drama: “El cestero de Belen” (1960)
~ download the pdf ~
Today I’m sharing a little Christmas gem from Teatro infantil (1960): a short play called “El cestero de Belén”, originally published for schoolgirls in Spain.
“El cestero de Belén” is a short Nativity play set in a poor hut near Bethlehem.
- Characters:
- Marta (12), Elías (10, a young basket-maker who can’t walk), three angels, and a group of shepherds (Antón, Beltrán, Ana, Tomás . . . ).
- Plot:
- Marta sees a strange light in the sky and the shepherds rush off to visit the newborn Jesus, but poor, disabled Elías has to stay behind—so he weaves the most beautiful basket he can as his gift… and I can’t give away the ending, but let’s just say the birth of Jesus brings a miracle or two. It’s a gentle story about poverty, disability, generosity, and the idea that the value of a gift is the love behind it.
You’re going to see a common thread as I start to post these for educational purposes. They’re short, authentically Spanish-language. They have simple vocabulary, but it’s culturally rich.
imagen: el niño estaba acostado en un pesebre
image: Nunca en Belén pasó cosa igual. ¡Es mediodía y parece que hay fiesta!
imagen: telón