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The First Herald Angel by John Donald O'Shea play script cover

The First Herald Angel

by John Donald O'Shea

On the first Christmas Eve, a poor shepherd happens across a small child in the hill country about Bethlehem. To the shepherd's surprise, the child explains she is an angel practicing to be a herald angel so she can announce the Saviour's birth.

The shepherd, taken by the child's sincerity, believes the child's story, and asks to see the Saviour. The shepherd's wife, however, has her doubts.

Average Producer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 25 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
5 Characters
1 M 2 F 2 Any Gender
Set
Unit Set
Length
15 pages
Free Excerpt

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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

5 Characters

  • 1 Male
  • 2 Females
  • 2 Any Gender
  • MICAH Any gender 53 lines
    James’ guardian angel
  • JAMES Male 36 lines
    A shepherd
  • SUSANNA Female 29 lines
    James’ carping wife
  • ASREAL Female 15 lines
    An archangel, and Micah’s supervisor
  • LION Any gender 21 lines
    A mangy old lion

Praise for The First Herald Angel

4 out of 5 stars
Leigh Melville
St George’s Grammar School
Excellent addition to the programme for the end of year Carol Concert. A different take on the Christmas story with some humour. It went down very well with the audience.

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