CHILDREN'S THEATRES. The early educational plays, or, strictly, dialogues for children, under the severe pedagogics of the 18th and 19th centuries, were as near to the character of real plays as the shorter catechism is to roaring comedy. For certainly they con tained no elements of play, the healthy demand of educationists of the present time. It is, of course, necessary to observe a distinction be tween the children's play written and played entirely efor fun* and the play written to meet some more or less diadactic purpose. In the bibliography below, the one will be found classed under °Home Plays' and the other under °School Plays and Pageants' though the two may occasionally have a tendency to overlap.
In the mecliaval ecclesiastical plays boys and young girls frequently took very important parts (consult Mantzius's (History of Theatrical Art,' Vol. II, p. 88, for some curious facts) ; and 'Hamlet' has made everyone familiar with the boys of the chapel of the Elizabethan Court (consult (The Children of the Chapel Royal and Their Masters' by John M. Manly, Cam bridge History of English Literature, Vol. VI).
The first children's educational theatre on record, apart from Drama' (see COL LEGE DRAMATICS), was, appropriately enough, in France. This theatre was built on her estate for the education of her children, by Comtesse de Geniis, who had been influenced by the nature theories of Rousseau. History, language and simple moral lessons were the subjects. The method was not far removed from the kinder garten system which also is, in principle, dra matic. For the rest, private theatricals at Christmas, and on other special occasions, carry us forward to bur own times.
In 1903 in the Educational Alliance Building on the east side of New York, "The Children's Theatre' was founded by Miss Alice Minnie Herts, with Mrs. Sheridan Fry as director of plays. Miss Herts' book, 'The Children's Edu cational Theatre,' written after seven years' close experience, explains the reason of its origin, the enthusiasm with which the under taking was supported, and the wide influence it has exerted. It also prescribes exactly how
similar theatres can be organized all over the country. °The dramatic instinct,' says the author, is a primitive impulse, not to be con fused with dramatic talent, which is a special ized form of it. This instinct cuts a new and safe channel for a hitherto undirected stream of human energy. The demand of children for interesting entertainments is often met by nothing better than cheap vaudeville or moving i picture shows.' Miss Jane Addams, in (The Spirit of Youth,' also expresses the same; terweaving the delightful little character studies of a close warm-hearted observer. Short stimu lating essays on the subject, by Dr. Eliot of Harvard, Mr. Percival Chubb and Dr. G. Stan ley Hall, are incorporated in Miss Herts' vol ume. This theatre, after many haphazards, is still in existence. In 1911 the Educational Players, a body of young amateurs an offshoot from the Children's Educational Theatre, gave performances (generally free) in the public schools; and a few of their plays were written with these special school audiences in view. A 'Handbook of the Educational Player Method,' by Mrs. Sheridan Fry, is worthy of a classic place in the literature of pedagogy for the skill with which the author relates herself to the psychology of the child. The model rehearsal illustrated in the book is a work of fine art in its own way.
In 1913 the Educational Dramatic League was founded with Mrs. August Belmont as president and Mrs. Sheridan Fry as colleagne, This powerful organization (a national, not a local body) is doing excellent work among the schools, and in the social, civic and recreation centres throughout the country. The League works co-operatively with the schools and cen tres; lending books of plays, costume plates, costumes and even sets of screens for back grounds, for merely nominal sums to its mem bers. It serves in some sort as a clearing house, introducing or leaders, and holding classes to instruct school teachers and others how to direct their ov n plays.