ILLUSTRATIONS
| [Marie Tells the Story.] [The Babushka.] | [Frontispiece] |
| FACING PAGE | |
| [Hans and Gretel.] [The Christmas-Candle.] | [3] |
| [Hollyberry.] [Toinette and the Elves.] | [33] |
| [Their Christmas Party] | [75] |
| [The Brownie.] [The Christmas Brownie.] | [97] |
| [Prudence.] [Eaglefeather.] [A Puritan Christmas.] | [123] |
| [The Prince.] [Peter and the Prince.] [The Christmas Monks.] | [151] |
| [Allison.] [The Spell of Christmas.] | [181] |
[SUGGESTIONS FOR PRODUCTION]
These little plays were written for the classes and clubs of a small Sunday-school, where the Christmas celebration consisted of a play to introduce Santa Claus and a Christmas-tree. They are equally suitable for children at home or in day schools, and they have been so used.
In most of the plays children greatly enjoy playing the adult parts and do good work in them. But several of the adult rôles call for adult players, because a deeper appreciation of the feeling contained in the story is required than can be given by girls in their teens. Such parts are the Babushka, the Mother in "[The Christ-Candle]," and the Mother in "[Toinette]." Partly for the same reason, a man should be chosen for the Abbot in "[The Christmas Monks]," but also his presence will lend dignity, and much greater orderliness to rehearsals in a play with a large cast.
The last two plays, adapted from stories by well-known writers, "[Minty-Malviny's Santa Claus]" and "[The Hundred]," were not especially intended for children, but as parlor plays for home production. These two throw heavier work upon a single child than any of the other plays, but though they were made with special children in view, it would not be difficult to find, in any group of children, a little girl who could play "Minty" or "Tibbie" as well as those for whom the parts were first made.
The length of the cast in some of the plays need not be daunting, as the principal characters are usually few, the minor ones often having been introduced in answer to the frequent pleading "May I be in the 'show' this year?" Though some of the parts are rather long, none are in the least calculated to strain the actors in any way—children act them with zest and absolute naturalness. Very little children have sometimes done remarkable work in them—the very youngest, a tiny girl of four, cast for "Rosalia" in "[The Christmas Monks]," played also another part at twenty-four hours' notice, when a little cousin inopportunely came down with measles on Christmas Eve. The two children had studied together, and little "Rosalia" knew "Peggy's" part as well as her own.
Lighting. No one factor is more important for success in producing children's plays than adequate lighting. No matter how charmingly the setting and costuming may be carried out, no matter how well the children may act their parts, if the audience cannot see them easily, the pains and trouble of the stage force, the best efforts of the children, will be lost. This is an individual problem, each case varying so much from the next that definite directions to fit all cases cannot well be given. But the importance of this one factor can hardly be overestimated. Fortunate indeed is the miniature stage with footlights and upper lights so arranged that red and white bulbs are controlled by different switches, each switch having also a dimmer. Nor are these things so expensive as to be beyond even rather moderate means, especially if included in the original equipment of the stage. It is more often from lack of experience than because of their initial cost that they are omitted.
Stage Settings. Through the same lack of experience or forethought, settings are often provided which are of use in the minimum instead of the maximum number of plays. The simplest cottage interior is more adaptable, and can be used in a greater number of instances than the most attractive of more pronounced "sets." It is therefore invaluable for a small stage, where perhaps but one indoor and one outdoor scene must cover all requirements. All but two of the plays in this volume have been acted upon such a little stage.
Delays. Another point of real importance is to avoid delays. The director should make every effort to this end by attention to the smallest details beforehand, by preparedness when the time of performance comes, and by perfect control of the stage forces. Lateness in beginning, and long waits between scenes, are tedious to any audience. They do much to dampen enthusiasm and destroy otherwise happy impressions. Care and forethought, practice for those who are to handle scenery, and system in the arrangement of properties and costumes will go a long way towards the elimination of this difficulty.
