THE 13TH CRIME

[Ten-Minute Christmas Play]
Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas have gone on a crime spree to undermine the Consumerism that has taken over Christmas (one mission for each of 12 days of Christmas) but when they run into Santa Claus in the early morning hours on the day of Epiphany, they decide to commit one more crime... in the spirit of Christmas, of course!

Written as part of the Secret...
[Ten-Minute Christmas Play]
Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas have gone on a crime spree to undermine the Consumerism that has taken over Christmas (one mission for each of 12 days of Christmas) but when they run into Santa Claus in the early morning hours on the day of Epiphany, they decide to commit one more crime... in the spirit of Christmas, of course!

Written as part of the Secret Santa Title Exchange challenge through Playwrights Thriving. The title "13th Chime" was gifted to me by Steven G. Martin. However, through a typo, I received the "13th Crime," for which error I am amused and delight.
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THE 13TH CRIME

Recommended by

  • Mark Harvey Levine:
    19 Jan. 2024
    Monica Cross' play finally brings Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and Santa Claus together. These spirits of Christmas debate the Spirit of Christmas in a jaded manner. They duke it out (literally) over what Christmas really means. The fact that this play cam from a typo'd title makes it even more charming. The ending is hysterical.
  • Ryan Rappaport:
    17 Feb. 2023
    A jovial romp between, essentially, two ghosts of Christmas past and the modern, consumerist, ghost of Christmas present. Cross's writing is absolutely gorgeous. As I read (and read aloud), I am at once transported to a time long-gone, but whose rhetoric is still alive within Cross's voice. It feels both timeless and altogether modern.

    How it reminds the reader and viewer about the importance of perhaps not just Christmas, but the rejection of modern consumerism and the necessity of good deeds, community, and connection! To top it all off: this is a really funny play. What more can you want?
  • Lee R. Lawing:
    1 Jul. 2021
    Funny rift of the holiday consumerism of our current times, where Cyber Mondays means more than spending time with someone or just donating your time to a homeless shelter or numerous other ideas you can do to truly give back to your community and your sanity. Time does change, like celebrating the actual 12 days of Christmas at their proper time, but what hasn't changed is the hope we can all pass on for just a little bit of the magic all year long to keep the true meaning of giving on-going and not crammed into one month.

Character Information

  • Santa Claus
  • Saint Nicholas
  • Father Christmas

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Playwrights Thriving
    ,
    2020

Production History