BEHIND THE SCENES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 286, 27 August 1908, Page 5

BEHIND THE SCENES.

' i -WATCHING. THE : PANTOMIME CHIL- ' •...dren.' \ v;;/. *;";":JThe behind-the-stage accommodation of the Opera House is taxed to the utmost wh'en a pantomime; company' comes along, withvits scores of performers all requiring to make frequent changes, of costume; and every,'bit of space available as dressing-room is put to : that use./ One set of: girls have to climb up. many stairs'-to,a.room high in tho roof to ; ariav themselves in their various, characters, and it ;was away down to the cellar that .. "Dominica" had to descend to search for the. pantomime children. . • It did not look as bad as it sounded.. Tho ' rest of the ; cellar looked draughty and dim . and chaotic, but the dressing-room itself was quite, .like any., dressing-room: above, 'stairs. l ' It was hung .and . heaped about with'a multitude of coloured;garments,'costumes of'every sort,. ; and the children, who were dressing themselvesV for : the' Nursery Rhymes, were grouped around.a: long table on which wore many small . looking-glasses and toilet artifices. ; It, was; curious and/ interesting ' to; watch them as they., went about their work : with serious, intent'face3, deft fingers, and a most' businesslike manner. Prince Charming was wriggling herself into her slashed and puffed ( doublet, the Wolf was walking about- with : he'r wolfish' head 'off and - her childish face above the furry; skin , and dangling'paws reminded one of the last scene in that,fairy tale.where the' prince beheads the enchanted white .oat and a beau- . tiful princess steps forth. The Frog looked 'so funny, its pufiish body --with .its head ,under its ami, and Robinson ' Crusoe was quite absorbed, in the occupation of combing, out her. 'goatskin , cap. <:', Friday's : wig was combed with equal carc, .before the. little whito • girl put it on, and proceeded very carefully to make her pretty face black all over. It was really wonderful. to' seo how clever the children, were, how little they .required any help in putting on.; their',, strange .' appareli Tho • tjniest .ones,;/were upstairs,; . ;wheref.LittJe Miss iMuffet, tho.'.Fairy, ,and ; Cinderella; were dressed, for ithcir- parts. ; Presontly; tho children's governess camo down/ and escorted; by Prince Charming, Littla Boy Blue,' and Crusoe, we made' our way to the stage,; going; on'.afterwards right 'up to the flies, from where we looked 1 down at tho'efforts made to amuso tho king. After'they;had.left the.stage,' it seemed.a very short time before wo were joined there, by. two or three of the children ready in ■ their short!frocks and bathing suits for the sea-side sceno, each.armed with a bucket or, spade. They had such a short appearance on the stage in' this, ■ that it seemed they had : taken'; a ; . great' deal of trouble for' very .little. As soon as that was /over, wo went down to "watch their,, rapid; transformation ■into sea-horses, anemones, /and shells. They wero ready .very quickly, and then, as there is a long ;wait, there they settled themselves about the room;to amuse,/ themselves, the' , sea-horses',in/theiri, striped : skins,- without ' their heads, and the little shells all complete. One. little.-shell sat and sewed industriously at a piece of linen, embroidery (fancy work is supposed to be a -strong point with panto-s-mime children), two or three : others played at / dentists in a corner, and others roamed about /the place or. talked/ ,' . ', . • There.-, are sixteen children, with this com-, pany, the, same number as they had last / year, but only , seven of them the same children.- . Some .'of the) children, this time are / much younger than 'thope that came over beioie. The-New Zealand law does not'allow.; a; child to appear on the stage under the. ago of seven years, and even then she must ' have a .permit.; : The, youngest pantomime child is seven, and tho next not much,older. They had. a very jolly time, in Auckland-dur-! ing the Fleet week,' and aro hearty admirers .of/the'' American sailors/ who distinguished ~ themselves by their politeness to the children ' in the streets.- They turned out well to the pantomime, and the children: liked it when • they hung; about the stage door to watch the young' performers come out, and then'.said aloud, "Here come tho children."