You know the title. Christmas at The Three Bees. You’ve read the synopsis. (Refer to yesterday’s post if necessary!)

Yet another Christmas story added to the canon. There are so many, why do we even bother? Can we really keep telling the same old tale in a fresh voice, from an interesting viewpoint?

Honestly, I think we must keep telling the same old tale in a fresh voice. We’re forgetful. We ignore the familiar. So if we’re to hold fast to old truths, we need them told again, again, again, in as many voices as possible. A new voice catches our attention, makes us listen, even when it’s telling the same old tale we’ve “heard before.”

In that case, what’s new about Christmas at The Three Bees?

The story, at first glance, looks simple. The entire plot is imagined in a 24-hour period, and, on the surface, not much happens. A few guests arrive at a little B&B; friends drop by for a chat; errands are run, a power outage happens, the Christmas story is read. And that’s about it.

But what’s special about this drama is that those simple things somehow become much more significant than they sound—exciting, even, and possibly profound. An ordinary guest causes “serial killer” conjectures. Baking cookies turns into an ordeal and, in fact, tests character. Rumor of a young man’s homecoming animates every gossip in town, speculations losing themselves in mystery the longer his arrival is delayed. A bitter father, a dissatisfied mother, and an overlooked child take on the weight of tragedy, and the simple gift of storytelling shines compassion in a dark place.

Ultimately, the story’s revelation—the weight of small things—reprimands our blindness, our failure to notice these little things that matter most, by pointing to the greatest One we can imagine and reminding us that He loved humble things. He chose to be one Himself.

“ Joy: I don’t think the world is small. I think I’m small, and the world is huge. But it doesn’t have room for me.

Luke: [kneels down beside her] It doesn’t have room for any of us—we weren’t made for it. It didn’t even have room for God—remember?

Joy: Why? Because God’s too big?

Luke: No. [pauses] Because He was too small. “

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For more information about Christmas at The Three Bees, here are a couple short documents for you to read. The Character List gives details about each role’s personality, along with a count of how many lines each character speaks. For info about costumes, props, sound and lighting effects, and casting suggestions, check out the Production Notes.