New-York tribune., 1905-07-10
At THE PLAYHOUSE.
4 School Which Is Supposed to De-
ueL0p Individuality IN the Child.

ueI0p Individuality IN the Child.
A lover q children the other day told story
o. q Htt,e girl who. when asked what her name
was. replied in al seriousness. IT'S Kitty
Don't" The poor baby had had that admonl-
ton hurled AZ her so often" he said. that she
really thought Il was what she was called
There are some children over II DyAer
Eeirhts in Brooklyn. who are not likely to get
notion of This kind into their heads Ihese
are the bcys and girls who go 10 school at '-Lhe
Playhouse" FOR the word don't" has no place
IN the vocabulary ot MI and Ms. Fern, VINO
sre-on~ hardly knows whether 10 caA them
teacher o. students. since they believe n tsach-
ing tie child by studying him; but al any r4Ie
NJ anc Ms FERN are the guiding splTls OF
.a-ra PLAYHOUSE" A big. gray building II is.
with q wide veranca IN front and green yard
around Il: q school where the children are not
bothered with lessons. except when they ask Tor
them; where they come and so at VIII, frolic,
paint. carpenter. get Up little dramas. and, in
short-th.s Is The underlying ides-develop their
tn6ivfduauties. watched, but seldom interfered
with. by The adult Il is meant TO be the kin
dergarten as Froebel saw Il: not the kinder
garten which IS THO annex CT the modern public
school where children sit IN rows around prim
tables, and fol6 papers cTisscrOsA Just alike, as
their teacher tells them 70. Mrs FERN says that
the kindergarten which should have revolution
szed our schools has, instead, been absorbed into
the system and has become a Hfeless and stereo-
typed thing.
Fer several years Mrs. FERN was teacher
II & kindergarten IN one OF the most crowded
parts OF Brooklyn When she married, friends
OF herself and her husband. who lived in Dyker
Heights and who had children. begged them TO
settle there The Playhouse" was the result
Probably good many people would have doubts
as 20 the ultimate result OF this unique method
of child culture but so far. at any rate, Il shows
a happy, sturdy crowd OF youngsters. On the
day the Tribune reporter called these youngsters
were engaged II getting Up q play. They had
stretched calico curtain across the big room
ard were giving rehearsal. with Mrs. FERN
and two or three friends as audience. II was
called 'gThe Black Hand Society,"" and there
e millionaire, a baby-wax dou-several
villains. Kidnapping. and n the end thrilling
capture and restoration OF the infant TO its
anxious mother. The actors went about the
business with immense earnestness, and the
solitary boy who so far forgot himself as TO
gtggle was instantly and sternIy suppressed by
the others
CHILDREN INVENT PLAYS.
Children are ne-ciless critics OF one an
other" Mrs Fern remarked, and they lay
such stress on detail They see what Is done, but
they don't see the spirit behind II; We have TO
grow into THAI as We grow older. Oh, yes, these
children invent the plays by themselves. The
hrst they had was rather rough and had
things IL Il didn't Hke-it was very hard TO
say nothing and let them go on with t. but the
next one was better and the next better still
They notice. you see that the parts that are
silly or common gre not laughed at and ap-
plauded as the other parts are The other day
I ~ he how n CIV
real blood and thunder play this time One Of
the others sale. But Aunty wouldn't Ike that
Atterward when had that first boy by himself
said 70 him. Rex. II you really want TO give
a blood and thunder play it's better TO have it.
and then you VIII see your thought outside OF
yourself, and know Il for what Il is"
When the curtain fell The Black Hand
Society" Mrs. FERN took the reporter into the
kitchen and talked, while she washed up her
luncheon dishes There was q retrearfng claror
properties "Aunryl" one OF them called. DO
you mind Il vve leave some scraps on the foor?'
Mrs. FERN said that she did not Il don't keep
cleaning Up every minute" she remarked. 4
Ike 10 see The dirt moving ahead Of my broom
when I sweep Yes, Go my work myself We
wouldn't carTyon The Playhouse II II meant that
I had 10 have servant 10 do the work I think
I ought 70 CO. make my own dresses. and II
my skirt Doesn't always hang well AT least it's
the honest expression OF myself Mr.. FERN is
here IN the mornings. and then he takes the
children Evirnrning-the water is only twenty
minutes away-or they work or play in the yard.
or carpenter with him IN the shop
But don you have lessons for them asked
The reporter.
Yes. when they want T.. Sometimes the les
sons 60 on I0r quite q while. and then again
they get interested il something else. You
would think that III these intervals OF play they
might forget what they had learned but they
seem q 20 back TO the lessons with renewed
Elsor The other day one Of the girls asked me
Tor z writing lesson I said Give me q SEN
tenc=. and I'll write II on the blackboard Well
she wanted me 10 make up the sentence. I
asked he- why / should use my brains for her
when she had brains Of her own. n the end
sne evolved some very good sentences, which 7
wrote down, and left her working away at a
COPY DO you see thar little painting the sun
ser scene, on the wall there2 One Of our girls
c-- -lar, me paints were here and she took 70
using them or her own accord. There are"
a-rs. FERN remarked, "a great many mechanics
10 the world bur few artists. Now art is self
expression. How are 10 have artists unless
me chi-o is given free opportunity TO express
trsef2"
z RESTITUTION
The l-s E-aErc0ra IS an artistic room. finished
- oak, with l1w ceiling II has a number Of
Etatuettes, excellent copies, which on this oc-
cSslo1 were hulclea together in one corner
-le children pul them there" said Mrs.
FERN $50 they wouldn't break them in their
ono -p~E rr-r4- t..-T-- 49,,