Santa Claus' Frolics — Inside the Classic

Diction and Rhyme in the Opening Song

The first song, sung by girls and boys in alternating verses, relies on a single repeated verb per stanza: “waiting,” “freezing,” “nodding.” This structural choice emphasizes the children’s singular focus—awaiting Santa Claus—while the slight variation in verbs hints at their physical state. The girls’ “We’re all waiting” is answered by the boys’ “We’re all freezing,” a contrast that adds mild humor. The rhyme scheme is simple (AABB), and the refrain “We’re all waiting for Santa Claus to come” is repeated after each verse, reinforcing the central action of the piece: waiting. Baker avoids complex imagery; the language is chosen for clarity and ease of performance by young actors.

Stage Directions as Authorial Voice

Baker’s stage directions are unusually detailed for a children’s play, revealing his concern with practical staging. He specifies that the curtain hiding the tree must be “so arranged that it may be easily removed,” and offers an alternative placement for the tree in a corner of the audience room. This flexibility suggests the play was designed for various venues—parlors, halls, vestries. The directions also indicate lighting cues: children carry “lighted candles,” and the tree can be “lighted” while attention is diverted. These instructions are not merely functional; they shape the audience’s experience, controlling when the tree is revealed. The author’s voice here is that of a director, not just a playwright.

Characterization Through Costume and Props

The children are not individualized by name or personality in the opening scene; instead, they are a collective group defined by their nightdresses and caps. The stockings hung by the fireplace are described by size and owner—from “baby’s little sock” to “Bridget’s long and broad” hose—which implies a household with servants and multiple ages. This detail economically suggests a domestic setting without explicit exposition. The props (candles, stockings, the hidden tree) are the primary means of characterization: the children are defined by their actions (waiting, looking up the chimney) and their costumes (nightclothes indicating bedtime). Baker relies on visual and physical elements to convey character, a choice suited to young performers and a young audience.

Structural Choices: Song, Dialogue, and Tableau

The excerpt shows a structure alternating between song and stage action. The opening song is followed by continued movement and chimney-gazing, creating a rhythmic pattern of anticipation. The play is described as a “Christmas Entertainment for Little Folks,” and its structure reflects that label: it is not a plot-driven drama but a series of moments designed to build toward the tree’s unveiling. The use of a familiar tune (“We’re all Noddin’”) makes the song easy to learn and perform. Baker’s decision to hide the tree until late in the piece creates a central悬念 (suspense) that drives the children’s (and audience’s) attention. The structure prioritizes spectacle and participation over narrative development.

Readers encountering this text should attend to the stage directions as much as the dialogue; they reveal Baker’s craft in designing a flexible, engaging performance. The play’s brevity (under 30 minutes) and simple language make it accessible, but its careful orchestration of waiting and revelation rewards attention to theatrical mechanics. Consider how the author balances the children’s impatience with the audience’s anticipation—a dynamic central to the piece’s effect.

There’s something tender about those children lighting candles in their nightdresses, waiting for a tree to appear—anticipation itself becomes the gift. I felt that same quiet patience reading the verses of Becket and other plays — Story, Setting & Ideas, where waiting also shapes the heart. Becket and other plays — Story, Setting & Ideas lingers like the hush before the stocking is reached for, a kind of old, hopeful pause.