Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-30

There are many amusing performances
that may be successfully and Inexpensive
either to add to the attractions of
child's marty or to raise little money for
some charity. One of the most amusing
OF these quasi vaudeville performances is
like rag dolls without the heads, and are
dressed to represent the typical charac-
ters OF the day, male and female, for in
stance. There are the bicyclists, the
golfers, the caddy: II on the seashore,
the brothers, and any other types, either
local or general, that suggest themselves.
These dolls are about foot and half
high, and are made to stand on shelf
fastened to the side of long, straight
screen covered with white calico. In
low the head of a child to 60 through.
The bodies of the puppets are sewn to the
screen, the feet resting on the shelf al
ready mentioned, and the arms left free
strong black thread. which is passed
through the slit and is manipulated by
the child behind the screen, who jerks the
doll up and down, whose own head, poked
through the slit, appears to form part OF
the absurd little puppet body on the 9TH
err SIDE OF course each head is made up
more or less to accord with its character
The performance is conducted somewhat
like negro minstrel shows; there are
jokes and songs and choruses. the songs
DeluS dudpldllOHS VI lAC ldtCSt POPuAui
dittles, with as many local and personal
illusions az possible. The effect of the
small bodies and large, animated heads Is
quite startlingly realistic.
Another charming little adaptation OF
this same ioea of the screens with heads
is the garden of Mistress Mary, consist
ing of "Cockleshells and silver bells. and
pretty maids all in row." On the screen
in realistic fashion are painted sunnoWers
at different heights, with their brown
1aox, or OF a 6e1nR
the disk of each flower to allow child S
head to go through. In front OF the
screen, on the floor or stage, are placed
pots of flowers, and the leaves of the sun
fcwers must be painted thick enough at
the base to entirely cover the white cal
ico Mistress Mary is represented by
pretty girl dressed in a. Vatican shep-
he,Gess costume, and the chorus OF SUM-
flowers either sing the old nursery rhyme
or, what is still better, little operate
scene is enacted between Mistress Mary
and her flowers.
Still another comical little representa-
ton may be given by having the screen
represent a brick wall on which the
Humpty Dumpty family are either sitting
or standing. To make these funny little
dwarfs the childrens' arms and hands are
dressed and look like legs and feet; this
may easily be done with the aid of long
stockings and shoes; the body is then
made very rotund, like an egg with false
arms, and the heads are the children's
own, made up to suit their different char
acters. After a dance and a song they all
disappear over the wall with Shrek
and all the legs appear upside down above
Y the wall as If their owners gave last
convulsve kick before taking the plunge
downward. while voice from behind the
screen sadly chants their fate:
The Humpty Dumpties sat on wall;
The Humpty Dumpties had great fall;
Not all the kings horses nor all the king S
men
Can set the poor Dumpties up again!
A trunk in the garnet, filed with the
atrical properties, and a large laundry
clotheshorse covered on one side with cal
leo painted to represent an interior, and
on the other a garden wall, will afford
much amusement to children of an mag
NATIVE turn of mind, giving them little
theatre of their own. as it were, where
they can enact their little plays and
change their scenes at pleasure