Delve into the mind of Dominic Wong, a Confirmation 3 teen who reminisces the dramatic and fun moments when preparing and performing as an inn-keeper for the Christmas pageant last year.

24th December. Christmas eve. 9.20pm. Though we had about two hours before we would start our 2003 Christmas Pageant, everyone was rushing. Then it suddenly dawned on me: two hours is not a long time. Dressing up, putting on make-up and the final run-through were over in what seemed like a matter of seconds, and before we knew it, we were all gathered outside the main entrance of the church hall, asking God to guide us throughout the pageant.

At this moment, my mind began to wander back to our first rehearsal. About 10 of us sat in #02-01 Emmaus Centre. I felt most awkward. Having left catechism class a few years ago, I didn’t really know anyone in church. So while everyone was comfortable with each other, I was tried to make myself slightly more at ease by constantly looking at my script. But I wasn’t allowed to do that for long… Crystal, Sarah and Lyanna started talking to me like they’d known me for years! It made me feel much more comfortable with the group and it wasn’t long before I came out of my shell and started behaving like myself. What made things easier were warm up exercises conducted by Serene and Joyce, our directors.

We all had fun preparing for Christmas Pageant 2003. Rehearsals were full of laughter, joy and madness. I remember a rehearsal when Simon and Joanna acted out Ah Beng and Ah Lian roles, just for the fun of it, and it was hilarious! All this was made possible because Serene and Joyce had set only one rule: when you’re acting, be SHAMELESS. That ensured that we always went with the flow, instead of being perpetually conscious of ourselves.

We rehearsed everyday for two weeks before the pageant. Though it meant sacrificing about three to four hours of our personal time a day, nobody had any complaints. This was partly because it was relaxing to get away from the secular world and be SHAMELESS within those three hours – but most importantly, it was also because we knew we were doing this for God. To give Him glory on Christmas Day, and to leave a mark on everyone’s heart by our acting.

"Amen." We were ready to go in. After exchanging warm hugs, we walked into the church, trying not to take note of the awkward stares we got, and went straight to the altar area. We had done this before during rehearsals, but on that night itself, everything felt different. The lights were dimmer, but most importantly, the pews were filled. I felt extremely nervous. I guess everyone felt that way too, but God kept us composed, He kept us alert, and our Christmas Pageant finally started.

The moment it was my turn to go on "stage", there were too many butterflies in my stomach. However, after my first line, I found that it was not that bad after all. On top of that, the Crucifix was just behind giving me the ultimate support. We were very moved when the congregation applauded as loudly as they did that night. It felt like all the hard work we had put into the pageant had paid off. We happily walked out of church, rushed to the YC room to change back into our more "glamorous" mass outfits, to quote Serene and Joyce, and attended the sweetest and most touching midnight mass ever.

Father Erbin told us that the pageant meant a different thing to every single one of us. To me, the pageant was what the baby Jesus was to Simon the inn-keeper. Before the pageant, I seldom liked going to church, and could hardly be seen in church beyond the 50 minutes required for a sometimes incomplete mass. But the pageant made me realise that sometimes, God works in very mysterious ways. Sometimes, He knows that calling out to us would be in vain, so He lets us go. When it’s time for us to come back, He just has to call, and we would definitely be back, because the love that surrounds Him is just too strong. We certainly love Him too much to leave Him, and He will never let us be alone. This was how it was for me. Through the Christmas pageant, He has called me back.

The Christmas pageant was indeed a very meaningful production, and I look forward to more to come!

~ * ~

With the Christmas pageant as a stepping stone, we are hoping to set up a drama group in church to help others discover, or rediscover God through drama.

We are hoping to carry out more drama projects in 2004, and would like to invite anyone who is interested in being cast, crew or administrative support, to join us. If you’re interested in using drama to share the Love of Christ, we would love to hear from you!

For queries, please contact Dominic Wong at 93809091, or email us at dramamama@myway.com See you soon!