cations above all others: trained ability to direct plays, and an un-. derstanding and love for children. Beyond these two qualifications, he needs to have a certain amount of administrative ability, plenty of vitality, a refreshing sense of humor, good taste, and a personality which wins the respect and admiration of both children and adults. He must be able to look at life through the eyes of a child, at the same time seeing its values with the vision of a far-seeing adult.

The Technician.-Beginning theaters rarely dignify the person in charge of scenery and properties by the title of "technician." He is usually just an untrained person who is handy at building the settings and assembling the properties which the director needs. The technician may or may not be the person who designs them. The husbands of the women who have assumed the responsibility for the production often take over these jobs.

Some of the most satisfying settings are very simple indeed. By means of several tall screens of three or four panels each and a few steps and platforms, colorful and imaginative settings can be devised for a whole season of plays. The screens, often used in front of stage drapes, have double-acting hinges so that they can be painted on both sides and used for two different settings. If they are heavy, furniture gliders can be used on the bottom so that they will not have to be lifted. Irregular, decorative tops for the screens are added for oriental or other plays for which they are appropriate. The Electrician.-If there is no electrical equipment, the electrician's job is simple: he merely turns on and off what lights there are. An old school stage may have only a row of footlights and border lights. Both give a hard, artificial light, and no artist would tolerate them. Most men or high school youths know something about electricity and will find ways to soften the lights and make them contribute in some small way to the mood of the play. By using only sections of the footlights to emphasize certain stage areas, and combining colors in the borders, an electrician can help greatly to make the stage pictures more effective. Two or three spotlights, if they can be rented, will enable him to provide good visibility as well as beauty to the scene.

Costume Committee. In an arena production or a stage play with a minimum of scenery, the costumes become increasingly important. They add much to the beauty and interest of the play, as well as to the establishment of character.

The head of the costume committee, therefore, whether trained in the theater or not, must make a careful study of each play: the period (if any), the characters, and the plans for the stage back

ground and lighting. This individual always works with the direc tor and the designer in order to see that the costumes suit the characters and are a harmonious part of the stage pictures. Each element of the production must be planned to let the story come through.

Whoever assumes the responsibility for the costumes must be skilled in cutting patterns and sewing. There is much to know about fabrics and where to get them, both in theatrical fabric supply houses and in the various departments of a large store. The head costumer should also supervise a number of assistants who help with costume changes in the running of the plays, press the costumes between performances, and see to the cleaning and storing at the end of the productions.

Promotion and Publicity. Although the promotion of a children's theater depends on all who have anything to do with it, most of the responsibility for filling the house for the plays devolves on the publicity chairman. When a theater is new, the chairman talks to parent-teacher groups and other adult gatherings, interprets the aims of the theater to parents, writes newspaper articles, arranges for radio and television publicity, plans for photographic service. and is on the alert for any or all opportunities to interest both parents and children. Colorful posters (often made by the art classes) are placed in every school. Handbills or brochures, giving the full schedule of plays with brief but interesting descriptions are given to children to take home. All necessary information about dates, hours, place, and cost of season and single tickets, are sent out by many theaters shortly before the opening of the season ticket sale. Needless to say, the person in charge of publicity will need assistants to carry out his many duties.

Whether the theater produces its own plays or engages its talent from outside sources, the job of the publicity head is of vital importance. An enterprising, dynamic person who can both write and speak well is always sought for this position. But above all other qualifications, this individual must have a deep and unchangeable belief in the theater and all it should mean in the lives of the children.

Financing a Production

Importance of the Business Manager

Absolute honesty and dependability, a good business sense, a cooperative spirit in working with other organizations, and a deep interest in the welfare of the theater-all these are indispensable in

the person to whom the business matters of the children's theater are entrusted.

A children's theater is not a good means for making money. Even if such an institution were not a sufficiently worthy end in itself, it could not earn any considerable amount without pricing its tickets beyond the reach of a large percentage of the children in the community. Rather than trying to be a money-making institution, a children's theater is better off if partially subsidized so that the price of the tickets can be kept at a nominal cost. At the present time, some theaters make their plays available to children at no cost whatever. Other sponsors price their tickets anywhere from 10 cents to $1.50.

Items of Expense

A royalty is charged for the use of the play. Almost every good children's play requires a royalty payment for each performance. At present, the usual rate is $15 for each performance, a very few plays requiring more or less. In a theater with a small auditorium and many performances, reductions are often made by the play publishers.

