Cast: 2m., 5w. In their poorest winter ever, when the crops have been devastated by locusts and the family must deal with the death of baby Freddie, Charles Ingalls backtracks his family to Burr Oak, Iowa, to take over the running of a hotel. And if things weren't bad enough, Ma tells Laura she must be nice to Johnny Steadman, "the worst boy in Iowa." When wealthy Mrs. Starr asks for Laura as a companion to read to her in the afternoons, Laura is overjoyed to be invited into such a fine house, but when she overhears Mrs. Starr offer to adopt Laura as her own daughter to ease the burden of so many children, Laura is certain that Ma and Pa will give her up. As Christmas morning approaches, Laura is faced with a decision: Will she choose what she believes is best for the family or will she find a way to stay with Pa, Ma, Mary and Carrie? This original play presents the poignant story of the "missing" two years in the life of the Ingalls family—the only substantial period that Laura chose not to write about in her Little House books. Told with period songs, humor and depth of character, A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas tells a story of healing that celebrates the importance of enduring family bonds. Co-commissioned by the Coterie Theatre, Kansas City, Missouri, and the Nashville Children's Theatre, Nashville, Tenn.and premiered by The Coterie Theatre. Bare stage with one transformational prop box that becomes a grave, table, bed and wagon. Approximate running time: 60 minutes.