Excerpt from Fancy Drills for Evening and Other Entertainments

As the time for a school entertainment draws near, a drill suitable for children will be eagerly discussed. In such a case, much if not all will depend on the person upon Whom the task of drilling the children devolves. They should be required to be exact in the performance of their movements, and the drilling should be very thorough. Careless, indifferent imitations of the motions should never be allowed. The costumes should be uniform in material, color and style of making, and particularly in the length of the skirts.

In deciding what costumes will be appropriate and pretty it is well to consult books of history, legend, tradition and nursery lore. In them will be found many pretty ideas for quaint and attractive costumes. A book which contains hundreds of illustrations of lancy costumes taken from the volumes named is published by us under the title of Masquerade and Carnival, and costs 25 or 50 cents. In it are shown the costumes of all nations, floral costumes, and fancy dress costumes for both little and grown people, with full descriptions of suitable fabrics and appropriate colors.

Black stockings and black slippers or low ties should be worn, as the average mother, in pre paring a fancy costume for her child, will most heartily approve of any plan that leaves very little Waste material on her hands.

Explicit directions will be given for each drill but the size of the stage, the position of the entrances, etc., will sometimes prevent their being exactly followed; and it is in such cases that the cleverness and ingenuity of the director are called into play. Care should be taken that the com pany is not too large for the stage, as it is almost impossible to execute certain figures correctly (as No.7 in the tambourine drill) if the line of players is too deep for the stage. Each drill is preceded by a more or less complicated march. The company being finally evolved into two or more lines ready for the drill. The terms right side and left side of the stage mean the right and left side from the spectator's point of view, except when it is expressly stated that the right or left side of the maids is meant.

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