Santa's Slay Ride

2m, 5w, optional children
2m 30-45; 2w 60+, 3w 30-40

Loretta and her police detective husband Travis are having his mother and sister over for Christmas. Murders occur in town, with coal showing up in the stockings of the murdered people. When a similar murder occurs next door, nerves are on edge. When coal is found in the garage and an incinerated Santa is staged in the fireplace, suspicions fly about. Who has committed the murders, and why?

The unit set consists of a dining room table, a fireplace, a sofa, and holiday decorations, with indications of a kitchen stage right and of a stairway, powder room, and front door stage left. Easily-obtained props, including wrapping paper and windchimes, flesh out the production.

Besides Loretta, Travis, and his sister and mother, the cast includes a female police officer, a homeless drifter with secrets, and a judgmental neighbor from next door. Two or more of Travis and Loretta's children can be included in the cast for a couple of brief instances, if desired.

Santa's Slay Ride combines the comedy of contentious personalities with an intriguing murder plot to create a holiday show where laughs and suspense can be found in equal measures.