The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-08
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES E
Junior League EUent Saturday

1ue HUT .e0JeIbdulLACAlb LII bAlC series of children's programs spon- sored by the Junior league of Wa terbury will be presented on Satur- day, April 10th, at 3 p. m. at the Waterbury Women's club at which time the Tatterman Marionettes will perform Jason and the Golden Fleece"
 The work of the Tatterman mari! onettes ranks among the art of the theater rather than among the tricks of the toy fair. The public is jaded with mechanical marvels. An age to which radios and aero planes are commonplace is far be- yond getting excited over the in- tricacy o ia contraption which, by means of string, wiggleS its foot. Rid of its burden of tricks, the Marionette returns to its original ion-entertainment by beauty and wit, never by mechanics. The best marionettes are, therefore, the simplest and few of the Tatterman rnarionettes possesses more than fifteen strings. They are somewhat larger in size than the average marionette, being 24 to 30 inches in height.
 The dramatization of the famous Greek myth as retold by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the Tanglewood Tales is a beautifully staged version of an exciting story. The Tatterman Mar ionettes have visited $50 towns and cities. Broadway has seen their pro- ductions. Also, the Chicago's World Fair. Leading metropolitan critics have pronounced them Americas finest Marionette company. Chil- dren derive much enjoyment and pleasure from their performances.
 A brief synopsis of the play:
 Jason was the son of King Aeson of Iolchos. While Jason was still baby, Aeson's wicked brother Pelias drove Aeson from the throne, and became King of Iolchos himself. Ja- son grew up in the cave of Chiron. the Centaur, a strange creature, half man and half horse. When Jason grew to manhood, the Goddess Hera (who was the wife of Zeus, the greatest of all the Greek GodS) ap- peared to him and commanded him to go to Iolchos and reclaim his throne from Pelias.
 While Jason was crossing a river, he lost one of his sandals, and upon arriving in IolchoS, he found every one very much excited because one O. his feet was bare. Years before, the Speaking Oak Tree of Dodona had prophesied that one-sandalled man should drive King Pelias from the throne. So when Jacon finally met Pelias, he found a badly fright ened King. Pelias commanded Ja- son, under peril of his life, to bring him, from far-away Colchis, the Golden Fleece. This was the hide of a great ram, that had been turned to gold by the Gods. If he could do this, Pelias said, he would give Ja- son his throne without any argu- ment. What Pelias really hoped was that Jason would lose his life on so dangerous an undertaking.
 Acting upon the advice of the Speaking Oak, Jason had ship builder named Argus build him a great ship of fifty cars, which he called the Argo. Then with fifty of the bravest heroes of Greece, includ- ing mighty Heracles and Orpheus, the divine musician, they sailed away to Colchis on their great ad- venture.
 King Aetes, the ruler of Colchis, was very angry when Jason asked for the Golden Fleece. Like Pelias, he sought to impose on the brave young man certain impossible tasks, in the hope of getting rid of him.
 However, with the help of King Aetes' daughter, Medea, who was an enchantress, Jason succeeded in put ting yoke on two fiery bulls, and with them he ploughed field and sewed dragons teeth in the fur rows. The dragons teeth grew into a mighty army, eager to destroy Jason. but Medea told him to throw 8 rock into their midst. The sol- diers fel Ito fighting among them selves, and thus the two escaped. Then they went to the grove where the Golden Fleece hung upon a tree, and Medea worked her spells upon the dragon that guarded the treasure. With the Fleece, Jason and Medea managed to escape the terrible wrath of King Aetes, who was following them. They boarded the Argo, and the heroes sailed again for Greece.