Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-26
TN THE PANTOMIME.
PARTS WHICH CHILDREN LIKE BEST
IN SPECTACULAR PLAYS.


Stage Talent in Tots-Readiness with
Which Little Ones Learn Their Parts.
Wonderful Memory Concerning Stage
Business.
81 don't want to wear that dress; it
amt bright and pretty like the others"
The child was pretty girl OF years,
and she was being arrayed in a coarse,
dark gown to represent Little Buttercup
in ':Pinafore.n
''1t is always So" commented Mr.. Jo-
seph W. Horner, the costumer, to re-
porter who happened to be present. I've
been at this business thirty-tive years, and
l haven't yet found the child who did not
object to appearing in dark or coarse cos
Tunes
1.-The costumes the little girls enjoy
most, added Mr.. Horner, ''are those that
are brilliant; the brighter and more spark
ling they are the better the children are
pleased while O somber dress seems 20
have bad effect on them at once. The
boys like soldier clothes best and sailor
suits next The giIls always take great
fancy to a train gown, and when they
represent birds of long plumage they pay
particular attention to it. have watched
them very closely and have noticed, too,
how peculiarly old fashioned girls are in
every instance, and how they are all at
tentiOn to the instructions given them,
requiring much less effort in this respect
than boys Some of the most elegant cos
TUNES worn by girls of to s years are
those of the style Of Louis XIV for the
minuet. In this they wear dresses of the
finest quality of figured silk, with pulled
sleeves, and trimmed with gold and sill
YER These costumes cost often as high
as SIS each Elegant suits for the boys
are made of silk velvet, square cut. They
include sword, ieweled buckles and trim
ming of pink silk and velvet. Such a suit
complete is worth 800. They are for the
minuet also. Fairy costumes are made of
lighter material, but are often trimmed
with lace and embroidered in gold and
silver.
Glow young have you known children
to appear in private theatricals or on the
professional stage?"
LAS early as years of age remem-
Der girl of this age who committed eight
verses to memory and recited them at
Sunday school entertainment. She did
not break down once, and her pronuncia-
ton was correct throughout At a fairy
play in hall of this city, at which school
took part, there was girl of 3 years who
her part all through and did
the stage business we'll. She also sang in
an operetta.h
"What is the best age for teaching chill
dren to acts'
''For girls, 7 or 8 years The brain at
that time begins really to develop and is
most susceptible. Boys must be 10 years
old before they can do anything cute or
smart on the stage. That is my actual
and I've taught at least 9, 600
children for stage appearances. My idea
is that child's soul is as mature as a
grown PERSONS The penetrating gaze of
children seems to me to show this. -
"What parts are children best in?''
pathetic and singing parts. Comedy
in children is very rare In fancy pieces,
those written especially for children, the
boys DO as well as girls, but the girls learn
their parts and seem to understand what
is wanted of them much more quickly
than boys. They do not forget, while the
boys do. The boys will leave out lines.
The parts must be fairly thumped into
them i recall one remarkable piece of
work by q girl of 8 years that will show
you how apt they are. The play was
1.-THE Tempest" and a number of chill
dren We're to act it for some charitable in
stitution. The girl who was to take the
part of Ariel was Is years old. At noon
on the day the play was to be given she
NJ NIT hot har
appearance impossible. Our only hope
was child years old, who we knew was
bright enough to read the part. We saw
her that afternoon and asked her to read
the part. She had been on the stage be-
fore in private theatricals, and had done
very well She refused to read, but said
she would learn the part. There were 900
lines and seven or eight entrances. She
began at 3 O'Clock, and by the time the
curtain was rung UP had committed the
part completely TO memory. Why, on the
stage she recited it as readily as if it had
been an everyday occurrence with her.
She was the child of poor parents. l have
seen great big girls of IA or Is cry and
SWIVEL over their part when younger ones
would get along without any difficulty.
| remember a notew orthy case where
had seventy young girls in a tableau.
The girl in it representing the Spirit Of
Death was only TO- l gave them their
positions. and told them to leave the stage.
come back and take exactly the same
places again. They did it without single
error
'How long does it take to prepare a
child TO take parts'
For play six rehearsals, as rule,
are sufficient and for tableau one re-
hearsal is enough. In tableau of
gypsy dance not long ago | placed the
children in position, hand and foot raised
as if dancing, and then dismissed them.
Two days later they all took the same
positions without a word of instruction
An interesting case was that of a score of
children whose ages ran from 8 to 10, and
who were governed as to their positions
on the stage by different lights, one posi-
ton for blue. another for red and so on.
Not one missed after the first rehearsal,
and the little ones were Just as apt as the
older ones and were, besides, often first to
take their places.
''Do many Of the children become pro-
fessional actors.''
mo? These little private performances
are done for the amusement of friends,
and parents are delighted to see their
children in them, but when the children
are wanted for the professional stage the
parents object at once. There is no in
stance that know OF where a child has
been cultivated at so early an age for the
stage: nor do ! know of woman who
became a brilliant actress from a smart
child on the stage I do know, however,
Of boys who were bright in this respect
wbo have become good actors. The child
who in 1850 made such hit as Eva in
I ncle Toms Cabin, when it first came
ou, is an example of what tell you- She
grew up in the profession, but was not
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