FOREWORD
As a recreational director under the War Work Council of the National Board of the Young Womens Christian Associations, I discovered that it was difficult to get simple yet colorful recreational material suitable for the various groups with whom I worked. Game parties, in which straight games were played, became tiresome. Each group, accustomed to the thrill of the movies, sooner or later demanded something more exciting, so I hit upon the plan of combining the most popular games, featuring with them some simple property such as balloons or newspapers, as an entire evening’s entertainment. The Peanut, Newspaper and Balloon Parties are the result of this experiment. Then, after a while, the groups would want to take a more active part themselves. The Japanese, Doll, George Washington and Circus Parties are the outcome of this stage in my recreational experience. These parties are more elaborate than the first; in fact, they require a great deal of preparation and cooperation on the part of the group. After these came the demand for something still more colorful and entertaining. Again I took something familiar, such as a group of songs and dances, and combined them with some idea of the dramatic, costumed and set them in a suitable and attractive background. The result was surprisingly effective in spite of the simplicity of the material and the idea. The Italian Street Scene and the Strolling Gypsy Scene are two examples of this type of entertainment.
The Christmas Service is an example of a still more elaborate attempt at “recreational dramatics,” as one might call this collection. The particular merit of the tableau is that it is very simple to produce, yet very lovely, if well done. The pictures themselves can be planned and worked out before the tableau itself is put together. In one or two rehearsals the music, chorus singing and the pictures can be combined. If the performers themselves catch the spirit of the occasion the effect of the whole is very beautiful and impressive.
Helen Durham.