The Christmas story brought to life in Alberton

ALBERTON – In a one-night-only performance, the Christmas story was brought to life Saturday, December 14, as the Northwest Indian Bible School held a live nativity scene in Alberton.

The nativity scene was set up in the yard of the Lakeland Feed and Supply Store in Alberton, in clear view of Railroad Street. As visitors passed through a trestled archway, adorned with colored lights, a path wrapped around to an open area to view the performance. A series of fire pits were set up to keep warm, as well as cookies and hot chocolate for viewers’ enjoyment.

A table with hot chocolate sat in the viewer’s area and a student of the bible school, dressed as a shepherdess, offered cookies to spectators. The cookies and hot chocolate were donated by the members of the school’s church. Doug Smith, the event’s organizer, said some of the cookies were homemade, though many had also been bought at the store.

The scene had three parts – off to either side were the shepherds with the flocks and an angel close by, on the other were the three wise men. In the center, under bright lights and easily visible, was the manger with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Periodically, a narrator would read out verses of the story.

As Joe Spotted Bear, the narrator and a college student of the Northwest Indian Bible School, described how the heavenly host told the shepherds to go to Bethlehem, a light lit up the angel and three more angels on top of the manger. The shepherds then made the journey to pay respects to baby Jesus.

A similar arrangement was followed as the wise men came to present the gifts of gold, frankincense and murr. The performers reset after each performance and began again as soon as possible whenever someone new arrived to watch.

Live sheep, chickens, llamas, a donkey and a miniature pony added a unique touch of realism to the scene. Between performances, the wise men walked the llamas and pony over to the crowd so audience members could touch them or learn more about the project.

The live nativity scene was first done approximately eight years ago, and was originally held at the Northwestern Indian Bible School’s campus, just outside Alberton. However, because the location saw so little traffic, the group decided to move the scene into town. The Lakeland Feed and Supply Store agreed to let the school set up the scene there and the new location has seen an increase in viewership.

Smith estimated approximately 100 people came by in the two-hour period the scene is up. He figured most of the traffic was probably from the community around Alberton and was made up of the friends and families of people at the school as well as people around the community who help with the event. Smith said the community had been very supportive and seemed to enjoy the performance.

According to Smith, the scene takes approximately a week to set up. The group put up a pre-fabricated stable and began to advertise the event throughout the week. The remainder of the set up all happened over the course of Thursday and Friday. The animals were loaned for the evening and delivered to the site by various people around the Alberton area.

The use of live animals in theater can sometimes lead to problems or funny situations, and this was no exception. While he said it was rare, Smith related one occasion last year where the donkey was particularly wild and nearly tore apart the stable.

“So, mid-scene we had to take him out and replace him with another donkey,” he said. “Other than that [time], things have gone relatively well.”

The evening turned out to be another occasion to add to that list. As the wise men paid respects to Jesus, one of the chickens got agitated and fell off the perch it was tethered to. Joseph had to break scene for a moment to get the bird back to its position as the scene continued around him.

While the large variety of animals can lead to some added unpredictability, that is not always the case. The scene has evolved over time. Smith said it started with only a couple sheep and some decorative angels in a tree, but expanded as the group made contact with more people.

“It’s just one of those things where, every year, we add a little bit more,” Smith said.

While members of the Alberton community have helped, with the venue and animals, the cast is all students from the bible school. However, Smith said the group does appreciate the community’s help in the event and is glad for all the help to make the event what it has become.

“It’s a lot of fun and gives us a great opportunity to show people the Christmas story in a unique way,” said Smith.