Set in the early 1980s, the story takes place one winter's evening at an annual Christmas lecture given by the charismatic Sister Mary, who plays host to a quartet of former students. The four have returned to present a version of the third grade Christmas pageant they created as children 25 years before -- an outrageous performance that puts Sister Mary's faith to the test. In fact, they have come back to confront Sister Mary with the failure of her teachings to protect them from the pain and suffering of adult life.