Some groups, wishing to reduce expense, write their own dramatizations of folk and fairy tales. This is poor economy, for unless a playwright has much imagination and skill, the play he writes will not be worth producing. It is not easy to write a good play, even when it is based on a dramatic story. Although children may flock to see the play, it will be doing them an injustice if less than the best which has been written is offered them. Economize on almost anything rather than on the script.

Rental of the auditorium, if it is not donated, may be so large an item that it is prohibitive. For this reason, some institution, such as a school or a community theater, should be urged to become a sponsor and grant the use of the needed space for the cost of such items as light, heat, and janitor service.

Books or manuscripts for the staff and players are expensive.

The printing of tickets, both season and single, is an item. Reserved seat tickets will be more expensive to print than general admission tickets. The availability of good seats is an important incentive for advance buying.

Posters, announcement brochures, and pictures for publicity add to the expense. Pictures are not always used, but are usually an asset. Often a local newspaper will take one or more pictures for the paper without charge. Photographs are usually taken also to keep as records of the productions.

Programs, if they are used, cost money. Many children's theaters have discontinued the use of programs after discovering that the audience in general seems little interested in them except as material for paper airplanes.

Electrical equipment and supplies constitute one of the first expenditures made in any new theater. Spot and flood lights and dimmers, even though expensive, contribute more than anything else to the visual aspect of a play. Dimmers, especially, are indispensable for mood lighting with its gradual changes and its dramatic climaxes.

Expert advice should be sought when the opportunity comes for purchasing a small, portable switchboard or a complete control board. Before any lighting equipment is added to what is already on the stage, the amount of electric power being brought into the building must be checked by an electrician to determine whether it is sufficient to carry the extra load.

Scenery and properties are rather large items, of course. But the trend is toward suggestive settings, less than full height, and combined with the larger stage properties, stage curtains, and an, artistically lighted sky cyclorama. For folk and fairy tales or for any nonrealistic play, this type of setting can be very delightful. Even in realistic plays, it is interesting to see how satisfying a partial set can be.

Costumes, because most children's productions are costume plays with large casts, can be a big item. Since it is not fair to ask the players to pay for their own costumes, the theater should build up its own wardrobe. A large part of a production budget often goes for costume materials.

Cheap fabrics are always a poor investment. The old idea of using cheese-cloth and cambric has never been a popular one in children's theaters where costumes must be used over and over again or remodeled. Many materials can be found in theatrical supply houses which, although not cheap, look like much more expensive fabrics. Cotton duvetyn, for instance, appears to be fine broadcloth; and rayon silks, satins, brocades, corduroys, and leatherettes are wonderful substitutes for handsome and expensive materials. The cleaning and laundering of costumes can amount to rather a large sum if plays with large casts are given.

Make-up. The make-up box will need a few extra supplies for each production after the original investment.

Trucking may be an expense, if scenery is not constructed in the building in which the productions are given. It is a large item in touring.

Service. The janitors should be paid for extra work unless this is included in rental. If performances are given in a school where rent is not paid, a good deal of extra work is caused for the janitor. It is not only right that the theater should pay him a regular fee, but it will be money well spent in gaining his respect and his willingness to work for the interests of the theater. If a fire marshal is present at performances, it will be necessary to pay him also.

Music.-Nowadays, most of the music and other sound effects can be had on records, or they can be taped and used again and again. In such cases, the expense is much less than to hire musicians.

Incidental expense.-Plays for consideration, stationery, stamps, telephone bills, and occasional taxi bills, must be considered in the budget.

This list of expenses takes no account of salaries for director, technician, or costumer. For a single production, it is quite possible to do all the work with volunteer help. There are few theaters which can call on volunteers to give as much time and thought as it requires to direct, produce, and costume a series of plays without paying them adequate salaries.

If such duties are a part of the work expected of teacher or civic theater staff, that is another matter. It is easy to see that a children's theater must be an altruistic undertaking with the sharing of responsibilities by many people. Schools, public libraries, symphony orchestras, and museums do not pay their way, nor are they expected to do so. Theaters can pay their way, but they should not be asked to assume the total financial load if they contribute to the culture of the community.

Auditoriums are offered to many American theaters today with little cost. Certain staff members of schools, colleges, or civic theatres are assigned to responsible positions in the children's theater as part of their jobs, and very often theater students are given credit for laboratory work backstage. Countless men and women of the communities are doing volunteer work of all kinds.

Money taken in from ticket sales can be used for royalties, scenery, costumes, equipment, and in some instances to pay the director and certain other staff members. With the cooperation of many institutions, organizations, and individuals, children's theaters are now enriching the lives of some millions of children in this country and abroad.

Choosing the Script

Where are scripts purchased? How are plays chosen for a wide age range of children? How long should a children's theater play