COLOUR WORDS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1933, Page 8

COLOUR WORDS

BLIND CHILDREN ENJOY MARIONETTE SHOW.

AUDIENCE THRILLED. PHILADELPHIA, February 18. Eighteen blind children and twelve who can see a little are regular and appreciative visitors to marionette shows in Philadelphia. Thirty children of the Pennsylvania institution for the Instruction of the Blind were the guests of Frank and Elizabeth Haines at the latter’s marionette theatre the other afternoon. A swish of curtains and various characters strutted the stage. A clown, and a dog that talked; an elephant that counted numbers. Between each act a circus-master, who made a brief “sawdusty” talk on what was about to take place. And as the dog yappea and the elephant counted, , how the laughs rang out in the darkened room. There followed a tliree-act play about a ginger bread baby. This, with its Action and suspense, worked the youthful audience into a high pitch of excitement. A.ud, as the bold, bad wolf finally devoured the too-daring baby, there were shriek#

A running flow of dialogue between the characters enables these blind children to enter into a play, and enjoy it. It is only necessary to close the. eyes and become temporarily blind to realise how Mr and Mrs Haines have concentrated upon ‘.‘colour words”- that conjure up images; of how the last, unbroken dialogue, steps at such a merry pace’there is no wondering what the marionettes themselves are doing. When it was all over, little seven-year-old Fay- Engle was not only able to toll what it was all about, and the different characters that entered upon and left the stage, but was so enchanted that she kept exclaiming: “Oh, how •lovely! Oil, how wonderful!” Fay was one ( of the totally bilnd.— (N.A.N.A.)