Figure 2.--"Aunty Mame" is another popular popular play fot local theater groups. Aunty Mame's nephew Patrick always wears a short pants suit with kneesocks. This young actor playing Patrick here wears white socks because it is a dress rehersal.

Some theatrical productions with children are very popular for local theater. These productions have different numbers of child roles. Most have only a few. There are a few plays that have larger numbers of child parts. Some of the most popular are Aunty Mame, Music Man, and Sound of Music. Many local groups preferred the musical version of some of these plays. Other local theater groups choose less well known plays. There are also classics produced seasonally, especially for Halloween and Christmas.

Aunty Mame

Patrick Dennis' Aunty Mame and the musical version Mame! is a wonderfully funny yet insightful view of America in the 1920s-50s. Young Patrick wears short pants suits both at home and at school. He is delighted to receive his first long pants for Christmas. Aunty Mame later wonders, "Why did I ever buy him those damn long pants?" Patrick usually wears a black or dark blue short pants suit as this color was mpre popular in America than the grey suits thar were more common in Britain. At the end of the play, Patrick's son ??? also wears a short pants suit as Mame plans to wisk him off to India. Some boys playing the part are a bit self conciousness about wearing a short pants suit anmd kneesocks, especially mingling with people in the cast receptions after performances. Most of the young actors, however, take it in their stride.

Hansel and Gretel

A popular play for the children during the Halloween season is Hansel and Gretel. Sppoky stories are popular with children year round, but of course they have particular appeal around Halloween. One of the scariest such tales from the classic fairy tales is of course Hansel and Gretel. The children are normally costumed in German folk costumes. Gretel wears a drindle and puffed sleeve blouse. "Hansel" normally wears short pants lederhosen with a halter and kneesocks.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Although rarely done today, "Little Lord Fauntleroy" was once a popular production for local theater. This was particularly true in the early 20thbcentury. As in professional productions,the part of Cedric was often given to a girl with the suitable long hair anf ringlet curls.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Here we see a charming group of children somewhere in Germany during the 1920s. The children look to be 9 or 10 years old. The wy they are costuming, they must be more than a play group. They seem to be performing "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The costumes are pretty rudimentary. The seven boys all wear conical peaked hats and false beards but this is about the extent of their costuming. Otherwise they wear their ordinary play (or school) clothes--short trousers with suspenders, long brown, tan, or black stockings, and ordinary long-sleeved shirts or jackets of various types. The single girl, playing Snow White, has of course long blonde hair and a white dress. It is clearly an outdoor performance in a grove of trees meant to represent a forest. The boy at the extreme right wears round garters to hold up his long stockings, which was unusual. Most of the others seem to hold up their long stockings in the common way with a Leibchen and Strapse (= hose supporters).

Sound of Music

"Sound of Music" is one of the most popular staples for local theater groups appealing to the family audience. The image here is a good examole of a loval production of the "The Sound of Music".

Created: 7:10 PM 6/18/2007
Last updated: 7:10 PM 6/18/2007