When Charlie Brown suffers from holiday season depression,
he gets help.
He goes to see his shrink, Lucy.
“My trouble is Christmas,” he confides in her. “I just don’t
understand it. Instead of feeling happy, I feel sort of let down.”
Even his best friend Linus is running short on patience. “You
are the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and
turn it into a problem,” Linus tells him, adding, “Of all of the Charlie Browns
in the world, you are the Charlie Brown-i-est.”
But instead of recommending retreating from this world, Lucy
prescribes just the opposite: “You need to get involved in some real Christmas project,”
she advises. And at her encouraging, Charlie Brown agrees to direct the
Christmas play, and along the way discovers the true meaning of the season.
So when a pastor at my mega-church recently cornered me and
asked if I’d participate in this year’s Christmas program, I relented. After all, maybe involvement would help cure my
own holiday blues. Besides, my shrink won’t return my calls.
But what exactly did I sign up to do? I wasn’t sure, so I
looked it up on the church’s website:
“The Grove Community Church is presenting
a unique outdoor experience illuminating the entire story of Christmas…take
part in a narrated and guided hay-ride alongside live actors and animals in
scenes utilizing sound and imagery. In addition to this journey toward
Bethlehem, there will be live music, crafts for the kids, free coffee and
cocoa, and more…Bundle up and bring your neighbors, family, and friends. You
won't want to miss on this exciting Christmas event…”
A hay ride past scenes depicting the nativity. A Christ
child drive-by.
My role?
A wise man.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: It’s typecasting.
Nonetheless…
I admit that my acting resume is a little out of date. The
most recent credits include a supporting role in my high school play, and low
budget film featuring zombies and rock band. I played the drummer. But that was
in 1984.
Still, my pastor must have recognized untapped talent. That,
or he was absolutely desperate and had nowhere else to turn.
For good measure, I also volunteered my 13 year-old daughter
to be cast in the roll of the Virgin Mary and drafted my 14 year-old son for
the part of the angel Gabriel. He in turn has threatened to deliver his lines
impersonating John Travolta’s Vinnie Barbarino Brooklyn accent.
I’m sure the pastor will love it.
Or deeply regret it.
Rehearsal is Tuesday. We open on Wednesday night.
4 comments:
Oh my gosh Brian, you had me rolling at the type-casting comment. Not that they aren't because they TOTALLY are but you couldn't have said it in a more classic Brian-esque way.
Is Julie doing the video so we can all see your family's rise to stardom?
Wish I was in town! Break a leg....oh wait, you might fall off an apparatus and do that. Good luck.
Considering some of our FB dialogue over the past weeks, I shall just bite my tongue and say.. "OUCH!!!" (what do YOU say when you bite your tongue?) Typecasting... oh, your droll humor cracks me up! Not because you aren't,but just because you delivered that line with deadpan accuracy. Video and photos, please and thanks. And hey, Mr. Wise Man... there's this baby that my neighbor and I each say is our own. What should we do about that?....
I know what my buddy King Solomon would do! Btw, you never see two men fighting over custody of a kid :)
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