Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-17
BARTSCH TAKES K|DD|ES
SIGHTSEEING BY WATER
First of Nature Story Hours Con-
Quoted at the House
of Play.
Number of Plays Also to Be Pre-
scented During the Next Few
Months.

A large group of children We're enter
tanned this afternoon at the House of
Play. 49, NJ street southwest. by DR..
Paul Bartsch. of the National Museum.
who inaugurated series of. nature story
hours under the auspices OF the Drama
League.
DIR. Bartsch took his youthful audience
''sightseeina by water by means of a
series OF pictures. which he explained by
telling how the smallest OF the water
creatures live and act. The story was
told In manner understandable by the
small children, but proved Interesting
also 70 high school students
January 81 Henry Oldys of the Depart
nlent of Agriculture will tell the chill
dren How Birds Play, Dance and Sing
and instead of pictures to illustrate his
story Mr.. Oldys will initiate the whis
ties and calls and songs of birds.
Monsters of Back Yard
The Monsters of Our Back Yard will
be the nature story for March. told by
David G. Fairchild of the Department of
Agriculture. In April DR.. Hugh NJ. Smith,
commissioner of fisheries will lead the
children Around the World A-Fishing.''
and in May Overton W. Price, vice presi-
dent of the National Conservation Asso-
citation. will tell them about forests and
the foresters.
The pictures which these speakers have
collected in their work and in their trav-
els and have shown on other occasions to
their grown-up audiences will now be
shown to children TO illustrate these
stories of things in real life and nature.
The Drama League announces also the
schedule of dramatic entertainments for
the other Saturdays between now and the
middle of June A matinee is planned
for every Saturday from . to 4 o'clock.
and except the five nature stories with
their pictures. these programs will be
given by the children themselves. as lit
tie plays. pantomiules or dances.
Plays to Be Given.
January "A there will be pantomine,
"Old Pipes and the Dryad,' and Febru-
airy there will be The Mad Tea Party"
from Alice in Wonderland The stories
Of Spring. of Summer, of Autumn and of
Winter, from Hans Andersen's STORY Of
the Year will be given on different Sat
urdays. with the complete STORY of the
Year" as a garden festival early in June.
The list of plays includes also THE Elves
and the Envious Neighbor." Rose White
and Rose Red .Jorinda, Jorindel and
the Moon Giant" The Story of the Mock
Turtle and the Lobster Quadrille." Pc
terkin and the Little Gray Hare" How
Boots Befooled the King" The Grass
hopper and the Ants" from Uncle Remus.
and THE Elm Mound" In addition to
others not yet selected.
The Junior Drama League chapters are
to give special entertainments when they
wish. Just as heretofore. The Saturday
matinees ordinarily, however, will be i'm
promptu plays worked out by the chill
the trained Drama League staff.
Will Work Out Plays.
The auditorium of the House of Play
will be fitted with the scenes of the play
that is to be enacted. making a play
house in the chilTs own sense of the
term. Parents and other friends are to
be always welcome. When the play-act-
ing spirit of the children has de-
veioped the chosen story to sufficiently
finished form 1t will be given on the regu-
lar platform in the regular way Thus
all the children who come Saturday aft
ernoons will have chance to be in the
play, and the time Will be simply Il big
play hour. with everybody acting out the
stories dancing to interpret them.
In the play work Mrs. Genna Smith
Tinnin, director of junior plays and vice
president of the Washington Center OF
the Drama League. is assisted by Mrs.
Florence Louise Lyon. Miss Mildred An
derson, Miss Alberta Walker. Mrs EliZ-
abeth X. Walton and Miss Margaret Bell
Merrill. Miss Anderson and Miss Efie
Baker will direct the interpretative dane
chusetts avenue is the secretary of the
House of Play.