A Tale of Two Pageants

The First Grade Nativity Pageant

c. 2007







Owen Vallejo
Black Sheep

      When Owen was in the first grade he was cast as a sheep in the class Nativity Pageant.  While I was hoping for something a little grander like wiseman or shepherd, I made peace with my son being a sheep.  Due to a shortage of costumes that year I volunteered to make Owen's sheep suit and given creative control over the process I decided to make him a black sheep. I didn't want him blending in with the rest of the herd. Owen really got into his role as the black sheep and he decided all on his own that black sheep only have three legs so they fall down a lot when they walk even if you ask them not to. He took one of his very first trips to the principal's office during play practice that December because he was so committed to his three legged black sheep character.  He did make a cute sheep though.



Sarah Vallejo
Sheepette

     Sarah is a first grader this year and she's been talking about the Nativity Pageant on and off since school started in August.  I knew her chances of being chosen as Mary weren't great - she lacks the serene countenance needed to portray the Mother of Our Savior. She's also not blond.  I was fairly secure in the knowledge that my daughter would be an angel in the pageant though (because the girls are always the angels).  I was looking forward to dressing an angel. Imagine my suprise then when I heard that Sarah has not been cast as an angel in the pageant.  She's going to be a sheep.  A sheep!!  While on some level I applaud this avente-gard approach to casting, there's a part of me that feels a little robbed.  As the mother of a daughter I wasn't mentally prepared to be dressing livestock again.  Sarah has made peace with her sheepness and even suggested that she could be a black sheep like her brother.  Owen has said she can be a black sheep if she wants but deep down I think he wants to hang on to his black sheep status.  Also, two black sheep in the family seems redundent.  Sarah and I are working out the costume logistics - how much fluff is too much fluff? can sheep be sparkly? or pink? It's going to be interesting to see how her costume turns out. In some way it also seems fitting that she's a sheep like her brother.