DOLLS WILL DANCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 November 1928, Page 4

DOLLS WILL DANCE.

WHILE ICE GRINDS AND GALES . . HOWL. AMUSEMENTS FOR BYRD’S MEN. When bold adventurers sail the high seas, leaving home and comforts tor approximately two years to discover important tilings to put into geography books, something, according to popular sentiment, should be done about providing a little well-deserved amusement for them, says the “Christian Science Monitor.” Some famous men of action get it by means ot the chess board; others, they say, forget international problems by devoting themselves to detective stories. According to still another report, genius is often found bending over a crossword puzzle. But the men of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition expect to play with dolls. This became known after the icebreaker City of JNew York was well on her way to the South Pole. Two men, it was learned, had been sent by Dr. Francis Dana Coleman, chief surgeon of the Byrd Expedition, to interview Miss Melanie Jean Lachlan, of Brooklyn, regarding her puppets and puppet plays a few days beiore the barque left. Arriving at Miss Lachlan’s studio, these men, who had sternly renounced the frivolities of civilisation for perhaps two years'- or more, sat about on the floor with her, extricating brightfaced puppets and bits of scenery from boxes, climbed a- dim stairway to flic attic, learned how to make “dolls,’ and, having made them, how to play with them. . They learned that, with an electric light bulb for a mould, sonic papiermache. a box, of oils, some bright pieces of cloth; and a person who is even a. mildly successful caricaturist on hoard, the hours aboard the City of New York thousands and thousands of miles .Tway from home need not be uninterruptedly serious..

They learned from Miss Lachlan how to make puppets. They learned that a puppet stage has no floor and that all sorts of devices are necessary to “hook” pianos on walls and suspend chairs from the ceiling. They learned that an expert use. of their thumbs, forefingers and middle fingers is necessary to make the puppet “wriggle” properly. They discovered that lighting effects and the making of furniture that is' in correct proportion to the puppets are matters of long and fascinating , experience.

“They were seriously interested in puppets as a means of providing diversion.’’ Miss Lachlan said. “1 tohl them of the great /possibilities for entertainment which lay. in .making the puppets resemble these in, one's circle and then writing a play that is characteristic of these persons. They could make the men on board ship .the characters of these, plays, 1. told . them. It is interesting to see, 1 have noticed, how good-naturedly most persons will watch puppets that caricature themselves. AA’e have tried it out very successfully in a woman’s club here, and I can recommend it as delightful amusement.

“It will be easy lor them to make fhe puppets. I gave them two which I had made and dressed and several pages ol directions in addition to what I told them about producing plays. They have promised to bring these •puppets hack, as well as some of their own puppets which they will make. 1 ‘They spent hours here.and showed a profound interest in my dolls that one might not expect of two natural scientists, but which, naturally, was rather delightful for me.”