds a scarf into a turban. All the children sing Bethlehem of noblest cities with the help of the audience.

To get the cast together on stage for their final bow means chasing the stars who have gone to their parents, before applause and laughter ends the nativity play for another year.