Costumes and Properties. In giving stage directions and descriptions of costumes, the effort has been towards suggestiveness rather than too great definiteness, and strict adherence to all details is not necessary or intended. It is most important to keep the Christmas spirit of the play from being smothered in the mechanics of production. Setting and costuming may be elaborate or simple, and every director will know his or her own resources. Groups of people interested in such work are apt to accumulate sets of costumes, odd properties, even pieces of furniture, which are convertible to many other uses than those for which they were made. Few things are really impossible to compass if one is set upon them. A friendly janitor will spend his leisure upon stage-carpentry. Friends rise up—or may be sought—who are interested enough to lend their treasures, or to use their talents. One will draw a latticed window which may be pinned or basted upon a bit of plain wall; another will manufacture a scutcheon for the decoration of a medieval hall, or even paint a sea scene before which Alice, the Gryphon, and the Mock-Turtle may disport themselves.
Materials. Gifts of old silk gowns, or even scraps of material, can all be utilized in some way. And in this connection, a word must be said as to the value of real things. Use cheese-cloth, cambric, and canton-flannel if you must—a good variety of color may be found in them; canton-flannel is heavy, and hangs well, and up to a certain point they are all effective. But if better things can be had, through gift or loan, it is a matter for rejoicing. Not only because better materials mean softer and richer colors, but because they very greatly improve the texture of the stage picture. This difference in quality makes a very marked difference in beauty of effect.
Occasionally it will be found necessary to hire costumes, and, more often, wigs. But all such things as can be made, with help, by the children and their friends, will add just so much to their interest in the performance, and the good they can get from it.
Make-up. For plays produced under artificial light, some "make-up" must be used, as otherwise faces are often pale to ghastliness. But for children it should be put on with a very careful and sparing hand, and except in certain character-parts, only a little dry rouge is needed.
Rehearsing. Children's plays should not be over-rehearsed. The smoothness and finish which it is right to demand of older players is hardly possible, or even desirable, for them. The charm of their acting lies in its sweet simplicity and freshness, a part of which is almost sure to be lost in any attempt at professional perfection. When they weary of rehearsals, and lose their enjoyment of them, not only are the director's troubles multiplied, but something vital has been lost from the charm of the final performance.
As a preliminary to rehearsals the children should be brought together and the cast read to them, so that each child may know just which part he or she is to act, and the play then read to them by someone thoroughly in sympathy both with its story and with the children themselves. In this way they most quickly catch the spirit of the play, and are at once full of interest and ready with their own suggestions. Then the parts may be given out, and the play read again, each child reading his or her own part. Mistakes of pronunciation and emphasis are thus guarded against, and the children are ready to begin learning their parts. In the case of school plays, where the whole group can meet daily, more than one such preliminary reading and discussion should be held.
If it is a possible thing, rehearse from the beginning on the stage where the play is to be given, having scenery arranged and properties of some sort on hand, in order that lines and action may be impressed on the children's minds together, not learned as distinct and separate things. Put into practice early whatever music is to be used.
Finally, don't let the rehearsals at any time descend to the level of mere drill. The director must enjoy them with the children, establishing a happy co-operation which makes the whole work a joy from beginning to end. They will share the spirit of adventure in the matter of obtaining or contriving the most difficult things in the way of costumes, scenery, and properties. Their inventiveness will be quickened, their hands will grow skillful, and their triumphant enjoyment of success in these preliminary labors will stimulate them to greater success in the acting of the story. In this, they will be quick to appreciate hints—frequently to offer them—as to the best ways of expressing the meaning and spirit of the play, and work with them becomes an inspiration to all alike.
With such whole-hearted co-operation, nothing is impossible of attainment, and the pleasure of the work more than repays ungrudging lavishment of time, labor, patience, and love.
[THE CHRIST-CANDLE]
A CHRISTMAS PLAY IN TWO SCENES