With Spurs of Gold—Greene
The Golden Perch—Hutchinson
Captains Courageous—Kipling
Let us take one of these, Howard Pyle’s Men of Iron, a story laid in England in the time of King Henry IV. The list of important incidents is a long one.
1. Myles parting from the old servant. 2. Myles presenting his father’s letter to the Earl of Mackworth. 3. Myles meeting with Gascoigne. 4. Myles meeting with Sir James Lea. 5. Myles at play with the boys. 6. The ball flies over into the ladies’ garden. 7. Myles and Lady Alice in the garden. 8. Myles, discovered by the Earl of Mackworth, learns that the Earl is befriending him. 9. Arrival of King Henry at Devlin Castle. 10. The knighting of Myles. 11. Myles’ challenge to the Earl of Alban, his father’s deadly enemy. 12. The combat between the Earl of Alban and Myles. 13. The triumph of Myles and his request for the hand of Lady Alice.
When you have studied the story of Men of Iron and made your list of important incidents, you will find that four acts are sufficient for your play:
Act I. Courtyard of Devlin Castle Act II. The ladies’ garden Act III. The great hall in Devlin Castle Act IV. The tournament ground and the royal pavilions and gallery .
The list of characters is long but it gives an opportunity to many boys and girls in a class to make marionettes and to have a part in the play. Here is the list of characters:
1. Myles as a boy in Acts I and II 2. Myles as a man in Acts III and IV 3. The old Servant 4. The Armorer 5. The Bear Trainer 6. The Bear 7. Gascoigne 8. Walter Blunt 9. The Squire
Marionette plays are exactly like all other plays. They need songs and dances, and many things that will be certain to interest the audience. Here is a list of the incidents that were added to this play when it was given by the boys and girls of Fairmount Junior High School in Cleveland, Ohio: