The subject of Swortzell's book is a selection of plays created by the Children's Theatre units of the Federal Theatre Project. . . . Most of the six plays in Swortzell's anthology resonate with political messages integral to the post-Depression, post-World War I era. . . . Though some of the scripts, like Chorpenning's A Letter to Santa Clause, which is an indictment of war, and Yasha Frank's Pinocchio, which celebrates the rewards of a virtuous life, hammer away at theme to the point of becoming tedious, the plays written and performed during this brief heydey in the history of children's theatre reveal just how far the genre could move beyond the narrow focus and prescribed subjects which once defined its boundaries. Children's Literature Association Quarterly
The plays published here were originally commissioned by the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) of the Works Progress Administration. Editor Lowell Swortzell has selected six plays representative of the reportory of the children's theatre productions of the FTP and reprinted them in their entirety. The plays, whether original scripts or adaptations of fairy tales and folklore, emphasized both educational and entertainment value. The plays are preceded by an extensive introduction detailing the history and goals of the children's theatre unit.
The plays are: Horse Play by Dorothy Hailparn, a comedy from the Negro Unit of New York City; Flight by Oscar Saul and Louis Lantz, a documentary play in the style of the Living Newspaper; The Boiled Eggs by Rught Fenisong, a comedy form the Marionette Unit of New York City; The Revolt of the Beavers by Oscar Saul and Louis Lantz, a controversial fable from Broadway; A Letter to Santa Claus by Charlotte Chorpenning, an anti-war Christmas pantomine produced as a gift to the children of Chicago; and Pinocchio, a popular adaptation first produced in Los Angeles, then transferred to Broadway.

Six Plays for Young People from the Federal Theatre Project (1936-1939): An Introductory Analysis and Six Representative Plays (Documentary Reference Collections)

Swortzell, Lowell

Children's Books

Greenwood

Swortzell has constructed a seminal reference work that chronicles the history, current state of artistic achievement, and foremost future needs of children's theater in 44 different countries. . . . an excellent first resource for diverse forms of research, and quite accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students. Choice
After a visit to the Children's Educational Theatre in New York City, the first American theatre intended specifically for children and adolescents, Mark Twain declared that children's theatre is one of the very, very great inventions of the twentieth century.
The Guide is designed as a reference book, surveying theatre for young people in forty-five countries from Australia to Zimbabwe, as well as examining some of the provocative paradoxes, questions, and concerns that plague and inspire children's theatre. Arranged in alphabetical order by country, the Guide documents the history of the children's theatre movement in each country, defines its current state of artistic achievement, and projects its foremost needs for the future. For each chapter, the Guide includes profiles of representative companies. Important productions and influential dramatists, directors, designers, performers, and pedagogues are also mentioned.

International Guide to Children's Theatre and Educational Theatre: A Historical and Geographical Source Book

Humor & Entertainment

A Visit From St. Nicholas or The Night Before Christmas

Dramatic Publishing Co.

Here is a joyous pageant of plays by masters through the ages – including Dylan Thomas, Charles Dickens, Thornton Wilder, Langston Hughes, and Hans Christian Andersen – ready to be produced, along with “The Traditional Christmas Pageant” and “The Second Shepherd's Play” in a modernized text and a lively version of “St. George and the Dragon.” Comedies like “A Visit from St. Nicholas ” “Amahl and the Night Visitors ” “Kringle's Window” and “A Partridge in a Pear Tree” stand beside more serious works such as “A Child's Christmas in Wales ” “Black Nativity ” “Scrooge and Marley ” “The Match Girl's Gift” and “The Long Christmas Dinner ” called by critic John Gassner “...the most beautiful one-act play in English prose.” Lowel Swortzell, himself the author of a number of popular Christmas plays, has brought together these delightful works, which are ideally suited for performances in the classroom, sanctuary, or theatre. Ranging from the traditional to the contemporary, they also can be enjoyed for themselves as holiday reading that reminds us how Christmas has inspired great writers to their highest dramatic achievements.

Twelve Plays of Christmas (Applause Books)

Applause

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