[SILENT STORIES.]
Silent stories are acted in costume, but without words. They should always give the impression of moving tableaux vivants, if the story and the dresses are rather pretty; or they may burlesque—that is, make as comic as possible—a historical story. In either case the subject should be something well known, so that it may be guessed as the play proceeds.
A part of the room should be divided off as a stage—perhaps by laying a thick heap or wreath of evergreens along the floor, and stretching a wreath above across the ceiling, while others are hung down close to each side, so as to form a frame. Dark-colored curtains should be hung across at the back of the stage; and as scenery could not be changed for five or six different stories played quickly after each other, the best way would be to hang out over the curtains, or show at each change of scene, the name of the next scene printed in large letters on card-board, such as "A Wood," "Interior of a Cottage," "A Garden," "A Cellar," or whatever it may be. This was the old way in England before there was painted scenery; and people were content with it even in Shakspeare's time.
Here are a few examples of Silent Stories, only adding the hint that the acting should always go on quickly, the players moving their lips and expressing all they can by their faces and gestures.
"Little Silver Hair and the Three Bears." Scene I., a wood with a cottage in sight. The cottage door is shown half open, at the side of the stage, and there are evergreen bushes. Enter a fair-haired little girl fancifully dressed. She pries about, peeps in at the door, and at last goes in. Scene II., interior of the cottage. Kitchen table and chairs; big chair, common-sized chair, and small baby's chair; in front of the chairs a big bowl, a middle-sized bowl, and a little bowl, all steaming on the table. In one corner the staircase appearing—that is, the lowest three steps of a step-ladder, with stair-carpet fastened on them, and a railing (easily made of laths) down one side. The little girl sits on the chairs, tastes the porridge, then goes cautiously up stairs. A table is placed at the side of the stage, out of sight behind the ladder, for the players to go and come by the steps. Enter from the other side three bears, the big bear, the little bear, and the wee bear (girls or boys wrapped in furs, creeping on hands and knees, the heads being represented in strong brown paper emerging from the fur), with parted jaws—a little management produces a wonderful bear; and the silence might be broken here with growling. They find the chairs moved and the porridge tasted, and go growling up the stairs out of sight. Then enter again the little girl, running frightened down the staircase, with her hat hanging off, and her hand stretched out before her; she crosses the stage, and runs out at the other side.—Curtain falls.
"Beauty and the Beast" makes another good story for acting rapidly in this way. It is very effective with a prettily dressed Beauty, a garden of paper roses, a terrible Beast, of the bear kind, muffled in fur cloak—or, better still, tiger-skin or goat-skin hearth-rug—and a quick change in throwing off the Bear disguise, and discovering the Prince.
The stories should of course be prepared beforehand, and the necessary articles placed ready behind the curtains.
BRINGING HOME THE EASTER EGG.BRINGING HOME THE EASTER EGG.BRINGING HOME THE EASTER EGG.