The Old West Christmas Pageant is a 20-minute Christmas comedy set in a one-room schoolhouse in a dusty frontier town. The story follows Miss Hattie Collins, a no-nonsense “old maid” schoolteacher, who is given the impossible job of directing the town’s annual Christmas pageant. Her biggest challenge isn’t the script—it’s the cast. Overly dramatic cowhands argue about costume colors, the sheriff keeps treating props like real evidence, the general store owner insists on adding extra verses to every carol, and the town gossip hovers nearby, ready to faint at the slightest hint of “scandal.”

Despite the chaos, the townspeople slowly learn to work together and remember why they’re doing the pageant in the first place: to celebrate the birth of Jesus with unity and joy.

The Old West Christmas Pageant

A 20-Minute Christmas Comedy for Classrooms & Church Stages

©2025. All rights reserved.

Cast (10–12 actors)

1. Narrator – Warm, witty storyteller who occasionally breaks the fourth wall.

2. Miss Hattie Collins – “Old maid” schoolteacher; organized, proper, easily flustered but kind-hearted.

3. Sheriff Clem Walker – Honest but overdramatic lawman; treats rehearsal props like real emergencies.

4. Tex – Cowboy; loud, confident, convinced he’s the star; argues over costume details.

5. Daisy – Cowgirl; practical, tough, and sarcastic; matches Tex in stubbornness.

6. Mr. Abe Pritchard – General store owner; obsessed with adding extra verses to every song.

7. Maisie Belle – Former saloon singer turned “respectable” music leader; dramatic and musical.

8. Mayor / Pastor Jed Harper – Town leader; calm voice of wisdom, occasionally absent-minded.

9. Myrtle Peabody – Town gossip; dramatic, easily offended, secretly soft-hearted.

10. Billy – Young student; eager, literal-minded, comedic.

11. Clara – Another student; shy but surprisingly good actress when she gains confidence.

12. Optional Extra Students (1–2) – Can be added to fill out the pageant cast / choir.

(If you need fewer actors, combine Narrator with Mayor/Pastor, or combine Clara and Billy into one “Student” role. If you have more, add more students or choir members.)

Setting

A simple one-room schoolhouse in an old west town:

• Chalkboard or large slate with “Bethlehem Junction School – Christmas Pageant Rehearsal” written on it.

• A teacher’s desk, a few benches or chairs for the “students.”

• A corner with crude props: cardboard star, wooden staffs, a toy sheriff’s badge, a toy sword (for a soldier in a carol), a small manger or wooden crate with hay.

• Lantern or simple Christmas garlands tacked around for decoration.

No scene changes are strictly needed; changes are done by shifting where the actors stand and adjusting lighting if available.