The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-24
BIRMINGHAM AGE. E.HERALD, SUNDAY. DEC. 24. 1922
The Xmas Play in Which

elders justly proud of the role that each plays year after year.
 Miss Ella M Boult, New England author, and Miss Beatrice Stevens, artist, responsible for the entire affair. It was they who developed the tableaux into pageant, and it is they who re- hearse the principals, who coach the chorus, who turn the big studio of their charming home Brisk to-High, into miniature stage where the pictures are posed. It is they, too, who have the trained eve and the appreciation of the beautiful and who can turn and twist hanging until it is gorgeous robe for Magi, who can drape muslin curtain into veil for one of the angels. They do it all simply for the joy of creating a beautiful thing. N form the Nativity is rhythmic pantomime
 acted to the cadence of music carefully chosen
 for it's significance, but reduced to the sim plicity of a reed organ. Throughout the play in all material things note of crudeness prevails. This is partly from necessity but chiefly that the dominance of the theme may be maintained There is no scenery There are no footlights. The stage is hung with blue curtains hardly distinguishable as such, and the scenes are keyed to darkness or the color of twilight.
 The Angel of the Lord brings radiance; the Manager sheds radiance; the Shepherds fire holds light; in and around such light the dramatic group ing is built. The background is always blue dis 
 rough hewn slabs. There no other properties.
 The characters are the Angel Gabriel, Mary, Joseph the Five Shepherds and the three Kings, the Kings Heralds and Gift Bearers, the Keeper of the Inn and the Heavenly Host Those taking the parts are of all creeds and many natonaities. They are of all vacations. Mary this year is school teacher while the Angel Gabriel is a dancer who is on the high road to fame. One of the Shepherds is a Representative from the Ponlfret District in the Connecticut Legislature. One of the Wise Men is the keeper of the general store, second is former Postmaster and the third is master builder. Joseph has been enacted at diff ferent times by a young Italian laborer, Eng lshman, a Southerher and man of Southern birth and Western training. West Indian Negro at one time played the part of the Third Wise Man. TdE Shepherds are largely men from the farms,
 while the Angelic Host and the attendants
 upon the Wise Men are the boys and girls from the schools; some are teachers, some hand maidens in the homes of Pomfret and some are of the leisure class of which this little community has goodly number. In the mysterious alchemy of the drama class consciousness melts away and
 beautiful democracy of spirit is not the least of the conspicuous results of the Christmas play.
 Even the brute world does its share. Laddie, collie, had no more training than his master, yet he was noble and dignifed actor. When hs died, only few months after his first appearance, he was mourned all over the county as "the dog that came with the Shepherds to the Manager at Bethlehem"
 THE text of the play is the Gospel account read
 in continuity and followed by Haydns "Holy
 Night" sung with simplicity by . single voice throughout the opening scene of the drama. The entire play and all of the scenes are built