Since the Ethical Culture School of New York, under the leadership of Mr. Percival Chubb, began experiments in communal dra matic forms some years ago, the practice has had great extension on all sides. The schools themselves have developed new types of festi vals and pageants. The various training centres for teachers, the Boston Normal School, the Brooklyn Training School and the Teachers' Training College of New York have all made. interesting experiments. These have had much direct and indirect influence on the children's performances and promoted many productions. The procession of the seasons, the anniversaries of the births and deaths of famous men and women in every field, the circumstance (and sometimes the pomp) of world events and innu merable other topics, as well as the time-honored festal days (Christmas, New Year's, Twelfth Night, Easter, Arbor Day, Fourth of July, Michaelmas, Harvest Thanksgiving) are being celebrated in most creditable performances in many schools and settlements; the tenor of these productions being likely to live long and happily in the memories of the young partici pants.
In 1910 eleven settlements in Brooklyn united in presenting the 'Pageant of Patriots,' ing the youth of various American heroes be fore an enthusiastic audience of 10,000 people. On 7 June 1914, under the auspices of the People's Institute and of Social Centre P. S. 63, the 'Festival and Pageant of Nations' was given in New York city. The folk costumes and much of the character and customs of the nations, of foreign peoples living in New York, were represented. Before a cheering crowd of 20,000 people 2,000 children and 1,000 adults gave this most successful performance.
For all manner of information toward mak ing and shaping, spreading and showing every sort of play for young people, consult Miss Constance Mackay's invaluable guide, 'How to Produce Plays for Children,' written from the standpoint of the new stage art; also the works below.
Bibliography.— Play Lists: Whereas it was formerly necessary for thousands of amateur producers distant from the big cities to depend almost entirely upon textbooks, they have now the advantage of being able to consult two well informed spirited Institutions, the Drama League of America and the before mentioned Educational Dramatic League,. York, which is constantly making additons to a col lection of printed and manuscript plays not to be found in the ordinary current lists of plays. Inquirers are also invited to address Miss Kate Oglebay, chairman of the junior department of The Drama League of America, at the New York and Chicago centres. The special pamph let, 'Plays for contains many useful suggestions, a catalogue of useful books on costumes, reference books, etc., as well as classi fied lists of selected plays in English, French and German. Consult this pamphlet also for a list of 'Dramatic Readers' and dramatizations of school classics for all grades. Dramatiza tions by the children's classes of the Francis W. Parker School, Chicago, published at nom inal sums, are interesting to teachers as exer cises in story-dramatizing.
Home Plays: A rkw right, Ruth, B rowni kins and Other Fancies' (New York 1911); Bell, F. E. E., 'Fairy Tale Plays and How to Act Them' (New York 1908) ; Bullivant, H., 'Home Plays,' a miscellaneous collection of 27 plays for boys and girls by various writers (New York 1911) ; Burrows, Edith M.,
'Cheery Comedies for Christmas' (Boston 1915) ; Carter, Mrs. Elsie H., Can dies' (New York 1915) ; Chapman, J. J., Plays' and (Neptune's Isle and Other Plays' (New York 1911) ; Dalkeith, Lena, Plays Told to the Children' (New York 1907); De Mille, W. C., (Christmas Spirit and Votes for Fairies' (New York) ; Dugan, Caro, King's Jester and Other Short Plays' (New York 1899); Goodlander, M. R., 'A Book of Fairy Plays: Nine Short Plays' (New York 1915) ; 'Harper's Book of Little Plays,' by Margaret S. Brisco, J. Kendrick Bangs, Caro line A. Creevey, Margaret E. Sangster and others (New York 1910) ; Harris, F. H., 'Plays for Young People' (New York 1911) ; Keat ing, 'Home Plays for Boys' (New York 1909) ; Mackay, Constance D., 'The Silver Thread and other Folk Plays' (New York 1910) ; Nesbit, Frank, Magic Whistle and Other Fairy Plays' (New York 1912) ; Nixon, Lillian E., 'Fairy Tales a Child Can Read and Act) (New York); Pertwee, Guy, from Dickens' (London) ; 'Saint Nicholas Book of Plays and Operettas' (New York); Sowerby, Githa, 'Little Plays for Little People' (London) ; Syrett, Netta, 'Six Fairy Plays for Children) (New York 1904) ; Warner, Ellen E. K., (Nonsense Dialogues for the Youngest Readers' (New York 1912).
School Plays and Pageants: Bird, G. E. and Starling, Maud, 'Historical Plays, Based on the Voyage of Discovery to America' (New York 1912) ; Black, Clementina, 'Kindergarten Plays' (2 vols., London) ; Bunner, H. C., 'Three Operettas' (New York) ; Cole, Edna G., 'The Good Samaritan and Other Bible Stories Dramatized' (Boston 1915) ; Comstock, Fanny, 'A Dramatic Version of Greek Myths and Hero Tales' (New York); Corbin, Alice, 'Adam's Dream and Other Miracle Plays) (New York 1909); Craig, A. A. T., 'The Dramatic Festival . . . with Plays and Bibliographies' (New York 1912) ; Gould, E. L., 'Little Men and Little (New York 1900) ; Gunnison, Binney, Dialogues and Plays) adapted from popular authors for all grades (3 vols., New York 1911) ; Hand, Gertrude, 'Historical Studies in Dramatic Form, about Famous Men of American His tory' (16 vols., Boston 1914) ; Kraft, Irma, Power of Purim and Other One-act Plays for Jewish Religious Schools' (Philadelphia 1915) ; Lincoln, Jennette E. C., 'The Festival Book; May-Day Pastimes' (New York 1915); Liitkenhaus, Anna M. (Irwin), for School Children' (New York 1915); MacDon nell, Amice, Plays for Children' (three series, New York 1914) ; Mackay, Con stance D., 'Patriotic Plays and Pageants' : 'Indoors and Outdoors' (New York 1912) ; 'Plays of the Pioneers' (New York 1915) ; Merington, Marguerite,(Festival Plays: One-act Pieces for New Year's Day,' etc. (New York 1913) ; 'Holiday Plays; Five One-Act Pieces' (New York 1910) ; 'Picture Plays, Seven Short Plays About Famous Pictures' (New York) Newell, W. W., 'Games and Songs of Amer ican Children' (New York 1903) ; Sandys, W., 'Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern' (New York) ; Sansing, M. F., (Dramatic Readings for Schools' (New York) ; Shoe maker, C. C., Entertainments, Adapted to All Holidays' (Philadelphia 1915) ; Wagstaff, Blanche (Shoemaker), 'Colonial Plays, for the Sixth Grade) (New York 1912) • Walker, A. V., Plays from American History) (New York 1914).