Читать книгу A Topsy-Turvy Christmas - Elizabeth F. Guptill - Страница 4
ОглавлениеCOSTUMES AND PROPERTIES
Frank and Alice wear the usual school clothes of children of their ages.
Marg, the tiny Grandmother, has her hair powdered, parted in the middle, and combed down over her ears. She wears a cap, and spectacles, from which the lenses have been removed. Her dress is long, of gray material, with white apron and kerchief, which may be on wrong side to.
Mom, the children’s mother, wears her hair high, her dress long. This dress is preferably a wrapper or tea-gown worn “hind side before.” She wears an apron, also, one of the round, tea aprons, either behind or over one hip. She may have a lace collar, pinned behind.
Dad wears long trousers, with his socks pulled up outside, a swallow tail coat, and vest, both “hind side before.”
Ecila wears a very short dress, white, or light colored, with a sash of some other color, preferably red, tied in front. She may wear beads, which hang down her back. If her hair is long, part it, comb each side up to the top, and begin to braid there. Braid tightly, and loop it, so loops will stand out and up pinning into place, if necessary. Tie ribbons around base of loops. If her hair has the Dutch cut, bring the top hair, which is left longer, as far as possible, and tie a ribbon around it, so that it stands up in the front, just over the forehead, being the bow. She has short socks.
Knarf wears short trousers—decidedly short—with frills at the bottom of bright color. His blouse may be Russian or sailor, but must be on “hind side before,” and have collar and cuffs of bright color. A suit of green and white awning stripe, with bright pink trimmings, would be very effective. Comb his hair in any peculiar way that that particular boy’s hair can be coaxed to stay. His stockings are long, striped around with bright blue.
Derf should have a wig, if at all possible, of long curls. Tie one or two up on the side, with a blue ribbon. He has short socks, and knickers of material to match his dress, that end above the knee. The dress may be a kilted skirt and a sailor or middy blouse of white, with blue trimmings. A sash, with tassels, passes round his waist, and knots at one side. The big sailor collar should be in front, instead of behind.
The Teacher wears a cap and gown, like those of graduates, wrong side to. He may have glasses.
The Spankety Man is dressed in a dark red cambric garment, with tight-fitting waist and trousers, in one. It is buttoned behind, with large buttons. This suit has high neck, long, close sleeves, and trousers that button closely round the ankles. He may wear a visor cap, with the visor behind, or any hat or cap that can be made noticeable, when improperly worn. He carries a bag with assorted “spankers.” These may be two or three switches, a slipper, a hair-brush, a razor-strop, a fly-killer, an egg-turner, a small fire-shovel, a shingle, and one or two “spankers” with handles cut from shingles. He should choose one with which to emphasize his song.
The Fairy wears a fluffy, full dress of white, pale pink, or blue, as desired. It has a full waist, and a very full, short skirt. It may be of crepe paper, mosquito netting, or of some sheer material. She should have short wings, which may be made of a square of the goods, folded into an oblong, and gathered along one side where two edges meet, then fastened among the folds at the back of the waist. More gauzy wings may be made of wired gauze or netting. She should have a silver wand, with a star at the end, and a silver girdle. Her hair should be flowing, with a silver band around it, and a star above her forehead. Her stockings may be white, or may match the dress; the slippers should be white or silver.
Gother Moose wears a long red skirt, a long black cape and a tall, pointed hat of red, with a black band.
The Greenies, of whom there may be any number from two to six, are dressed entirely in green, of course. They wear green stockings, green pointed shoes, made from cloth, full, short bloomers, and a long, loose blouse, belted in. They have tall, pointed caps, at the peak of which is sewed a bell, the peak being bent down, to hang at one side. Any shade of green will do, but the whole costume should be in the same shade. If the green stockings are not easily had, color white ones. Each carries a long green ribbon, strung with tiny bells.
Clanty Sauce should be the tallest, thinnest boy obtainable, dressed in some striped material, the stripes, running up and down. The trousers are close-fitting, and reach the ankle. The tunic reaches a little below the waist, and is belted in, high under the arms. He wears a tall hat, very tall and small around, covered with the striped material.
SETTING.
There should be an inner curtain which shuts off most of the stage. At the beginning of Scene I, this curtain is down. If this inner curtain can have on it any common outdoor scene, so much the better. The first part of the play is enacted before this inner curtain. When the curtain rises, which it should do as swiftly and silently as possible, it discloses Topsy Turvy Land—an outdoor scene. Small trees should be placed at the back. Plant the top branches—the ones in the center, firmly in pots or pails of earth, and have stems and roots upward. Fasten odd-looking fruits upon the branches, by means of fine wire, so that they “hang upward” instead of downward. A gate and fence may be in the background, if desired. These may be made of very light strips of wood, or of cardboard. Have the gateposts square at the top, with ornamental balls, or other shapes, at the bottom. From these, to the sides, fasten two horizontal pieces, one very near the top, the other farther down. Fasten the pickets to these, pointing downward with a good space between them and the bottom. A few cardboard birds, like those the children make and color in the first grade and kindergarten, should be fastened, so that they seem to be perching on the under sides of the branches of the trees. A garden bench or two may be behind the fence, wrong side up. Have one near the front, on one side, so all the characters need not stand, all the time; but whenever Frank or Alice sit down, they turn it up properly, while when the others sit, they turn it back. Let this happen occasionally, through first scene. For Scene II, both curtains are up, but be careful to have all the setting where it will be hidden by the inner curtain when it falls, near the end of the play.
This scene, which is a room in the house occupied by Alice and Frank, should have a small table, and several chairs, all upside down. Two or three pictures hang upside down on the walls. There may be a shelf, with everything topsy turvy. A rug, rolled up, is on the floor, near one side, and is used as a seat by Marg and Mom. If there is room, have a tiny stand in one corner—the kind of stand that has a lower shelf. This must be wrong side up, and on the shelf may be topsy turvy ornament, jardiniere, or lamp. Leave room for Clanty Sauce’s box, near the center. The last part of the play is enacted with the inner curtain down, as in the first part.
Clanty’s box is large enough to hold a small boy, and all the gifts enumerated. It should be on casters, so the Greenies can pull it in. In it is a small boy. He is neither seen nor heard, but he must be able to pass out the correct presents quickly.
