'Drummer Boy' inspires church play

December 14, 2008|By DAVE McMILLION

HAGERSTOWN -- About 35 people huddled together on a cold, breezy night outside Emmanuel United Methodist Church Sunday for a rendition of a futuristic Christmas story.

In author Ted Dekker's tale based on the Christmas carol "The Little Drummer Boy," Christians are forbidden from speaking about their faith. In the story, everyone is caught up in gift buying and Christmas is only referred to as "The Holiday."

Saving the day is the Little Drummer Boy, who was played Sunday night by recent North Hagerstown High School graduate Katie Mitchell.

The story was enacted Sunday night outside the church.

Mitchell attempted to find out the meaning of Christmas in the play and wanted to know why she couldn't play her drum for baby Jesus.

It was the second night in a row the church held the play.

"I was a little bit nervous," Mitchell said of her central role in the play. "(But) I think it was really interesting."

As the play started, townspeople were gathered around make-believe fires and shooed away Mitchell as she approached them with her drum.

The church holds events like Sunday's every other Christmas, said church member Diane Mitchell, who wrote the script for the play.

Church members took the production seriously, with professional stage lighting set up in the yard and seats set up a long a sidewalk for spectators to use.

It also included solo performances from church members Suzanne Van Nosdall and her daughter, Lauren.

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