Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-04-10
1mpromptu eharades.

An amusing home entertainment is
the acting ofimpromptu charades. These
viii interest the most quiet, and arouse
the dormant either to suggest word TO
be acted or to guess the word to be acted.
To be helpful and really amusing the
charades should be impromptu; hours Of
strength and nerve force are wasted in
preparation for acting Of amateur theatre
Gals. Hours that are needed in the
home and schools are spent in learning
the parts; costumes take time and money
that are needed in other directions, and
the excitement and exhaustion which
precede and follow the production are
harmful, and subtract much force that
should be used in the legitimate business
of life. The plays written for amateurs
are rarely possessed of any merit; they
usually compel those who take part to
assume positions and relationships and
allow liberties that are repugnant to re-
fined people. Impromptu charades de-
velop inventiveness, spontaneity and
poWersof observation. In presenting cha
rades it is necessary to have two rooms,
for one heaudience and one for the stage,
or else to divide one room by a curtain.
The doors or curtain should be opened by
the signal-bel, as in tableaux. Take the
word Intending" as word for an i'm
promptu charade. When the doors open
have two or three men standing in sight
to illustrate the first syllable. They can
assume any position that occurs to them
or that is suggested by the leader. For
the second syllable ring the bell to pro-
duce the sound ding; for the whole word
have the men who appeared in the first
nlending shoes or chairs, etc.
For the word Carpet" arrange chairs
in two rows facing each other; dress one
the youngmen like car-driver, and then
let the passengers get in, each one en-
endeaVoring to act out some trait charac-
teristic of the patrons of their convey
ance This, in the hands of the right per-
son can be made to teach some lessons of
politeness and good-breeding as well as to
present some humorous situations. For
the second syllable, little girl with doll
in tableau, or some great big papa with
his slight young lady daughter-the papa
taking the part of whining school-boy,
the daughter the part of mother-can be
made very amusing; for the whole word,
let two who act the part of husband and
wife comment on the purchase of a new
carpet. To illustrate "Windlass," let a
boy struggle across the stage with an
umbrella, for the first syllable; for the
second. a young girl with school books
suggestion of Scotch plaid will improve
the tableau; for the.whole word, two boys
going through the motions of turning
cranks. "Met-a-phy-sician" can be acted
as one word. For Caravan" if a young
lady is present whose name is Carrie, ar
range tableau in which she is the only
figure; for "van," pile furniture on the
table as it would be on the van; for the
whole word, tableau of a caravan in a
desert-a number of people dressed as
Arabs lying about the stage in various
picturesque positions, with a number of
toy camels arranged in the foreground.
Good proverbs for acting are "a stitch
in time saves nine" allow happy could
I be with eitherwere t'other dear charm
er away" 1.-TWO is company, three makes
a crowd," " It never rains but it pours, y
and many others that will be suggested
during the evening by the company.
Music is invariable in keeping the audi
ence entertained and interested while
the scenes are being prepared. If posi-
BILE, have the person Whe suggests the
word or proverb act it or arrange how it
shall be acted or illustrated.