For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16811, 14 August 1922, Page 11

For the Children

A SHADOW PANTOMIME. il Something new to play?” repeated Aunt Clara. “ Well, it seems to me that I have told you everything that 1 can think of. Have you ever played shadow pantomimes?” f 'No, Aunt Clara,” said Fred. ' 1 How do you play it?” Yes, tell us how to play it, please, Aunt Oiara!” said liess. *' It is a good way to give an entertainment with little trouble.” said Auiit Clara. " A whole roomful of people can be kept amused for some time with the shadow pantomimes. Any boy or girl can do the acting, and there are no parte to be learned. The scenery and costumes can be cut out of cardboard, newspaper, or anything that will cast a shadow. All the characters, costumes, and scenery are shown only by shadows, you see. These shadows are cast upon a large screen, through which the light will shine.” “ What could we use for a screen?” asked Bess. ‘‘ A sheet will do very well. It must be stretched between two double doors, very smoothly, so that no wrinkles show. Now you must have a light. Anything will do : a magic lantern i;-s best, perhaps, but a lamp, electric light bulb, or even a candle wilL do. if you have nothing better. One person will manage the light behind the screen, and another the lights in front of it. The room in which the audience sits must be quite dark, of course, in order to see the shadows on the screen. *• The best way to ‘ drop the curtain’ is to shut off the light behind the screen, and at the same moment turn up the lights in the spectators’ room. You will have to experiment for a while, until you get just the right distance for the light behind the screen, so that it will bring tlie shadows of the actor figures into the correct places, and make them of the right size. The ‘ performers’ should keep as close to the screen as possible, and i* profile ; and yet must l>e careful that their arms, «uid any objects held in their hands, such as pasteboard weapons, canes, baskets. and so on. cast distinct, clear shadows. “Now for the performance. Almost any dramatic poem, song, or story may acted in shadow pantomime. It should he clearly sung or recited, while the actors perform their dumb show. While the words are sung, slowly and distinctly, the actors do the shadow parrs in time to illustrate the words. The action should lie lively. but it should nob be overdone, for that will spoil the artistic quality of the performance. I remember • The Ballad of the by Oliver Wendell Holmes,

was the first performance that we gave, •when I was a child. “ The effect of river banks may be, given by tables, one on each side of the stage, covered with any thick cloth. Irregularities in the outline of the shores may be made by various objects, placed on the tables under the cloth, and near the screen, so as not to be in the way of the actors when they have to stand on the tables. Water may be represented by mosquito netting, reaching from table to table, a few inches behind the screen. If held at the upper corners by hidden assistants, and very gently waved, or shaken, it gives a real effect of water. “Fish may be made to swim about in the water, or they may be stationary, if you prefer. They should be cut out of pasteboard, and, if you want them to * swim,’ you may pull them along with string, or fine wire. “ The moon is cut from pasteboard and suspended by strong thread from above the door. The expression of the face can be changed by a pivoted cord, with threads for moving it- up and down. The eye can be made to * wink.’ the ‘ eyelid' being held up by a weak rubber band, which replaces it after a wink.’

“With a little patience and ingenuity, and the use of strings and wires, the pasteboard actors may l>e made to do all sorts of ‘stunts.’ Funny pictures may be cut out ol hooks and magazines and pasted on pasteboard. Trees, houses, fences, and other parts of the scenery may he cut out of brown paper. There is no end to the funny things you can do with these shadow figures.”

“ Hurrah! 'Wo‘ll go and get a sheet now! Aml you‘ll help us. Won’t you, Aunt. Clara?" (‘l‘led Fred. jumping up. “And there am some old magazines full of funny figures- in the library! I‘ll run and got them now. and some sciators :mrl mule. and you‘ll help us fix them. won’t you. Aum. Clara?" cried Bow. warfing for the door. “ And we'll have a. performance, and progrmnmos. and poster's announcing it! And you‘ll help us. won’t you. Aunt Clara?" (Tied F'rod‘ ”Yes." laughed Aunt Clam. “ I‘ll help 37m." A ST‘VEET TOOTH. Few penplv‘. realise What, a mum; {ollth Ilm ('quflmnl has. R“ will work long and haul. il’ he i; rewarded with somethmg MVPM m eat Hl- \\'nlil(l rmlwr have u lumphl' sugar len any» thins: 915:4.