CHRISTMAS JOLLITY.
The Yule Log.
Young people should costume themselves in grotesque apparel. They may be Twelfth Night characters, Viola, Olivia, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Sir Toby, Sebastian, sea-captains, lords, priests, officers, musicians, etc., or assume any disguise indicative of Christmas.
Early in the evening, several of the company should disappear, but with great hilarity return, drawing in the Yule log. This is nothing more or less than a rugged log. Knotted at each end with long strong ropes, by which it is pulled. As the young people draw it they should sing,
Welcome be ye that are here,
Welcome all and make good cheer;
Welcome all another year,
Welcome Yule.
This verse should be sung over and over until the Yule log lies on the hearthstone.
Christmas Pie.
Two people, each wearing interesting costume, and with masked faces, walk in, rolling before them on a wheelbarrow an enormous pie. It is made after the fashion of a Jack Horner pie, being in a deep dish covered with diamond-dusted white paper, with tiny ribbons exposed.
The first performance is to roll the pie all around the room, and then to the centre, where they will sing,
Who’ll have a bird from this Christmas pie?
Whoever guesses me may answer I.
For a few minutes all the company keep quite still, then the guessing commences; when the correct names are mentioned, the couple unmask, and at once the correct guesser draws a ribbon. He will find on the end of it a candy bird,—perhaps a robin redbreast made of candy and stuffed with sugarplums. As soon as the bird is drawn, one of the parties who has rolled in the wheelbarrow imitates a bird-song on a harmonica. This is easily effected without discovery, as everybody’s attention is directed to what has been drawn.
Tableaux Vivants.
A catchy tableau series would be Mother Goose and her children celebrating Christmas.
Tableau First.—Mother Goose in her tall, cone-shaped hat, riding on an enormous goose. Copy her and all the other costumes from Mother Goose’s book.
Tableau Second.—Her children faithfully charactered. Little Jack Horner should be sitting in a corner, eating his Christmas pie. The King in his parlor should be dressed to represent a king. Simple Simon should meet a pieman going to the fair, etc.
Tableau Third.—A sleeping apartment, Mother Goose and her family in bed. Great prominence must be shown to Mother Goose, whose bed is in front, and near her some of her more notable children. This scene may be readily arranged by putting small cots on the stage; the children can lie down dressed, the coverlets hiding their clothing. Near each bed put that which would indicate their character, as example, the big pie for the pieman.
Tableau Fourth.—Santa Claus at home about time to start. Interior of a room, simply packed with all sorts of hobby-horses, dolls—big and little, dressed and undressed—musical birds, woolly sheep, sleighs, drums, tenpins, everything in the toy line that could be imagined or described; while in a large easy-chair before the lighted grate-fire sits old Santa himself, as gray-bearded, fat, and jolly as ever.
Tableau Fifth.—Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep and dreamed—
Show Santa Claus again, this time out-of-doors, on his sled drawn by swift reindeer; but the reindeer have stopped, for Bo-Peep stands before them, her shepherd’s crook leaning over her shoulder, her sheep all around, and they, as also Bo-Peep, gazing at the presents—sled, Santa Claus’s pack, at hat, beard, miniature tree, full stockings, and all. Bo-Peep wears a regular shepherdess costume, the sheep are toy sheep on wheels. The bells should jingle loudly until Bo-Peep appears.
Tableau Sixth.—The Christmas tree.
A large tree filled with toys; leaning against it is a ladder, which Mother Goose climbs, and then unfastens the various gifts. Her children are all grouped around the bottom, and impatiently await the arrival of their presents.
Tableau Seventh.—The Christmas dance.
Mother Goose and her children dance around the Christmas tree. Waltz music is played; they dance once around, when the curtain is drawn.
Tableau Eighth.—Mother Goose’s children eating their Christmas supper. A long table covered with a white cloth, and decorated with lighted candelabra, flowers, bonbons, fancy cakes, china, silver, and cut glass. All the children are seated around, Mother Goose at the head, and to her right her son Jack, then Jack’s wife, then a boy, then a girl, and so on around. Each child is in the act of eating, drinking, lifting a cup, a candy, or indicating some natural movement at a supper table; their heads should be turned as though they were in conversation.
Tableau Ninth.—Mother Goose and her family in a well-arranged group now stand and sing a jolly good-night song. This song may be acted by those on the stage, but the singing is done by an unseen chorus.
Follow this with two tableaux, opposite in meaning.
Tableau One.—The empty stocking. A poverty-stricken looking room—bare floor, a hard-wood chair and table (on the table stand a few pieces of cheap china), a window with a broken pane, in which a bunch of paper or canton matting is stuffed to keep out the snow; a small kerosene lamp, the light from which comes dimly. A poorly clad and as poorly fed appearing little girl; one of her thin hands rests on the table, while the other holds an empty stocking, on which the child sadly gazes.
Tableau Two.—Bless you honey-bugs! Yo’ feels gay.
This also is a plainly furnished room, but it is trimmed with Christmas greens, a large star and tree being particularly conspicuous. There are several colored children running around, some dancing, with toys in one hand and a full stocking in the other, others taking things off a little tree, others again eating sugarplums, or striding across the bare floor in eager pursuit of a dropped cornucopia or cinnamon cake. Their dusky-faced mammies, meanwhile, laugh at them through the half-open doorway.
And thus tableau might be described after tableau. But a few hints may be helpful.
Carefully study scenic effect. “How beautiful!” is so often the exclamation regarding a well-dressed stage, even before any person appears or one word is spoken. Remember to use harmonizing colors, and to throw on different-colored lights. The latter may cost a little money, but it will repay a hundredfold. A white light changing to pink, again to yellow, rose or green, as the scenery may require. In every way catch the eye.
Remember, the tableau is but for a minute; let that minute be perfection.
Sometimes, for example, let a fountain play in the large grounds or garden. This can be easily arranged by the proper management of a hose. You can surely place a piece of oilcloth under the moss over which the water flows, and have sponges conveniently near.
Be careful to select pretty and noticeable toilettes. If you are taking the character of a queen at a drawing-room, dress as the queen, not as her maid; but should you be a maid, wear jaunty, gay attire, and do not costume yourself in a severely cut brown-cloth tailor suit.
Use all the accessories possible—music, song, recitation, as either may be given off the stage as an accompaniment to a tableau. Be sure there is no catch in the stage curtain, and that the prompter understands all his duties. Every one should be punctual at rehearsals; and the night of the entertainment all the cast should be ready thirty minutes ahead of time, as that will prevent worry and nervousness. And if everybody is calm, and understands his part, there is no question as to success.
“The Birds’ Christmas Carol” would make a pleasing tableau.
The Annunciation.
The angel greets the Virgin mild;
Hail, Mary, full of grace! thy child
The Son of God shall be.
This tableau represents an interior: the room has a deep frieze drapery over the mantel, before which Mary kneels on a low cushion; to her left, and considerably before her, is a large jardinière filled with ascension lilies; and directly before her is a table, on which is a roll of parchment partly unfastened. By the table stands the angel with hands outstretched towards her.
Tableau Second.—The shepherds see the angels bright.
Scene out of doors, with shepherds in their usual costume, each shepherd holding a crook, while back of them, huddled close together, stand the herds of sheep. Before the shepherds, and a trifle to their right, is the angel, with outstretched hands, indicating the way.