The sociable, or, One thousand and one home amusements : containing acting proverbs, dramatic charades, acting charades, or drawing-room pantomimes, musical burlesques, tableaux vi by Arnold George 1834-1865 & Cahill Frank

Author:Arnold, George, 1834-1865 & Cahill, Frank
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Amusements, Amateur theater, Charades
Publisher: New York : Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers
Published: 1858-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

'A;:- ■■ — -^''-

^'AS:-'- THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.

''if music ia the food of love, noise in this game is the food of ftin. It proceeds in the manner and form following:—The players seat themselves and form a circle, each adopting an instrument of which Ke is the imaginary performer. One chooses the violin, and draws his right hand backward and forward over his left arm; another the horn, and puffs out his cheekSji-imitating the acting of a horn blower; another the piano, and strums with his hands upon his knees; another the harp, taking a chair or any other suitable piece of furniture to play on; and so, on through as many instruments as there are performers. Each player must imitate the action, and, as well as he is able, the sound of the instrument upon which he is supposed to be performing. The spectacle which is then presented by this orchestra of imaginary musicians, all playing con furore, is irresistibly ludicrous, and renders the gravity which is prescribed on pain of forfeit a sheer impossibility. In the middle of the circle the conductor takes his posi, a-straddle on a chair with the back before him, in such a manner as to figure a desk, on which he beats time. He may get himself up after the similitude . of the great Monsieur Jullien, whose attitudes and gestures, at the most exdted pitch of his last " Universal Smash" polka, may be adopted as a model, but will need no exaggeration to be made as amusing as those of the orchestra he directs. In the midst of the indescribable confusion of sounds over which he presides, the, conductor suddenly singles out one of the performers, and asks him why he is at fault.' The individual so addressed must at once, and without a moment's hesitation, give some answer corresponding to the nature of the instrument; for instance, the fiddler may say his bow wanted rosin, the harp player that one of his strings had broken, the clarionet player that his instrument was broken-winded. Any failure to do this, or any repetition of an excuse previously given, will necessitate a forfeit. This game in some respect is similar to the Dutch Concert, and should not be played in a very quiet family.'

SCHEHERAZADE'S RANSOM. "f^

Three of the company agree to sustain the parts of the Sultan, tlie Vizier, and the Princess Scheherazade. The Sultan takes his seat at die end of the room, arid the Vizier then leads the^Princess before him, with her hands bound behind her. The Vizier then makes<a burlesque, proclamatioi^ that the Princess having exhausted all her stories, is about to be punishedj'Smiess a sufficient ransom be offered. -The rest of the company then advance in turn, and propose enigmas (which must bo solved by the Sultan or Vizier), sing the first verse of a song (to which the Vizier must answer with the second verse), or recite any well known piece of poetry in alternate Unes with the Vizier.

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